Ball State University

Information on Use of Human Subjects:

This project involves the use of multiple protocols/subprojects.
Number of protocols/subprojects associated with this project: 1

Identifier or number: 1-316000989-A1

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Review:
Type of Review: Full Board
Approving Institution: Ball State University
Most recent approval: 06/29/06
IRB approval number: 06-364

Number of human subjects who participated in this project/protocol/subproject in the last reporting period: 15
Reporting period for number of human subjects: Fiscal Year 2006

Type(s) of Human Subjects Involvement:

Use of personally identifiable data from questionnaires, surveys, or epidemiological studies:

• Using data collected from subjects specifically for this project.

Use of human beings to develop/test instruments, materials, devices, objects, and the like or to investigate the "man-machine interface".

(a. Objectives, b. Methodology, c. Ionizing Radiation, Radioactive Substances, or Chemical Substances to which human subjects are exposed, d. Involvement of Human Subjects [d.1. procedures used, d.2. risks if any])

If the United States is to remain competitive in the global economy, our citizens must not only be scientifically literate but also innovative. American society is increasingly dependent upon sophisticated technologies. However, only a small fraction of our citizens actually understand those technologies. Improvements to science education will help move the economy to the next level, where average citizens have an understanding of scientific and technical principles. The development of new media in science education will help pull us toward that goal. The entertainment industry has taken the concept of "gaming" from the checkerboard to the rich, interactive gaming media that children enjoy today. The same approach can be applied to science education. The same rich, interactive media can be used to pull American youth into fascination with science and scientific discovery.

The Science Literacy Project supports the creation of new interactive and hands-on media modules for the teaching and learning of science and scientific principles. A team comprised of classroom science teachers, scientists, animators, researchers, and technology specialists will collaboratively create, design, and test new computer-based digital content and activities for use in secondary science classrooms. This innovative process of including practicing classroom teachers as a central component to design, an outside media company as partner and developer, a team of researchers/educators as consultants and evaluators, a team of computer science and art developers, and a team with experienced leadership to direct design, creation, and implementation, is a unique attribute of this project.

Project goals include:
a). Identify conceptual roadblocks in science understanding.
b.) Identify best practices.
c.) Produce rich, interactive, hands-on media building based on best practices.

Project subjects include five classroom teachers from area math or science middle school or high school classrooms. Three of the five teachers currently work in University Schools (Indiana Academy and Burris). The fourth teacher is from Yorktown Middle School and the fifth teacher from Alexandria Middle School. The game developers will be employees of Outside Source Design or graduate students working under the direction of a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science, BSU. The team members have been assembled to work on the project by the project leader. No additional recruitment is planned at this point.

The data collected in phase one will be primarily descriptive in nature. The teachers will describe the rationale, teaching and learning goals, as well as the student misconceptions each module is meant to address. Developers will document their interpretation and creation of the teacher concept into an online module. During the process of creating and implementing modules, project personnel will use interviews, questionnaires, blogging, or journaling. Teachers will also keep journals of how their original conceptions for the modules may have changed over the course of the project. The developers will also keep a journal of how the teacher's concepts for the modules were translated into games. There will be a username and password protected computer account created that will have a common area where the team members may make postings to be shared by all group members. The teachers and developers will also have private areas for their journals that will only be accessible to the researchers.

All common area and journal entries will be kept confidential. Any identifying information will be removed or modified prior to inclusion in any reports or publications. Only pseudonyms will be used in all reports to insure the confidentiality of all participants. The teachers and developers are being compensated with grant money for their participation on the project. The compensation is not tied to the quality or frequency of their journal entries in any manner.