In-class experimentation

Ethics issues concerning in-class experimentation
General statement on in-class experimentation
In-class experimentation taking no or minimal class time
In-class experimentation using significant class time
Example of alternative strategies

The Appeal Board recognizes that participating in research can have educational value in, for example, exposing students to the methods used in a discipline or engaging them in the analysis of their own data.

Ethical issues concerning in-class experimentation

  1. Coercion, or pressure to participate, is a major concern when using students as participants during class time as students are a captive audience.
  2. Experimentation in a classroom setting also raises the issue of confidentiality of data, as students sit close to one another and are therefore capable of reading their colleagues' responses.
  3. In-class research raises concerns about the anonymity of participants as everyone knows who participates if they are filling out a questionnaire, and who is not if some have left the room or are doing something else than filling out a questionnaire.
  4. For research to take up any teaching time, such research must be of educational value. The relevant head of department should evaluate if a specific research project is educationally relevant to a particular course, and thus give approval or not to such a project being conducted in that class. The professor wishing to provide in-class time to researchers for conducting research could then insert the details of the project, as other pedagogical content, in the course syllabus.

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General statement on in-class experimentation:

The Appeal Board adopts, as a guideline for the research community of the University of Ottawa, the following statement:

Students in classrooms represent a captive audience when used as research participants. Issues of coercion, confidentiality of data, anonymity of research subjects, and pedagogical value of participating in research raise particular concerns for this population of research participants. Researchers conducting in-class experimentation should take every measure possible to guarantee the free and informed consent of participating students, and to minimize the risks associated with issues of confidentiality of data and anonymity of research participants.

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In-class experimentation taking no or minimal class time

In-class distribution of questionnaires or observation of students will generally be considered ethical provided that:

  1. the professor whose students are to be participants, approves;
  2. each student is permitted to opt out anonymously;
  3. the distribution of questionnaires and explanation by the researcher do not significantly reduce student time on syllabus materials;
  4. the methodology preserves the confidentiality of individual student responses;
  5. students are invited to a de-briefing following completion of the experimentation; and
  6. the experimentation otherwise complies with the Tri-Council Policy Statement.

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In-class experimentation using significant class time

It is recognized by the Appeal Board that some in-class experimentation may be of sufficient pedagogical value to students in the course in which it is being conducted to justify the use of class time to complete the questionnaires or conduct other forms of experimentation that would otherwise be devoted to lectures or other syllabus material. The use of significant in-class time for this type of experimentation will generally be considered ethical, provided that:

  1. the methodology and purpose of the experimentation are approved by the professor whose students are to be participants;
  2. the experimentation is approved by the head of the unit (e.g. departmental chair) as being of significant educational value to the student participants;
  3. each student is permitted to opt out anonymously;
  4. the methodology preserves the confidentiality of individual student responses;
  5. students are invited to a de-briefing following the completion of the experimentation;
  6. an outline of the experimentation is included in the course syllabus; and
  7. the experimentation otherwise complies with the Tri-Council Policy Statement.

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Example of alternative strategies:

  1. Distribute questionnaires in class and have students return the questionnaire, completed or not, in a sealed envelope at the next class, or have students drop them off at a specified location.
  2. Present the research project to students in class and invite them to fill out questionnaires outside class hours at a specified location and time.

These options would ensure the free consent of participants, and guarantee anonymity of research participants and confidentiality of data. In such cases, the educational value of the research conducted is not a concern.

Note: Other alternatives may be acceptable.

 

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Last updated: 2013.05.22