NEBRASKA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
Institutional Review Board (NWU-IRB)
5000 Saint Paul Avenue; Lincoln, Nebraska 68504
FWA 00024370
Application: Protocol Review for Use of Human Subjects in Research
The primary goal of the NWU-IRB is to protect the dignity, rights, safety, and welfare of all human participants used in research carried out by students, faculty, and/or staff. NWU-IRB policies are based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Code of Federal Regulations regarding the protection of human subjects in research (CFR Title 45 Part 46). Students must submit application through their faculty sponsor.
| ANTICIPATED TYPE OF REVIEW: (check appropriate category; see guidelines for criteria for levels of review) | ||
| Exempt | Exempt Category #: | |
| X | Expedited Review | Expedited Category #: |
| Full Board Review By Permission Only | Researchers must meet with IRB PRIOR to submitting in this category. Date of meeting with IRB: |
| PROJECT TITLE: | The Impact of Gamification on the Development of Grit |
| Estimated date the data collection starts: | Fall 2019 |
| Estimated date project is completed: | Spring 2020 |
| INVESTIGATOR(S) INFORMATION: | |
| Principal Investigator (PI): | Patricia Souliere |
| Email: Phone: Campus Address: | |
| Co-Investigator(s) | |
| Email: Phone: Campus Address: | |
| Faculty Sponsor(s) (if PI is student): | Need faculty sponsor |
| Email: Phone: Campus Address: |
CHANGES IN PROCEDURES INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS AS WELL AS ANY PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH THE USE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS ONCE THE PROJECT HAS BEGUN MUST BE IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NWU-IRB COORDINATOR OR CHAIR.
I agree to provide whatever supervision is necessary to ensure that the rights and welfare of the human subjects are properly protected. I understand that I cannot initiate any contact with human subjects before I have received approval from the NWU-IRB and/or complied with all contingencies made in connection with that approval.
_________________________________________ _______________________
Signature of Principal Investigator Date
Approval by Faculty Sponsor (If this is a student project, the faculty sponsor must also sign):
I affirm the accuracy of this application and I accept the responsibility for the conduct of this research, and the protection of human subjects, as required by law.
_________________________________________ _______________________
Signature of Faculty Sponsor Date
The Faculty Sponsor is responsible for submitting the completed application for student projects. The completed application and all attachments should in PDF format, in one file, and submitted electronically. Submit to the NWU-IRB at irb@nebrwesleyan.edu
| Note: The following information must be included in the header of your documents distributed to research participants. Your specific protocol number will be assigned if/when the project is approved |
| PI: (enter first initial and last name) Title: (enter title of protocol) Protocol #: (Assigned by NWU-IRB) |
NWU-IRB Application for Use of Human Subjects in Research
Code of Federal Regulations:
Title 45-Public Welfare; Department of Health and Human Services; Part 46 –Protection of Human Subjects)
http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/#
BACKGROUND:
| 1. Provide a brief summary of your research project including review of relevant academic studies, rationale, objectives/purposes and/or major hypothesis(es): (Include academic reference list as an appendix) |
| Description: Discussions with highly gifted elementary students over the past two years have consistently revealed a significant lack of student engagement. Students express feelings of boredom with classroom activities and a reluctance to complete assigned tasks. This attitude is not restricted to students in this district nor this grade and presents a troubling trend. One increasingly popular method in the United States of addressing the issue of engagement has been gamification, the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other, non-game areas of activity. (Alsawaier, 2018) (Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, & Nacke, 2011) (Hung, 2017) Proponents of gamification seek to leverage the viral spread of game culture by focusing on incorporating game elements, the building blocks of games, into existing curriculums. Advocates of this point of view perceive the mechanics alone as sufficient to achieve the desired goals, namely making the completion of routine tasks more attractive. (Hung, 2017) (Osborne, 2017) Opponents of gamification claim that the process is no more than exploitationware, which they claim attempts to replace real incentives with artificial ones and damages the development of social relationships. In addition, they argue that gamification is not a true solution to the problem of engagement and student interest is retained only as long as the game is in play. (Hung, 2017) While the long-term effectiveness of gamification is controversial and not well-researched, an even less well-researched question is how gamification impacts the development of grit in students. Grit is a characteristic that has been linked with achievement and success across disciplines and has been identified as a better predictor of long-term success than any other measured trait. Grit is defined as the combination of perseverance and passion toward long-term goals. (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009) If gamification opponents are correct that interest and motivation persist only for game play duration, does gamification have a deleterious effect on the development of grit? |
