CLASS-Biology

You are invited to participate in a research project to improve the learning and appreciation of science with the use of technology.  This project is conducted under the direction of Dr. Carl Wieman, Distinguished Professor of Physics, JILA Box 440, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (303/492-7746).  Other investigators include Other investigators include Dr. Noah Finkelstein, Dr. Michael Dubson (303-492-4938), Dr. Steven Pollock (303-492-2495), Dr. Kathy Perkins (303-492-4367), Dr. Sarah McKagan (303-492-7815) , Dr. Linda Koch (303-492-7815), Dr. Jennifer Knight, Wendy Adams (303-735-0627), Noah Podolefsky, Patrick Kohl, Chris Keller, Kara Gray, Danielle Harlow (303-492-4331), Aaron Svoboda, Elias Quinn, Jack Barbera, Mindy Gratny, Sarah Kennedy, Fran�oise Benay, Laurie Langdon, Andrea Bair, Jia Shi, Jennifer Stempien, Lisa Mayhew, Dylan Ward, Michelle Smith, Mariel Desroche, and others of the Physics, Chemistry, and Biology Departments at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Campus Box 390, Boulder, Colorado, 80309. You are invited to participate in a research project to improve the learning and appreciation of science with the use of technology.  This project is conducted under the direction of Dr. Carl Wieman, Distinguished Professor of Physics, JILA Box 440, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (303-492-4367).  Other investigators include Dr. Noah Finkelstein, Dr. Michael Dubson (303-492-4938), Dr. Steven Pollock (303-492-2495), Dr. Kathy Perkins (303-492-6714), Dr. Sarah McKagan (303-492-7815) , Dr. Linda Koch (303-492-7815), Dr. Jennifer Knight, Wendy Adams (303-735-0627), Noah Podolefsky, Kara Gray, Jack Barbera, Mindy Gratny, Sarah Kennedy, Fran�oise Benay, Laurie Langdon, Andrea Bair, Jia Shi, Jennifer Stempien, Lisa Mayhew, Dylan Ward, Michelle Smith, Mariel Desroche, Katherine Semsar, Leilani Authors, Thomas Pentecost, Angela Jardine and others of the Physics, Chemistry, Geosciences, and Biology Departments at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Campus Box 390, Boulder, Colorado, 80309.

The purpose of this project is to investigate the relationship between students' beliefs about science and their success in science courses as part of evaluating the use of PhET (interactive JAVA simulations) learning tools and other presentations of science materials in science courses.

You are being asked to respond to a survey with a background questionnaire.  You can complete the survey on the web at your convenience. The survey will take about 10 minutes of your time. The background questionnaire will take approximately 2 minutes. You might be asked to complete this survey again, at the end of term. 

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 background information about your research, teaching, and institution. Identifying information (name, institution) will only be used to combine the survey answers and coursework data and will be deleted prior to any subsequent analysis.  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 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 your individual responses to this survey will be kept confidential. A possible benefit to you is the opportunity to review your conceptual understanding of Quantum Mechanics.  Other benefits to you are indirect and uncertain, as information from this research and evaluation will contribute to the ongoing changes being made to the PhET simulations and to changes in science instruction in general. 

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.