Responding to Racism in classroom and clinical settings
An international evaluation of a virtual simulation educational module for health professions students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21323482 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marian Luctkar-Flude (0000-0002-3343-1187, Queen's University, corresponding author), Deborah Pina-Thomas (University of Colorado Colorado Springs), Laura A Killam (0000-0001-5075-444X, Cambrian College), Ashton Dougan (0000-0001-7749-8992, University of Prince Edward Island), Arlene de la Rocha (Ontario Tech University), Caroline Sabotig (Lakehead University), Laura Istanboulian (0000-0002-8831-587X, University of Toronto), Erin Ziegler (Toronto Metropolitan University), Jane Tyerman (0000-0001-8158-0833, University of Ottawa) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-28 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Health Education Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0017-8969 • E-ISSN: 1748-8176 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00178969261457064 |
| OpenAlex | W7166555859 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
Background: Racialised health professions students frequently experience overt and covert racism, which can erode confidence, provoke emotional distress, and hinder learning, academic performance, and wellness. Innovative, accessible resources to build critical thinking and equip learners with strategies to navigate racism are urgently needed. Virtual simulation offers a promising approach to build capacity to respond to racism in health professions education. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate feasibility and impact of a virtual simulation educational module on cultural humility and perceived competence to respond to racism. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-post-test multi-site design was implemented across six academic sites in Canada and the USA. Participants completed standardised prebriefing materials, three asynchronous virtual simulations, and a self or group debrief. Outcome measures included feasibility indicators, the Simulation Effectiveness Tool–Modified (SET-M), Foronda’s Cultural Humility Scale, and scenario-specific perceived competency rubrics. Results: Among 354 consenting participants, 139 completed both pre- and post-surveys. The module demonstrated strong feasibility and acceptability, with high ratings for prebriefing, simulation design, and debriefing (⩾96% agreement). Cultural humility scores increased significantly from pre- to post-intervention ( p < .001), remaining within the “usually culturally humble” range. Perceived competence to respond to racism improved significantly across all scenarios ( p < .001), with post-test scores approaching the “competent learner” category. Conclusions: This research improves understanding of the use of virtual simulations to prepare health professions students to address racism in classroom and clinical settings
Competence (human resources) · Covert · Cultural competence · Cultural diversity · Cultural humility · Debriefing · Humility · Racism · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Health Professions · Medical Education and Admissions · Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare
G*Power 3
Racial microaggressions in everyday life
Development of the “Through the Eyes of …” Program for Improving Cultural Awareness
Shaping Social Justice Values Through Inclusive Assessment and Debriefing of eLearning Modules
Examining Factors Impacting Online Survey Response Rates in Educational Research
Non-response in student surveys
A Theory of Cultural Humility
Psychometric Testing of an Instrument to Measure Cultural Humility
Cultural Humility
A Call to Action for Health Equity
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |