Overview

“Communicate to Make a Difference: Practicing Cross-Cultural Communication” is a web-based course that consists of three modules:

• Hepatitis A Outbreak
  Developing an effective public health intervention in a time of crisis is challenging. This story of a Hepatitis A outbreak in a Mexican-American community demonstrates how effective cross-cultural communication can lead to good solutions.
• The Bamboo Dragon
  One of the essential services of public health is to enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety. This case study begins with the health inspection of an Asian restaurant. Can the stakeholders overcome the barriers to communication that cultural differences have created?
• Community Health Workers
  There are many facets of organizational culture. It is the awareness of these facets and how communication can affect an organization that is the focus of this module. How can three different groups overcome communication challenges to work together?
  

Each module is a separate case study which examines the practical application of the “Ten Strategies for Effective Cross-Cultural Communication.”

The cases have been inspired by real public health situations.

Each module offers continuing education credits.

Time

It is estimated that each module takes one and one-half hours to complete.

Technical Requirements

The course is built to XHTML 1.1 specifications. A modern web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox is required to view the pages.

Objectives

After completing the course, the learner will be able to better apply the following skills in their daily work:

• Ask questions to develop cultural knowledge.
• Distinguish cultural perspectives.
• Build self-awareness.
• Recognize the complexity of cross-cultural communication.
• Avoid stereotyping.
• Respect cultural differences.
• Employ active listening skills.
• Avoid culturally insensitive language and behaviors.
• Be flexible in choosing communication strategies.