POPULATION STUDIED; SAMPLE SELECTION PROCESS:
| 2. Describe the population to be studied and information on selecting of your sample. Explain how participants will be recruited into your study. Include copies of any recruitment emails, letters, etc. as an appendix: (Provide information about population from which the sample is drawn, anticipated number of participants in the study, and relevant demographics (age, sex, etc.). Reminder: if you are selecting anyone under the age of 19, including NWU students, you must seek permission from their parent/guardian first before asking them to be in your study. Also, for any research on vulnerable populations, the researcher must meet with the IRB PRIOR TO submitting a proposal. See IRB Guidelines for details.) |
| Description: The participants of this research will be 6th grade students at a middle school in Waverly, Nebraska whose parents/guardians have provided signed written permission and who, themselves, have signed an assent form. Waverly Middle School (WMS) is composed of approximately 480 students and 31 teachers, with 151 6th graders, 171 7th graders, and 158 8th graders. Additional demographics include 52% male students, 48% female students, 21% receive free and reduced lunch, 12% are identified as gifted, and no ELL students are served at WMS. Racial composition is primarily white; 2 identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, 4 as Asian, 3 as Black or African American, 11 as Hispanic, 0 as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 8 as two or more races, and 452 as white. The mobility rate is 2.71%. Statewide Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS) test scores rank 53% of students at this school as proficient in language arts, 55% proficient in mathematics, and 92% proficient in science. The school is split by grade level into three pods with four computer labs. English, reading, mathematics, social studies, and science comprise the basic core classes. Trades and Industry (module-based program for grades 6 and 7 and traditional woods/metals class for grade 8), Family and Consumer Science, Careers, Art, Language Arts communication, Spanish, German, and music are also required (Education, 2019). Approximately twenty-five 6rh grade students will be selected to participate in the study. The specific composition of the classroom receiving the intervention will be reflective of the composition of the district. Two of the existing 6th grade classes will be selected at random for this study. One class will serve as a control group and will not be subject to the gamification intervention. All the students in the second class will be invited to participate in the study. Students who return a parental consent form and sign a youth assent form will be included in the study. The goal is to obtain the maximum number of student participants or at least 80%. The study could still be completed with 60% participation. |
PROCEDURES FOR DATA COLLECTION (including any data collection instruments):
| 3. Describe the procedures for data collection: (Provide information on the nature of the participants’ involvement; their time commitment; etc. include a copy of your data collection instrument(s) in the appendix. If you are collecting data at a place of business, you must also include a site permission letter showing that you are allowed to conduct research at/with members of that business/organization. This does not include informal meetings with research participants in public places such as coffee shops, etc.) |
| Description: As part of normal classroom activities, all students in both the control class and the gamified class will be invited to complete the 8-item short grit scale (Grit-S). (See Appendix A) Grit-S is a shortened form of the original, 12-question grit form. The scale identifies perseverance on an individual basis and measures how well people maintain focus and interest and complete long-term goals. (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009) The scale is based on a five-point likert scale, ranging from “very much like me” to “not like me at all.” The scores on this scale represent a range from 1, indicating not very gritty to 5, indicating extremely gritty. Students from both classes will complete the survey once pre-intervention at the beginning of the semester and once post-gamification intervention, at the end of the semester. Data for this research project will only be collected from students who have returned signed parental consent forms and a signed assent form. Only completed forms will be used. The survey will be administered in a paper-pencil format. Teachers will evaluate each student using Grit-S once pre-intervention at the beginning of the semester and once post-gamification intervention, at the end of the semester. Data for this research project will only be collected about students who have returned signed parental consent forms and a signed assent form. The survey will be administered in a paper-pencil format. All evaluations will be compared to assess any increase or decrease that has occurred on the Grit-S. |
RISKS AND BENEFITS FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS:
| 4. Explain and justify any potential risks/discomforts to participants in the study. Include whether there will be any cost to the participants for participating in the study (such as transportation, childcare, etc.): (Provide information on any physical, social, or psychological risks that could be experienced by the research participants in this study. Describe any special arrangements to protect their safety, including protecting their privacy and confidentiality. Specify where and how both physical/paper and electronic data will be stored/protected. NWU policy requires that all data be kept in a secure location for a minimum of three years after study completion. |
