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Students With Disabilities As Diverse Learners

FACULTY PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT

Purpose of the Research

Students with Disabilities as Diverse Learners (SDDL) projectstaff are facilitating Professional Development (PD) training and research to improve retention and matriculation rates (i.e., completion of a class and graduation) of students with disabilities (SWD) in postsecondary education. PD will be conducted on three topic areas: 1) Universal Design for Learning (UDL), 2) Multiculturalism, and 3) Mentoring. The hypothesis is that by receiving the PD, faculty will 1) improve their knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward SWD; 2) implement pedagogical knowledge and skills acquired from the PD in their classes; and 3) contribute to increasing the retention and matriculation rates of SWD in their classes.

Quasi-Experimental Study: SDDL staff will recruit faculty participants to take part in a pre-class observation and complete assessment surveys during Spring or Fall Semesters through 2012.Based upon the observation and survey responses, faculty will be divided into three groups as part of the quasi-experimental study. An equal number of people will be randomly assigned into a control group. Thirty (30) people in the control condition will not receive any PD for one year; 30 people in treatment condition1 will be randomly assigned to be trained on one of three PD modules; and 30 people in treatment condition 2 will be trained on all three PD modules. All faculty members in the control and treatment groups will complete surveys, have their classes observed, and allow their students, who provide consent, to complete a survey instrument. Data from the two treatment groups will be compared with data from the control group to determine if the PD is effective in enhancing faculty knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward SWD thus possibly increasing retention and matriculation rates of SWD. In addition, to determine if there is a synergy effect when integrating the three PD topics into one model, the data from the two treatment groups will be compared to each other.

Faculty Roles and Time Commitment

If you agree to participate you will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups and asked to do the following:

  • Complete a pre-training survey. This takes about 30 minutes to complete.
  • Complete a post-training survey immediately after the PD. This takes about 30 minutes to complete.
  • Complete a follow-up survey 6 months after the PD implementation. This takes about 30 minutes to complete.
  • Complete a follow-up survey 12 months after the PD implementation. This takes about 30 minutes to complete.
  • Allow your class to be observed four times. For example, if you participate in this study during Spring Semester, your class will be observed during that Spring Semester, in the beginning of the following Fall semester, at the end of that Fall semester, and at the end of the following Spring semester.
  • Allow your students, who provide consent, to complete a survey during class time.
  • Provide information on grades of students in the classes observed by project staff only if students give their consent. In collecting and reporting the grades, you will spend about 15 minutes three times. For example, if you participate in this study during a Spring semester, you will spend 15 minutes at the end of that Spring semester, the following Fall semester, and the next Spring semester; in total, approximately 45 minutes will be required for reporting grades.

Quasi-Experimental Study (Treatment Condition 1):

  • Attend one PD training facilitated by project staff. This takes about 3 hours.

Quasi-Experimental Study (Treatment Condition 2):

  • Attend three PD trainings facilitated by project staff. This takes about 9 hours.

The total time commitment for the Quasi-Experimental Study will vary based upon the group to which you are assigned. Individuals in the control group will spend about 6 hours completing the survey instruments. Participation for individuals in treatment condition 1 will require about 9 hours. Participation for individuals in treatment condition 2 will require about 15 hours.

Potential Risks

Other people may find out information collected through the Project about your students that you want to keep confidential. To reduce this risk, Project staff will take the measures described below under Confidentiality.

Potential Benefits to You

Improved instruction, better course evaluations, and enhanced tenure and promotion documents are possible benefits.

Potential Benefits to Society

Better ways may be developed to help students improve postsecondary education outcomes, including better grades and increased college retention and graduation rates.

Length of Participation

Your participation will consist of6 to 30 hours of time for up to an 18 to 24 month period. It will vary, depending on when participation in the initial PD training begins, when appropriate classes are being taught, which condition (control condition, treatment condition 1, or treatment condition 2) you are assigned into, and whether you participate in the mini-study.

Compensation Possibilities

For Faculty participating in the Quasi-Experimental Study only:

1. $125.00 will be paid following submission of the 2nd survey.

2. $125.00 will be paid following submission of the 4th survey.

Note: Compensation issubject to Federal and State income taxes.

Confidentiality

All information about you and your students will be kept strictly confidential to the full extent allowed by law. Only project staff will have access to this information. Project staff will store information in electronic formats on computers that are accessible only with secret passwords. They will store information in physical formats (survey data) in a locked cabinet. Your name and other information that can identify you as a participant will never be published.

Participation and Withdrawal

Your participation is voluntary, and you can end your participation at any time. Should you decide to withdraw from the study early, your financial compensation will be pro-rated based upon the length of time you were involved and the degree to which you were involved in the study. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights, or remedies because of your participation in this research study.

Identification of Investigators

If you have any questions, please contact:

Robert Stodden, Principal Investigator

Center on Disability Studies

University of Hawaii at Manoa

1776 University Ave. UA4-6

Honolulu, HI 96822

(808) 956-9199 OR

Steven E. Brown, Project Coordinator

Center on Disability Studies

University of Hawaii at Manoa

1776 University Ave. UA4-6

Honolulu, HI 96822

(808) 956-0996

(If you cannot obtain satisfactory answers to your questions or have comments or complaints about your treatment in this study, contact: Committee on Human Studies, University of Hawai`i, 1960 East-West Road, B-104, HI 96822. Phone: (808) 956-5007. E-mail: .)

Students With Disabilities As Diverse Learners

Agreement to Participate

I certify that I have read and that I understand the information in this document. I certify that I have been given satisfactory answers to my inquiries concerning project procedures and other matters. I certify that participation is voluntary and I have been advised that I am free to withdraw my consent and to discontinue my participation in the project at any time without prejudice. I consent to participate in this project with the understanding that such consent does not waive any of my legal rights, nor does it release the Project Director or the institution or any employee or agent thereof from liability for negligence.

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Students With Disabilities As Diverse Learners

Agreement to Participate

I certify that I have read and that I understand the information in this document. I certify that I have been given satisfactory answers to my inquiries concerning project procedures and other matters. I certify that participation is voluntary and I have been advised that I am free to withdraw my consent and to discontinue my participation in the project at any time without prejudice. I consent to participate in this project with the understanding that such consent does not waive any of my legal rights, nor does it release the Project Director or the institution or any employee or agent thereof from liability for negligence.

Signature

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Date

COPY TO PROJECT