Barbara Campbell

Knowledge translation research: the science of moving research into policy and practice.

Research findings will not change health outcomes unless health care organizations, systems, and professionals adopt them in practice. Knowledge translation research is the scientific study of the methods to promote the uptake of research findings by patients, health care providers, managers, and policy makers. Many forms of enquiry addressing different questions are needed to develop the evidence base for knowledge translation. In this paper we will present a description of the broad scope of knowledge translation research with a reflection on activities needed to further develop the science of knowledge translation. Consideration of some of the shared research challenges facing the fields of knowledge translation and continuing professional development will also be presented.

Applying knowledge to generate action: A community‐based knowledge translation framework

Introduction: Practical strategies are needed to translate research knowledge between researchers and users into action. For effective translation to occur, researchers and users should partner during the research process, recognizing the impact that knowledge, when translated into practice, will have on those most affected by that research. Method: Participatory action research (PAR) was used to generate a rural communitys knowledge of their childrens health. The Ottawa Model of Research Use (OMRU), a knowledge translation framework, was used to guide the translation of that generative knowledge into action, and the more current knowledge‐to‐action (KTA) conceptual framework provided the rationale for the graphical depiction of engagement of a rural community in knowledge translation. Results: The definitions, perspectives, best practices, and existing frameworks of knowledge translation are outlined. The foundational underpinnings and elements of PAR, the OMRU, and KTA are linked to form a conceptual framework for knowledge translation in a rural community context. Select strategies noted in OMRU to translate existing knowledge informed aspects of PAR to generate an action. Discussion: Diverse yet complementary approaches could be used by health professionals to advance the theory, method, and research of knowledge translation and exchange, regardless of context. Knowledge needs to be relevant, appropriate, applicable, timely, and reasonable to influence change.

Knowledge Translation Case Study: A Rural Community Collaborates with Researchers to Investigate Health Issues

Introduction: Knowledge translation implies the exchange and synthesis of knowledge between researchers and research users, employing a high level of communication and participation, not only to share the knowledge found through research, but also to implement subsequent strategies. Prince Edward Island, a rural province in Canada, provided the setting to exchange knowledge between researchers and a rural community on the health issues affecting children. Methods: A case study reports census data, demographic trends, and information about health issues immediate to the community. These focus groups were held to plan solutions to the communitys health priorities. The process was participatory, characterized by community involvement. Results: Those participating in the focus groups were interested in research findings and literature to solve local problems. Parenting and mental health were determined to be priority issues requiring broader community engagement. The process of translating knowledge into action after the focus groups met lacked widespread involvement of the community. Discussion: Although encouraged to do so, the larger rural community did not participate in examining research findings or in planning interventions. The parents in this community may not have perceived themselves as having influence in the process or goals of the project.

A European union and Canadian review of public health nursing preparation and practice.

OBJECTIVE This study explores the preparation and role of the public health nurse (PHN) across European Union (EU) countries (Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and Canadian provinces (Alberta, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). METHODS A literature review including relevant peer reviewed articles from 2000 on, in conjunction, with critical debate was undertaken. The results were considered in relation to the three essential areas of PHN practice, outlined in the World Health Organization (Moving on from Munich: A reference guide to the implementation of the declaration on nurses and midwives: A force for health, 2001b) recommendations, family oriented care, public health action, and policy making. RESULTS The major challenge the review revealed across a variety of international education and practice environments was the lack of consistent preparation for and engagement with leadership and policy making in practice.

The use of technology in Prince Edward Island (Canada) high schools Perceptions of school leaders

The purpose of this paper is to document the perceptions of school leaders regarding the technological use, skills, and attitudes of high school teachers. Using a qualitative research approach, 11 educational leaders from Prince Edward Island (Canada) were individually interviewed. Participants represented the Department of Education, principals, vice-principals, and department heads. Analyzed through the concept of e-leadership, the findings indicated that participants used a growing array of technological tools and activities including Smartboards, flipped classrooms, Prezi, educational apps, YouTube, and teacher blogs. Participants identified lack of time as a possible reason why some teachers were not incorporating technology into student learning. Findings highlight the need for provincial and school district authorities to promote policies aimed at promoting e-leadership among teachers. We insert an appendix to provide descriptions of the technological terms included within the paper.

The Role of Digital Technologies in Learning: Expectations of First Year University Students / Le rôle des technologies numériques dans l’apprentissage : les attentes des étudiants de première année universitaire

A growing literature suggests that there is a disjuncture between the instructional practices of the education system and the student body it is expected to serve, particularly with respect to the roles of digital technologies. Based on surveys and focus group interviews of first-year students at a primarily undergraduate Canadian university and focus group interviews of professors at the same institution, this study explores the gaps and intersections between students’ uses and expectations for digital technologies while learning inside the classroom and socializing outside the classroom, and the instructional uses, expectations and concerns of their professors. It concludes with recommendations for uses of digital technologies that go beyond information transmission, the need for extended pedagogical discussions to harness the learning potentials of digital technologies, and for pedagogies that embrace the social construction of knowledge as well as individual acquisition. Des etudes de plus en plus nombreuses suggerent qu’il existe un ecart entre les pratiques d’enseignement dans le systeme de l’education et la population etudiante desservie, notamment en ce qui concerne le role des technologies numeriques. La presente etude, fondee sur les resultats de sondages et d’entrevues de groupe aupres des etudiants de premiere annee inscrits a une universite canadienne principalement axee sur les etudes de premier cycle, ainsi que sur des entrevues de groupe aupres de professeurs du meme etablissement, explore les ecarts et les concordances entre, d’une part, l’utilisation et les attentes des etudiants relativement aux technologies numeriques dans l’apprentissage en classe et dans les relations sociales en dehors des classes, et, d’autre part, l’utilisation de ces technologies dans les pratiques d’enseignement, les preoccupation et les attentes des professeurs. L’etude se conclut par des recommandations concernant une utilisation des technologies numeriques depassant la transmission de l’information, et la necessite de discussions pedagogiques poussees permettant d’exploiter le potentiel des technologies numeriques dans le cadre de l’apprentissage ainsi que de methodes pedagogiques adaptees a la construction sociale des connaissances et au mode individuel d’acquisition des connaissances.