Use of Online Collaborative Community and Technologies for Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions

Abstract

This paper presents a case on how online collaborative communities and various technologies, including Information and Communication Technologies and health-related technologies, can be utilized to strengthen research infrastructure in a minority institution of higher education; California State University, San Bernardino. The online community presented here is part of a larger project, supported by a “Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions" grant, a five-year $4.7 million program funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States. The primary purpose of the grant was to establish sustainable professional activities to reduce health disparities among racially and ethnically diverse and disadvantaged persons. Technologies used by the grant participants include, but are not limited to, course management systems (Blackboard and Moodle), Podcast, Wikis, Skype, Google Docs, Listserv, Doodle, various online forms, existing databases in different organizations, Geographic Information System, Global Positioning System, and technologies in three facilities: Teleconference Room, Bio-Behavioral Laboratory, and Human Performance Lab.