Responding to Racism in classroom and clinical settings: An international evaluation of a virtual simulation educational module for health professions students
Marian Luctkar-Flude, Deborah Pina-Thomas, Laura A. Killam, Ashton Dougan, Arlene de la Rocha, Caroline Sabotig, Laura Istanboulian, Erin Ziegler, Jane TyermanBackground:
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 (
Conclusions:
This research improves understanding of the use of virtual simulations to prepare health professions students to address racism in classroom and clinical settings.