Bridging culture on-line: Strategies for teaching cultural sensitivity

The demand for on-line learning experiences is greatly increasing, especially for place-bound students living in rural areas. Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire School of Nursing responded to the need for coursework focusing on cultural competence by offering an elective course at both the undergraduate and graduate level through asynchronous delivery systems. To accomplish this, specific strategies were used in the course on cross-cultural health. These approaches were thoughtfully developed to bridge cultures in an on-line environment for students who do not have cross-cultural experiences easily accessible within their home communities. Strategies included: (1) culturally congruent use of a minority visiting scholar who is a leader in professional nursing and a traditional woman healer within her Native American community to provide wisdom, information, and support to students and faculty, in the novel role of guest listener; (2) requiring participation in cultural enrichment activities, designed to assist the student in discovering the similarities and differences among diverse peoples in their lives; and (3) developing course and faculty evaluations that are congruent with the asynchronous learning environment.