CU Student Clicker Survey

Very Connected

Connected

Somewhat connected

Disconnected

Very Disconnected

Not answered

In-class lecture TO In-class clicker questions

In-class time TO Homework

In-class time TO Exams

Tutorials TO Homework

Homework TO Exams

INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENT - “Physics Education Research” Project

 
You are invited to participate in a research project to improve the learning of and attitudes and beliefs about physics at the upper-division undergraduate level.  This project is conducted under the direction of Dr. Katherine Perkins, Sr. Research Associate, UCB 390, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (303-492-6714).  Other investigators include Dr. Noah Finkelstein, Dr. Michael Dubson (303-492-4938), Dr. Steven Pollock (303-492-2495), Dr. Carl Wieman (303-492-4367), Dr. Sarah McKagan (303-492-7815), Dr. Stephanie Chasteen, Ms. Angie Jardine, and others of the Physics Departments at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Campus Box 390, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.  

The purpose of this project is to investigate how 1) students’ beliefs about physics and learning physics, 2) various course components, learning tools, and teaching approaches, and 3) students’ background experiences and opinions impact their learning of physics and other educational outcomes such as choice of major, and to investigate how various learning tools and other presentations of physics materials impact students’ learning and beliefs about physics – all as part of the effort to improve student learning at the upper-division undergraduate level. 

You are being asked to respond to a survey with a background questionnaire.  When administered online, you can complete the survey on the web at your convenience, otherwise you will be given time to complete the survey inside or outside of class. The survey will take less than 15 minutes of your time. The background questionnaire will take approximately 5 minutes. You might be asked to complete this survey more than once during the term. 

Your answers on this survey will not affect your course grade and will not count towards your final grade in this class.  Class instructors who are members of the research group (listed above) will not have access to individual survey responses until after the course has been completed and final grades submitted.  All other class instructors will never have access to individual responses; they will only receive information on who participated and the results for the class as a whole – that is results with no identifying information about individuals.  If your professor is offering course credit or other incentive in return for participating in this research, you may collect this credit without participating by simply submitting the survey uncompleted (with only name and ID filled in).  

In addition, your individual privacy will be maintained in all published and written data resulting from this study.  You will be asked to include your name and the last six digits of your Student ID number. Identifying information (name, ID) will only be used to provide instructors with a list of students who should receive credit and to combine the survey answers and with other data sources. All identifying information will be deleted prior to any subsequent analysis. If you provide permission, no one except the researchers will have access to your identity. The researchers will score your survey and record these scores in an excel spreadsheet.  Any written or printed out materials with identifiable information will be stored in a locked filing cabinet. The excel spreadsheet will be stored on password protected computers. At the end of the project the materials will be stored for a period of 3 years and then destroyed. No individual student identifiers will be used in any published or publicly presented work.  

Participation is entirely voluntary.  You have the right to withdraw your consent or discontinue participation at any time.  You have the right to refuse to answer any question(s) for any reason. The risks to you are minimal since this survey can in no way impact your course grade, and any incentive credit can be obtained without participation. The benefits to you are indirect and uncertain, as information from this research and evaluation will contribute to the ongoing efforts to develop and implement new learning tools and teaching practices that improve the learning of and attitudes and beliefs about physics at the upper-division undergraduate level and to sustain their use. 

If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research subject, any concerns regarding this project, or any dissatisfaction with any aspect of this study you may report them, confidentially if you wish, to the Executive Secretary, Human Research Committee, University of Colorado, Graduate School, Campus Box 26, Regent 308, Boulder, Colorado 80309 or by telephone to (303) 492-7401. Copies of the University of Colorado Assurance of Compliance to the federal government regarding human subject research are available upon request from the graduate school at the address listed above. In addition, research personnel will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this evaluation.

Your agreement to participate is indicated by completing and submitting this survey. Your signature is not required on any document. Submitting this survey incomplete (with name and ID only) will allow you to receive credit without any agreement to participate in research activities.

This brief survey will provide us with extremely valuable information about your thoughts on this course, and on the use of clickers in upper-division physics. It should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete.

This survey counts as credit for one homework problem on HW13. You must complete it by Wednesday, Dec 10 to receive credit.

Your responses to this survey will NOT affect your grade. All names/IDs will be deleted before Profs. Pollock and DeWolfe reviews the responses, and they will not review them until after grades have been turned in. They will receive a separate list of who participated for the purposes of assigning homework credit.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Not answered
I think quantum mechanics is an interesting subject
My intuition is useful in solving PHYS 3220-level quantum problems
I am generally able to do the mathematical calculations required in PHYS 3220.
Throughout the course of PHYS 3220, I built on and deepened my understanding of material from PHYS 2170/2130 (General Physics 3: Modern Physics or an equivalent course.)
The instructor regularly made connections between PHYS 3220 and PHYS 2170/2130 (or an equivalent course).
During PHYS 3220 connections between mathematical techniques and important physical concepts were made regularly.
I usually understand what the professor says in lecture in this class.