RCR in Masters Degree Focused Universities via Distance Learning and Collaboration

The graduate schools of Bradley and Rockhurst Universities partnered together in an effort to develop, implement, and assess a program to educate students in RCR. The project was implemented by PIs, who are graduate deans, and a Bradley professor who has taught professional ethics to focus on engineering, computer science and physical science graduates students.

Beginning November 1, 2007, at Rockhurst University (RU), students and faculty wishing to perform any research involving human subjects must show proof of having completed the appropriate on-line modules required before their IRB proposal will be considered. The on-line modules are provided through a contract with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). As part of the CGS/NSF grant, the RU RCR Advisory Council, composed of the graduate dean, faculty representatives from the 3 health sciences and the IRB chair, conducted a pilot study to determine if on-line modules in RCR are an effective method for training graduate health sciences students in human subjects research.

Twenty-one, first-year health sciences graduate students participated in the pilot study which involved taking a pre-test, completing six on-line RCR modules and taking a post-test. A t-test revealed that there was a significant difference (p=.000) between the pre and post test scores, indicating that instruction using on-line modules is an effective method to enhance RCR education but these results must be interpreted cautiously given the small sample size.

The RU RCR Advisory Council recommends on-line module usage as one mode of a multimodal approach to RCR education. In addition to conducting the pilot test, the RCR Advisory Council members composed six case studies and discussion questions to enhance classroom discussion of RCR issues. Those case studies have been shared with Bradley University.

To sustain the RCR effort, RU has committed to continued use of the on-line modules and will continue to require proof of RCR training for IRB proposal consideration. The RCR Advisory Council will continue as a standing committee. An RCR website will be established on the RU website and it will be linked to the IRB website, as well. Funding has been budgeted to allow one member of IRB committee to attend an RCR conference yearly.

RU would like to thank CGS and NSF for this grant which provided the opportunity for RU to move forward more rapidly in this essential area.

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