University of North Texas
Informed Consent for Studies with Adults

TITLE OF RESEARCH STUDY:  Online Teaching During the COVID-19 Crisis

RESEARCH TEAM:  Dr. Yunjo An (PI), (940) 369-5730, Yunjo.An@unt.edu. Dr. Regina Kaplan-Rakowski, Jenna Conan, LeaAnne Daughrity, Widad Kinard, and Junhe Yang, Department of Learning Technologies, University of North Texas.

You are being asked to participate in a research study. Taking part in this study is voluntary. The investigators will explain the study to you and will any answer any questions you might have. It is your choice whether or not you take part in this study. If you agree to participate and then choose to withdraw from the study, that is your right, and your decision will not be held against you.

You are being asked to take part in a research study about K-12 teachers’ online teaching experiences, strategies, challenges, and support needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Your participation in this research study involves completing an online survey, which will take about 20 minutes.  At the end of the survey, you will be asked to provide your email address if you are willing to participate in a follow-up interview.  The follow-up interview will be conducted via Zoom and take about 15-20 minutes.  The interview will be audio/video recorded. More details will be provided in the next section.  
You might want to participate in this study if you want to share your online teaching experiences during COVID-19.  However, you might not want to participate in this study if you do not have the time to complete an online survey.

You may choose to participate in this research study if you are teaching online in a K-12 school.  
The reasonable foreseeable risks or discomforts to you if you choose to take part is the potential for loss of confidentiality which you can compare to the potential benefits of helping the researchers develop strategies for preparing teachers for future emergencies.  You will not receive compensation for your participation.

DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THIS RESEARCH STUDY: The following is more detailed information about this study, in addition to the information listed above.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: This study aims to explore how K-12 teachers teach online and what challenges they face during the COVID-19 crisis. Further, it examines the teacher perspective of the "new normal" after COVID-19 and what should be done to better prepare teachers for future emergencies.  Research questions include (1) What strategies and tools do teachers use to teach online during the COVID-19 crisis?  (2) What are the major challenges faced by teachers during the COVID-19 crisis?  (3) What are teachers' perspectives of the “new normal” after COVID-19?  (4) What should be done to better prepare teachers for future emergencies?

TIME COMMITMENT: It will take about 20 minutes to complete the online survey.  If you choose to participate in a follow-up interview, it will take about 15-20 minutes.  The total participation time would be about 35-40 minutes.

STUDY PROCEDURES: You will be asked to complete an online survey that will take about 20 minutes of your time.  At the end of the survey, you will be asked to provide your email address if you are willing to participate in a follow-up interview.  The follow-up interview will be conducted via Zoom and take about 15-20 minutes.  The interview will be audio/video recorded.  The recordings will be kept with other electronic data in a secure UNT OneDrive account for the duration of the study.

POSSIBLE BENEFITS: The results of the study will show how teachers are managing online teaching during the COVID-19 crisis and help researchers develop strategies for preparing teachers for future emergencies.

POSSIBLE RISKS/DISCOMFORTS: Participating in research may involve a loss of privacy and the potential for a breach in confidentiality. Study data will be physically and electronically secured by the research team.  As with any use of electronic means to store data, there is a risk of breach of data security.

If you experience excessive discomfort when completing the research activity, you may choose to stop participating at any time without penalty. The researchers will try to prevent any problem that could happen, but the study may involve risks to the participant, which are currently unforeseeable. UNT does not provide medical services, or financial assistance for emotional distress or injuries that might happen from participating in this research. If you do experience any discomfort, please inform the research team (Yunjo.An@unt.edu, (940) 369-5730). If you need to discuss your discomfort further, please contact a mental health provider, or you may contact the researcher who will refer you to appropriate services.  If your need is urgent, helpful resources include the Denton County MHMR crisis hotline at 1-800-762-0157.
COMPENSATION: None

CONFIDENTIALITY: Efforts will be made by the research team to keep your personal information private, and disclosure will be limited to people who have a need to review this information. All paper and electronic data collected from this study will be stored in a secure location on the UNT campus and/or a secure UNT server for at least three (3) years past the end of this research (password protected computer in PI’s campus office). Research records will be labeled with a code or pseudonym and the master key linking names with codes will be maintained in a separate and secure location.

The results of this study may be published and/or presented without naming you as a participant. The data collected about you for this study may be used for future research studies that are not described in this consent form. If that occurs, an IRB would first evaluate the use of any information that is identifiable to you, and confidentiality protection would be maintained.

While absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, the research team will make every effort to protect the confidentiality of your records, as described here and to the extent permitted by law.  In addition to the research team, the following entities may have access to your records, but only on a need-to-know basis:  the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA (federal regulating agencies), the reviewing IRB, and sponsors of the study.

This study involves the use of third-party programs to collect research data and is subject to the privacy policies of these programs noted here:
Zoom: https://zoom.us/privacy/
Google Docs: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en#intro

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STUDY:  If you have any questions about the study you may contact Dr. Yunjo An at Yunjo.An@unt.edu, (940) 369-5730. Any questions you have regarding your rights as a research subject, or complaints about the research may be directed to the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance at 940-565-4643, or by email at untirb@unt.edu.

CONSENT:
Your participation in the survey confirms that you have read all of the above and that you agree to all of the following:
• You confirm that you have been told the possible benefits, risks, and/or discomforts of the study.
• You understand that you do not have to take part in this study and your refusal to participate or your decision to withdraw will involve no penalty or loss of rights or benefits.
• You understand your rights as a research participant and you voluntarily consent to participate in this study; you also understand that the study personnel may choose to stop your participation at any time.

If you agree to take part in the research, please click on the Next button and complete a survey.