1. Project Goals
This study explores the experiences of educators and learners utilizing the mobile
learning technology iTunes U in a face-to-face classroom. The goals of this case study
will be to examine the qualities of the iTunes U experience for learners, the qualities of
the iTunes U experience for educators, and the impact that fair use and copyright have
upon educators using iTunes U in their classrooms. The qualities of experience studied
will include ease of use, frequency of use, ratings of enjoyment, and obstacles to use.
This survey will be used to create a reference for mobile device ownership and
usage among college students; this survey data will then be utilized in the upcoming case
study that will be implemented in the Spring 2013 semester.
2. Research Protocol
Participants:
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Participants will be recruited from PSY 121 classes; these participants are
undergraduate college students.
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The sample should consist of approximately 150 participants.
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The psychology department requires individuals enrolled in PSY 121 to
participate in a research project. This project will be available on the Psychology
department website.
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Participants should be finished within 20 minutes.
Procedures:
The survey will be conducted using the Qualtrics survey software package
licensed through Missouri State University. Upon opening the survey in Qualtrics,
potential participants will be presented with a welcome page followed by an informed
consent form (see attached). All participants must click a box indicating they have read
and understood their rights and protections, and consent to voluntary participation in the
survey. The survey cannot be conducted and no data will be collected unless the
participant expresses willingness to participate in the study.
No setting for testing is specified, but respondents will most likely be in a school,
work, or home setting with a private computer they have logged on to. The survey will
include questions about demographics (see attached data collection tool). Data will be
collected on demographics including gender, age range, class level, and the ownership
and usage of mobile devices.
The only nominal information collected will be signatures on informed consent
forms; after that time, response data will be identified through participant number data in
a database, which will be unable to be matched with informed consent forms. After the
study is completed, all data collected during the study will be kept in a locked file cabinet
for two years. After this time the data will be destroyed following proper research
protocol. The results of this research will be used in a Masters thesis and will possibly be
submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed research journal.
3. Benefits
Individual participants will not benefit directly from completing the survey. The
purpose of the survey is to find a reference for mobile device ownership, ease and
frequency of use, ratings of enjoyment, and obstacles to use among college students. The
data from this survey will be utilized as a baseline for the further case study to be
implemented in the Spring 2013 semester.
4. Risks
This being an online survey, there are no physical risks to participants. The
questions asked of the participants focus on their ownership of mobile device technology
and it’s usage in their academic and personal lives, so the levels of emotional distress by
the survey should be minimal.
5. Analysis of Risk: Benefit Ratio When Relevant
There are no physical risks to subjects, and emotional risks to subjects should also
be nonexistent. Potential benefits include identifying mobile device ownership, ease and
frequency of use, ratings of enjoyment, and obstacles to use among college students.
6. Procedures for Minimizing Risk
Being allowed to give informed consent before participating, participating only
voluntarily, being able to withdraw at any time, and having their responses protected both
by anonymity and confidentiality will protect participants. Informed consent forms will
be kept separately from data and will not be able to be linked to individual participants’
responses. Data collected during this experiment will not have any identifying
information attached to it.
7. Procedure for Obtaining Informed Consent
Participants will be asked to read and electronically agree to the attached Consent
Form. No data will be collected on any participant who is unwilling to agree to the
consent form.
8. Statement of Compliance
I hereby agree to conduct this study in accordance with the procedures set forth in
my project description, to uphold the ethical guidelines as set forth in the Code of Federal
Regulations 45 CFR 46, 45 CFR 160 and 164, and the Missouri State University HIPAA
Policy, and to report to the IRB any outcomes or reactions to the experiment which were
not anticipated in the risks description which might influence the IRBs decision to sustain
approval of the project.
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Department Head
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Principal Investigator
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Faculty Advisor
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Other Investigator
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Date
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Date