OurRelationship’s Totara Learn supports low-income couples in their relationships

OurRelationship is a free online marriage and relationship program run by Dr. Brian Doss at the University of Miami. This three-phase programme provides couples with the tools they need to understand and develop solutions to combat their biggest relationship problems. The web-based relationship course can be completed online within 7-8 hours.

The challenge: delivering user-friendly learning

To successfully reach their target audience, OurRelationship needed a platform that could deliver their elearning programme in a user-friendly format. The programme needed to go across smartphones, tablets, and computers so couples could complete the learning from the comfort of their home and on their own schedule.

At the end of each stage, couples have a guided conversation about what they have learned. This meant the LMS needed to allow coaches and researchers access to the users’ responses so they could tailor the discussion to the individual couple’s needs. Every user journey is highly unique and OurRelationship needed a platform that was flexible enough to satisfy this.

A flexible platform solution

Using Totara Learn allows OurRelationship users to see conditional text and graphs based on their scores to standardised assessments. This tailored feedback allows users to customise the standard content to the specifics of their own relationship. After reviewing this content, users are asked to select how certain content applies to them (using MCQ or drop-down assessment items) and write about it (using text fields). This information is saved by the LMS to be used later in the programme – and for research purposes.

Second, users go through the programme with their romantic partner; as a result, it is critical that their accounts are both linked yet distinct (e.g., with separate passwords, progress tracking, etc.). In particular, a central feature is that individuals are able to work separately through portions of the programme (saving data to the LMS, as described above) before coming together in a conversation with their partner. During these conversations, the LMS pulls data across from both accounts and displays it as an interwoven, single conversation.

Measurable results for end users

In a randomised controlled trial of 300 couples nationwide, compared to couples in a wait-list control group, couples participating in the OurRelationship program showed statistically significant gains in several aspects of their relationship as well as reductions in individual mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Based on these results, the research team was able to secure a five-year contract with the federal agency Administration for Children and Families to provide their programmes to approximately 2,500 low-income couples nationwide.

We’re excited by the seamless integration of Totara Learn and Adapt that Kineo was able to design and develop for us. It’s going to help us effectively serve couples at need throughout the United States. – Brian D. Doss, PhD, Project Director and Associate Professor, University of Miami