| Explanation/justification: There is minimal risk with this study. One minor risk is the normal discomfort encountered in any exercise of self-reflection. Students are being asked to consider how they act and respond in the world, which could lead them to feeling uncomfortable. The students will be allowed to cease answering survey questions should they so choose for any reason with no negative results. Another potential risk is that the class not participating in the gamification intervention will not be as engaged and will not learn the material as well as the classmates in the gamified classroom. There will be no cost to either the participants or the parents/guardians of the participants. All survey information and assessments will be kept confidential. Paper copies will be kept in a locked case. Electronic data will be secured on a password protected computer. All interventions, surveys, assessments, and any relevant discussions will take place during the regularly scheduled classroom time. |
| 5. Describe any benefits to participants: (Provide information on any direct benefits, such as payments, gift cards, reimbursement for travel, etc., and any indirect benefits that may result from participating in the study. This does not include benefits to the larger research community, outside agencies, etc. This question is in regard to benefits to the participant.) |
| Description: Any benefits for participants of this research will be directly related to better academic performance, comprehension of material, and enjoyment in class. No payments, gifts, or reimbursements will be provided for participants in this research. |
INFORMED CONSENT PROCEDURES:
| 6. Clearly explain Informed Consent procedures and attach applicable forms (if needed): |
| Description: Parents and guardians of students in the 6th grade class selected to participate in the intervention will be asked to provide permission for their child or children to participate in the study. The parent permission form (Appendix B) details the proposed additions and changes to the classroom during the gamified intervention period. A copy of the form will be emailed to parents along with an invitation to participate. A paper copy of the form will also be sent home with students. When signed permission forms are returned, the proposed project will be explained to students, who will be asked if they would like to participate. Students who agree to participate will be provided with an assent form (Appendix C). All participating students will be required to supply a signed permission form from their parent or guardian and to sign a student assent form. Both parental consent and youth assent forms describe the project in detail and explains what participants will do. Privacy concerns will be addressed as well as voluntary participation protocol. Paper copies will be kept in a locked case. Electronic data will be secured on a password protected computer. Data will be retained for a period of approximately three years and then destroyed. |
ATTACHMENTS TO APPLICATION:
| 7. Checklist of materials submitted with this application: __ Reference list for academic sources __ Recruitment materials (emails, letters, social media communications, phone communications, etc.) __ Site Permission letter(s) __ Informed Consent form(s) (including parental consent form and youth assent form, if appropriate) __ Data gathering instrument(s) [surveys, interview/focus questions, and/or other forms of data gathering] __ Copy of certificate showing completion of “protection of human subjects training” for all project personnel (NIH or CITI) __ Any other attachments relevant to your study. Please specify: |
Appendix A
Short Grit Scale
Directions for taking the Grit Scale: Please respond to the following 8 items. Be honest – there are no right or wrong answers!
1. New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones.*
Very much like me Mostly like me Somewhat like me Not much like me Not like me at all
2. Setbacks don’t discourage me.
Very much like me Mostly like me Somewhat like me Not much like me Not like me at all
3. I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.*
Very much like me Mostly like me Somewhat like me Not much like me Not like me at all
4. I am a hard worker.
Very much like me Mostly like me Somewhat like me Not much like me Not like me at all
5. I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one.*
Very much like me Mostly like me Somewhat like me Not much like me Not like me at all
6. I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to complete.*
Very much like me Mostly like me Somewhat like me Not much like me Not like me at all
7. I finish whatever I begin.
Very much like me Mostly like me Somewhat like me Not much like me Not like me at all
8. I am diligent.
Very much like me Mostly like me Somewhat like me Not much like me Not like me at all
Scoring: 1. For questions 2, 4, 7 and 8 assign the following points: 5 = Very much like me 4 = Mostly like me 3 = Somewhat like me 2 = Not much like me 1 = Not like me at all
2. For questions 1, 3, 5 and 6 assign the following points: 1 = Very much like me 2 = Mostly like me 3 = Somewhat like me 4 = Not much like me 5 = Not like me at all
Add up all the points and divide by 8. The maximum score on this scale is 5 (extremely gritty), and the lowest score on this scale is 1 (not at all gritty).
