Title of Study: Towards an Open Classroom: The Effectiveness of OERs on Student Affordability and Interdisciplinary Learning in a Higher Education Classroom

You are asked to participate in a research study conducted by Dr. Clayton Smith and Mr. Carson Babich from the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor.  This project is being funded by a Faculty of Education Research Stimulus Funding Grant

If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel to contact Dr. Clayton Smith at 519-253-3000, ext. 3802

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Our research centres on the use of Open Education Resources (OER) to fulfill the university’s moral and ethical duty to provide knowledge without financially burdening students that results in thoughtful and engaged learning. OER’s address this moral and ethical duty by alleviating the financial burden on students through the full or partial removal of textbook costs. instructor use of OERs also enhances teaching effectiveness, leading to interdisciplinary student learning. The purpose of our study is to explore the phenomenon of the OER movement and its impact on alleviating student debt, increasing instructor pedagogy, and enhancing deep and disciplinary learning.

PROCEDURES

If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to participate in three telephone or video-conferencing focus group and/or individual interviews during the fall 2020 semester; one at the start of the semester, one in the middle of the semester, and one at the end of the semester. We anticipate that each interview/focus group will take one hour, for a maximum time commitment of three hours. 

POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS

There are no known potential risks or discomforts.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY

You will benefit by learning how OER use impacts student debt and teaching effectiveness in interdisciplinary courses.

COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION

There is no compensation for participation in this research project.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be identified with you will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission.

Information that is collected as part of the individual interviews will be known to the research team.  The research team members will agree to keep this information confidential.

Only members of the research team will have access to study data.

All study records will be maintained for five years after the study is completed.

Aggregate study findings will be used to inform teaching, related academic and professional conference presentations and to support publication in related professional and academic journals.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL

Research participants have the right to withdraw from the research study at any time prior to the data verification/analysis stage.  To withdraw from the study, participants will need to send an email to the research team informing them of the participant’s plan to withdraw from the study, 

Participants who withdraw from the study will have their data removed from the study and deleted from the study database. 

FEEDBACK OF THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY TO THE PARTICIPANTS

Survey findings will be placed online at the conclusion of the study.

Web address: https://www.uwindsor.ca/people/csmith/367/research-update

Date when results are available: December 2020.

SUBSEQUENT USE OF DATA

These data may be used in subsequent studies, in publications and in presentations.

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

If you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant, contact:  The Office of Research Ethics, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4; Telephone: 519-253-3000, ext. 3948; e‑mail:  ethics@uwindsor.ca