2. When participants arrive, check them off on the participant list (Dr. Perillo will give to you in advance – and she will tell you what participant number to start with for numbering paperwork).
3. Give them the informed consent page to complete. Once they sign them, collect them. Do not staple them to the participants’ other materials. They must be kept separate to ensure confidentiality.
4. Make sure you sign into the computer and pull up the YouTube clip for the lecture (link is in D2L). Turn on projector and lower screen so that it can be seen.
5. You can start the study a couple minutes after the study session should have begun to allow participants time to arrive.
Script to Read (Read italicized words verbatim)
We are conducting a study on student learning. You are going to watch a lecture on animal emotions. Please pay close attention. To ensure there are no distractions, please silence and put away your phones.
For participants in the control condition: You may not take notes of any kind during the video. You may not use the computers during the research session.
For participants in the longhand condition: Please take out a sheet of paper and take careful notes while watching the video. Use your normal note-taking strategy. You may not use the computers during the research session.
For participants in the computer condition: Please sign into the computer in front of you and open up Microsoft Word. We would like you to take careful notes on Word while watching the video. Use your normal note-taking strategy. You may not use any other programs on the computer during the research session. (make sure you watch for this and note if people break the rules).
6. After you have read the instructions and the participants who are supposed to take notes are prepared to do so, start the video. Walk around the room and make sure the participants are paying attention. Note down if anyone is not.
7. After the video is complete, collect the notes from the participants in the notes by hand condition. Ask those in the notes on computer condition to print their notes and then close the computer down without saving the document. In both conditions, write down the participant number for the individual on their notes (this lets us match together their various pieces of paper).
8. Give participants the filler questionnaire to complete. You can just say, “Now we would like you to fill out this questionnaire. Please answer to the best of your ability.”
9. Wait at least 5 minutes before moving onto the next phase (even if they are done sooner). Once everyone is done, collect the filler questionnaire. Write their participant numbers on the paperwork. Then hand out the memory questionnaire. When they are done completing the questionnaire, collect it and write their participant number on it (make sure their number is the same all of their materials).
10. When everyone has completed the survey, finish the study with a debriefing:
“We are interested in studying whether the type of notes taken during lecture affect student learning. Some people are not allowed to take any notes while others are asked to take notes by hand or on the computer. We wish to investigate whether individuals who take notes by computer actually remember and understand less about the lecture compared to the other students. We appreciate your participation.
*After the session, e-mail Dr. Perillo who showed up and who did not so she can give them the proper credit.
Ftaen
NoteTakingProjectProtocol1.docx
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