Grit Scale citation
Duckworth, A.L, & Quinn, P.D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GritS). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91, 166-174. http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~duckwort/images/Duckworth%20and%20Quinn.pdf
Duckworth, A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., & Kelly, D.R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1087-1101. http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~duckwort/images/Grit%20JPSP.pdf
Appendix B
Parental Consent Form
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Parental/Guardian Informed Consent for a Minor to Participate in a Research Study
The Development of Grit Through Gamification in the classroom
Your child/ward is being invited to participate in a research study conducted by Patricia Souliere, a graduate student at Nebraska Wesleyan University and administered by (insert teacher name here), your child’s teacher. Since he/she is under the age of 19, their parent or guardian must give permission for the researcher to ask them to be in this study. Your child/ward has been included in this study because he/she is part of the classroom that has been randomly selected. Please read the information below and ask questions about anything you do not understand before deciding whether or not to allow your child/ward to participate.
Purpose of the Study:
The purpose of this study is to determine whether gamifying the classroom, the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other, non-game areas of activity (Alsawaier, 2018), will enhance the development of grit, passion and perseverance for long-term goals (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009), in middle school students.
What Will Occur In This Study:
The structure of this classroom will be transformed to reflect a video game type atmosphere.
Regardless of whether or not students join the study, they will still participate in the regular classroom practices. Any student is eligible to choose to not participate. I am asking for your permission to invite your son/daughter to be in the study so I can look more closely at the results of the classroom practices. The two things that we will be doing in the classroom this semester are:
- All students will be asked to complete short grit scale or Grit-S at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. This survey identifies where your child/ward currently resides in terms of grit level and where they will be following the gamification.
- Teachers will independently assess students perceived grit level using a slightly modified version of the short grit scale.
- Students will then be invited to create characters and join guilds.
- Homework assignments will become quests.
- Experience points will be awarded for behavior, actions, excellent work, and teamwork. Clear details of how experience points can be obtained will be distributed to students at the beginning of the experiment.
If you agree to let your child/ward participate, data (their responses) from the following will be included in the study:
- Pre- and post – assessment survey responses
- Teacher pre- and post- assessment survey responses.
If you do not agree to let your child/ward participate, students will still participate in normal classroom instruction. However, they will not participate in any of the gamified elements and their data (responses) will not be included in the study data set.
Potential Risks and Discomforts:
Your child/ward will face no more than the minimal risks if they decide to participate in this study. If students feel discomfort during or after the pre- and post- assessments, they may choose to not answer some or all of the questions. Participation can be stopped at any time. If assent is withdrawn, student data will not be included in the research study. No student names will be reported in any way during this study. All interventions, surveys, and assessments will take place during the regularly scheduled classroom times.
Anticipated Benefits:
Participants of this research may benefit from this intervention by becoming more motivated to learn, learning class material more completely, changing their relationship with failure in an educational context, and increasing their “grittiness” when confronted with difficult tasks. Students may also benefit from knowing they are contributing to research designed to fundamentally change outdated approaches to education.
Confidentiality and Privacy:
To protect student confidentiality and privacy, the following steps will be taken:
- Participant’s privacy will be protected by not using names or other identifying information in any published reports or presentations
- Signed consent/assent forms and paper copies of the survey will be kept in a locked location.
- Any electronic data will be kept on a password-protected computer, with only the researcher and the research advisor will have access to the data.
- All data and signed informed consent forms will be kept for three years after the completion of the study and then destroyed.
