Concussion Education Reimagined
At least 1 in 5 teenagers will get a concussion.1
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, someone in the U.S. sustains a traumatic brain injury every 11 seconds – and more than 75% of these injuries are concussions. Medically referred to as mild traumatic brain injuries, concussions may have lasting physical, emotional, and cognitive effects if not treated properly. Most concussions can heal within two weeks with proper care, but the overwhelming majority of people don’t know what care and treatment should look like. That’s where CrashCourse comes in.
CrashCourse is changing the way people understand concussions.
After six years of research and thousands of hours of production and user-testing, TeachAids created the CrashCourse product suite. We quickly discovered that there are a number of basic myths and misconceptions surrounding concussions. To address these issues in the most impactful way, we enlisted the expertise of more than 100 medical and industry leaders along with the critical voices of people with lived experience in the development of our products.
CrashCourse’s award-winning programs have been adopted by the most influential organizations across the United States and the world. Our partnerships with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s National Governing Bodies and the National Council of Youth Sports allow us to reach young people across organized sports. In addition, our collaborations with the Brain Injury Association of America, National Association of State Head Injury Administrators, Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and other special programs position us to reach more than 100 million medical professionals, caregivers, parents, athletes, coaches, and veterans in countries like the United States, Canada, and Great Britain.
The CrashCourse product suite harnessed the power of scientific experts, sports organizations, leading advocacy groups, and thousands of volunteers to make better concussion education a reality. Our research-based, interactive products are available online as standard videos and in virtual reality (free of charge) to provide communities with the latest medical knowledge on the prevention and treatment of concussions.
Research-Based
The curriculum is medically accurate and pedagogically grounded to optimize learning and retention
Interactive
Strategically embedded interactive elements increase viewer engagement and knowledge retention
Human-Centered
Featuring real people sharing their own stories of concussions sustained through varied activities
Virtual Reality
Immersive experiences in VR appeal to our digital native generation and enhance empathy and learning
Grounded in Science
CrashCourse was designed in partnership with leading subject matter experts, and evaluated using several gold standard research methods including randomized controlled trials, community-based participatory research, and pretest-posttest-retention test control group study designs.
All research is formally conducted via the Stanford University and Harvard University Institutional Review Boards.
Learn MoreCrashCourse Product Suite
CrashCourse (12 min)
- Synthesizes first-person and third-person experiential perspectives to inform and motivate learning about concussion signs and symptoms
- Heisman trophy runner-up corrects myths and misconceptions and helps the viewer recognize the seriousness of reporting
- Recognizes the importance of working with a medical professional to determine the best strategy for improvement
- Available online as a standard video and in virtual reality
- Course Completion Certification available for athletes, parents and coaches (see FAQ page)
Brain Fly-Through (8 min)
- Uses state-of-the art technology from Stanford University’s Neurosurgical Simulation and Virtual Reality Center
- Prefaced by dramatic race footage, a world mountain biking champion takes the viewer on a journey through the human brain
- Conceptualizes an otherwise “invisible” injury
- Showcases the brain’s blood vessels, nervous system, and cerebrospinal fluid cavities
- Emphasizes the complexity and fragility of the human brain
- Available online as a standard video and in virtual reality
Concussion Story Wall
- An interactive database featuring 4,000 stories from individuals describing their personal concussion experiences
- A comprehensive mental health resource for everyone including students, parents, coaches, teachers, and military veterans
- Includes videos from medical experts describing symptoms and best practices for recovery
- Serves as a referral source for athletic trainers, rehab specialists, and physicians
Efficacy of CrashCourse
Researchers at Stanford, Harvard, and Dartmouth, among other institutions, have repeatedly found that CrashCourse is highly effective when compared with other education programs, both in terms of improving concussion reporting intention and in increasing enjoyment of concussion education. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that athletes who previously did not enjoy concussion education had the greatest gains in intent to report concussion.
Read the latest updates on CrashCourse.
Who's Involved
CrashCourse was designed by a world-class team of academics, researchers, doctors, and athletes associated with the following institutions and organizations: