University of Hawai'i

Consent to Participate in Research Project:
An Instructional Module on Replacing Your Legacy Windows Operating System

My name is Dal Wong. I am a graduate student at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (UH), in the Department of Learning Design and Technology. I am conducting research for an individual class project.  My interest is in reducing e-waste through re-purposing older computer hardware through education and training.  The purpose of this research project is to evaluate an instructional module on replacing your legacy Windows operating system. I am asking you to participate in this project because you are an adult computer user and you are also enrolled in the University of Hawaii Outreach College.

What activities will you do in the study and how long will the activities last? If you participate, I will have you take my instructional module. The module will last for about one hour. The module consists of a pre-survey, a pretest, instructional presentation, a posttest, and a post-survey. Your answers to the surveys and tests are recorded on a digital spreadsheet so I can later type a written record of participant reactions to the module.  I will evaluate the information from the surveys and tests. If you participate, you will be one of a total of approximately fifteen Outreach College students who will take the module individually.

Benefits and Risks: You may benefit from this project by learning how to replace the operating system on your computer and even extend the useful life of older hardware. The results of this project might help me learn more about adult college students’ ability to learn about upgrading a computer. I believe there is little or no risk to you in participating in this project. There is a possibility you may become uncomfortable or stressed by receiving online virtual instruction. If that happens, you may take a break, or stop the module. You may also withdraw from the project altogether.

Confidentiality and Privacy: I will keep all information from the module surveys and tests in a safe place. Only my course instructor and I will have access to the information. The University of Hawaii Human Studies Program has the right to review research records for this study.

When I report the results of my research project in my typed papers, I will not use your name or any other personal information that would identify you. No data will be presented outside of the class environment.

Voluntary Participation: Participation in this research project is voluntary. You are free to choose to participate or not to participate in this project. At any point during this project, you can withdraw your permission without any loss of benefits.

Questions: If you have any questions about this project, please contact me via e-mail (dalwyncw@hawaii.edu).

If you have any questions about your rights in this project, you can contact the University of Hawaii, Human Studies Program, by phone at (808) 956-5007 or by e-mail at uhirb@hawaii.edu.  
You may request a copy of this document for your records.
If you agree to participate in this project please read the following electronic consent notification:
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                    Electronic Acknowledgement of Consent:

  By continuing with this instructional module I acknowledge that I have read the project description as detailed on this consent form and I agree to join in the research project entitled, “An Instructional Module on Replacing Your Legacy Windows Operating System”.  I understand that I can change my mind about being in this project, at any time, by notifying the researcher.