Bridging the Gap Between Learning and Doing: How Durham Tech Uses TrialKit to Prepare the Next Generation of Clinical Research Professionals

Client Challenge

Durham Technical Community College’s (Durham Tech’s) Clinical Trials Research Associate program has long supported the Research Triangle’s dynamic life sciences workforce. Founded in 1998, the program was created to meet the growing need for clinical research talent across CROs, academic medical centers, and pharmaceutical companies. But by the early 2010s, a challenge had emerged: traditional classroom instruction wasn’t enough to prepare students for the increasingly technical roles in data management.

“Employers were looking for candidates who could hit the ground running with EDC systems and workflows,” says Sharleen Traynor, PhD, MPH, ACRP-CP, Program Director. “Reading about data management in a book just wasn’t cutting it anymore.”

The Solution

Enter TrialKit by Crucial Data Solutions (CDS). Around 2020, Durham Tech began working with CDS to integrate TrialKit into its curriculum not as a demonstration tool, but as a foundational part of student learning. What started as a tool to build simple CRFs has now expanded to touch nearly every part of the CTRA program experience.

Students engage with TrialKit through simulated clinical studies, mirroring real-world workflows. They practice:

• Study setup and CRF creation
  
• Role-based permissions and workflows
  
• Data entry and query resolution
  
• Protocol design and versioning
  
• Annotated CRFs and data dictionaries
  

While a few academic institutions offer limited access to EDC systems for data entry, Durham Tech stands out by giving students full back-end access to build and manage simulated trials, which is an uncommon level of exposure that positions graduates ahead of the curve.

“We might be the only program in North America where students actually build and manage mock trials using real EDC software,” notes Linda Shostak, Adjunct Professor, Clinical Research who teaches several courses within the program. “That’s a huge differentiator.”

Working with TrialKit was a valuable part of the course and gave me hands-on experience with core data management tasks such as CRF design, data entry, edit checks, query management, report generation, user role management, audit trail review, data export, and workflow monitoring. Using an actual EDC system provided a more effective learning experience than lectures or reading alone, allowing me to better understand and apply these essential skills. This practical exposure also reinforced the importance of data accuracy, traceability, and system controls in supporting study quality and regulatory compliance.

Nicole Domilski, CTRA Program student

The Results

The impact has been far-reaching:

Confidence and job readiness: Students arrive at internships and job interviews with firsthand experience in EDC navigation and study configuration—skills that typically take months to learn on the job.

Portfolio development: Using TrialKit, students create tangible artifacts like annotated CRFs and mock data dictionaries, offering proof of skills that employers can immediately recognize.

Better understanding of clinical roles: TrialKit’s role-based permissions model allows students to experience the constraints and responsibilities of different team members including CRAs, data managers, coordinators, fostering a broader appreciation for team-based trial execution.

Curriculum flexibility: CDS gave Durham Tech the autonomy to tailor their usage of TrialKit to meet course objectives, enabling the simulation of diverse study types, including those used in community outreach programs like summer camps for middle schoolers exploring STEM careers.

Future-forward education: The recent integration of AI features into TrialKit, and its mobile functionality, opens new doors for reporting and ad hoc query capabilities—tools Durham Tech plans to incorporate into upcoming coursework. “As the industry evolves, so does our curriculum,” says Traynor. “TrialKit allows us to lead, not lag, in adopting new tools.”

Being able to use tools, such as TrialKit, is 100% necessary for more complete learning, as far as I am concerned. I can watch lectures and read guidance materials; but it is the “doing” and the problem solving that allows the material to stick. I find that the demos are especially helpful as I walk through completing a task or project. It is easy to get distracted when I am just listening or even listening and watching. But when I am listening, watching, and doing, I am much more focused and ready to learn. I feel confident in my ability to use TrialKit because of accessing TrialKit and because of the hands-on assignments I performed.

Margaret Hall, CTRA Program student

A Model for Active Learning

Durham Tech’s hands-on approach fills a critical gap in traditional clinical research training, and TrialKit is at the heart of it.

“Experiential learning makes all the difference,” says Shostak. “Even just forgetting a password and needing to problem-solve mirrors what it’s like to work in clinical operations. It’s not just about learning content; it’s about learning how to function in a data-driven environment.”

CDS and Durham Tech continue to explore new ways to enhance the program, including a proposed national user group for graduates along with continuing to collect testimonials from students. The result is a powerful example of how academic-industry partnerships can prepare students not only for the jobs of today but for the evolving demands of the clinical research industry.

Interested in integrating TrialKit into your academic or training program? Contact us to learn how we can support your goals. TrialKit with the study’s existing systems minimized disruptions and ensured that the study remained on track.