Persona Research Information

Research Purpose

You are being asked to participate in a research study that will explore how designers use personas and an empathic design approach to develop open education resources for Adult Basic Education. This proposed study will address: 

  1. How did designers use an empathic connection to view design decisions from the learners’ perspective?
  2. What personas, provided in Module 1, did designers use to guide their empathic design process?
  3. What personas did designers develop themselves to guide their empathic design process?
  4. What personas did designers tweak from Module 1 to guide their empathic design process?

Research Focus

Designers using persona discovery to develop open educational resources for adult basic education

Principal Investigator (PI)              

John Baaki, PhD
Assistant Professor
Instructional Design & Technology
STEM Education & Professional Studies
Darden College of Education, Room 251-5
Norfolk, VA 23529
(757) 683-5491
jbaaki@odu.edu

Study Procedures

If you take part in the study, as you participate in the MOOC modules, module activities include individual practice items, reflection, and assignments as well as conversation prompts to ponder within a whole class discussion forum. In regards to the study’s research questions, researchers will review your reflections to individual reflection prompts within modules and your conversation prompts within a whole class discussion forum. In addition, researchers will review your three external representations: (a) design proposal, (b) design prototype, and (c) final lesson.

Benefits

As a participant in this research study, there will be no direct benefit for you; however, information from this study may benefit other people now or in the future. 

Risks

There are no known risks at this time to participation in this study.

Costs

There will be no costs to you for participation in this research study. 

Compensation

You will not be paid for taking part in this study.

Confidentiality

All information collected about you during the course of this study will be kept in confidence by the primary investigator. The principal investigator will keep raw and developed data secured and will limit access to the data to the principal investigator and other study researchers. 

Voluntary Participation / Withdrawal

Taking part in this study is voluntary. You are free to not answer any reflection prompts or withdraw at any time. Your decision will not change any present or future relationships with Designers for Learning, Old Dominion University, and its affiliates. Click here to withdraw from this research.

Questions

If you have any questions about this study now or in the future, you may contact John Baaki at the following phone number (757) 683-5491 (work) or (248) 376-2098 (cell). If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, the Old Dominion University Research Compliance Office can be contacted at (757) 683-5451.