Adult educators have a strong interest in designing courses that stimulate learning toward critical, more inclusive cultural perspectives. Critical reflection is a key component of both intercultural learning and a growing medium of instruction, the asynchronous computer conference (CC). This study combined qualitative methodology with a framework for assessment of intercultural reflection to examine interactions between intercultural experience and issues and cognitive and affective approaches to reflection in a graduate course exploring cultural difference taught through the CC medium. Results revealed that beliefs about cultural difference were mediated through critical self-reflection approaches through which students linked cultural positions to inequity, embraced negative emotions, questioned prejudices, reframed underlying premises, and linked experiences to previously learned habits. Online discussion was strongly influenced by the topics of race and, secondarily, by experience as marginalized biculturals or international sojourners.

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Collaboration between academic researchers and community members, clinicians, and organizations is valued at all levels of the program development process in community-engaged health research (CEnR). This descriptive study examined a convenience sample of 30 projects addressing training in CEnR methods and strategies within the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) consortium. Projects were selected from among posters presented at an annual community engagement conference over a 3-year period. Study goals were to learn more about how community participation in the design process affected selection of training topics, how distinct community settings influenced the selection of training formats, and the role of evaluation in preparing training participants to pursue future health research programming. Results indicated (1) a modest increase in training topics that reflected community health priorities as a result of community (as well as academic) participation at the program design stage, (2) a wide range of community-based settings for CEnR training programs, and (3) the majority of respondents conducted evaluations, which led in turn to revisions in the curricula for future training sessions. Practice and research implications are that the collaboration displayed by academic community teams around CEnR training should be traced to see if this participatory practice transfers to the design of health promotion programs. Second, collaborative training design tenets, community formats and settings, and evaluation strategies should be disseminated throughout the CTSA network and beyond. Third, common evaluative metrics and indicators of success for CEnR training programs should be identified across CTSA institutions.

BackgroundThe Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) institutions are increasing development of training programs in community-engaged research (CEnR) to support translational science.MethodsThis study sampled posters at CTSA national meetings to identify CEnR training approaches, topics, and outcomes.ResultsQualitative analysis of 30 posters revealed training topics and outcomes focused primarily on CEnR capacity building, overcoming barriers, systems change, and sustainability.ConclusionFurther research should focus on development and results of CTSA CEnR training program metrics.

While much attention is devoted to the slow process of cutting-edge “bench science” finding its way to clinical translation, less attention is paid to the fact that basic prevention messages, tests, and interventions never find their way into communities. The NIH Clinical Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program seeks to address a broad mission of improving health, including both speeding up the incorporation of basic science discoveries throughout the clinical research pipeline as well as incorporating concerns of communities and practices into research agendas. The preventive medicine community now has an important opportunity to marry their mission of promoting and expanding prevention in communities to the nation's medical research agenda. This article suggests opportunities for collaboration.