Participation and Withdrawal:
You are free to decline to allow your child to participate in this research study, or you may withdraw your permission at any point, without penalty. The same is true for your child. Your decision or their decision on whether or not to participate in this research study will have no influence on your or their present or future status at Waverly Middle School, Waverly High School, or Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Questions:
If you have questions about this study, please contact:
Researcher: Patricia Souliere (402) 570-0163 psoulier@nebrwesleyan.edu
Teacher:
Advisors:
Advisors:
This research has been reviewed and approved by the Nebraska Wesleyan University Institutional Review Board (IRB). To ask questions about your child’s rights as a research participant, you may contact the NWU-IRB by contacting Nancy Wehrbein, IRB Coordinator, at (402) 465-2488, or at nwehrbei@nebrwesleyan.edu
______________________________________________________________________________
Agreement:
By signing this form you are indicating that you are the parent/guardian of an individual who is under the age of 19 and who, with your permission, will be asked to participate in this research project; that you are giving your permission for your child/ward to participate in this research; and that the purpose and nature of this research have been sufficiently explained to you in order for you to decide whether to allow your child/guardian to participate in this study.
Name of Child Invited to be in Study (Please Print):____________________________________
Please mark one of the statements below; then sign and date.
[ ] I give consent for my student to be in the study.
[ ] I do not give consent for my student to be in the study.
Name and Signature of Parent/Legal Guardian:
Printed Name:_____________________________________________________________
Signature:_________________________________________ Date:___________________
Parent/Guardian of Potential Research Participant
Appendix E
Youth Assent Form
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Youth Assent Form to Participate in a Research Study
The Development of Grit Through Gamification in the classroom
being invited to participate in a research study conducted by Patricia Souliere, a graduate student at Nebraska Wesleyan University and administered by (insert teacher name here), your teacher. Your parent or guardian has given the researcher permission to invite you to be in a study that I am doing. You are being asked to participate because your class has been randomly selected from all 6th grade classes at Waverly Middle School. You should read the information below and ask questions about anything you do not understand before deciding whether or not to participate.
Purpose of the Study:
The purpose of this study is to determine whether gamifying the classroom, the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other, non-game areas of activity (Alsawaier, 2018), will enhance the development of grit, passion and perseverance for long-term goals (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009), in middle school students.
What Will Occur In This Study:
The structure of this classroom will be transformed to reflect a video game type atmosphere.
Regardless of whether or not students join the study, they will still participate in the regular classroom practices. Any student is eligible to choose to not participate. I am asking for your permission to invite your son/daughter to be in the study so I can look more closely at the results of the classroom practices. The two things that we will be doing in the classroom this semester are:
- All students will be asked to complete short grit scale or Grit-S at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. This survey identifies where your child/ward currently resides in terms of grit level and where they will be following the gamification.
- Teachers will independently assess students perceived grit level using a slightly modified version of the short grit scale.
- Students will then be invited to create characters and join guilds.
- Homework assignments will become quests.
- Experience points will be awarded for behavior, actions, excellent work, and teamwork. Clear details of how experience points can be obtained will be distributed to students at the beginning of the experiment.
If you agree to let your child/ward participate, data (their responses) from the following will be included in the study:
- Pre- and post – assessment survey responses
- Teacher pre- and post- assessment survey responses.
If you do not agree to let your child/ward participate, you will still participate in normal classroom instruction. However, you will not participate in any of the gamified elements and your data (responses) will not be included in the study data set.
Potential Risks and Discomforts:
You will face no more than the minimal risks if you decide to participate in this study. If you feel discomfort during or after the pre- and post- assessments, you may choose to not answer some or all of the questions. Your participation can be stopped at any time. If your assent is withdrawn, your data will not be included in the research study. No student names will be reported in any way during this study. All interventions, surveys, and assessments will take place during the regularly scheduled classroom times.
Anticipated Benefits:
Participants of this research may benefit from this intervention by becoming more motivated to learn, learning class material more completely, changing their relationship with failure in an educational context, and increasing their “grittiness” when confronted with difficult tasks. Students may also benefit from knowing they are contributing to research designed to fundamentally change outdated approaches to education.
Confidentiality and Privacy:
To protect student confidentiality and privacy, the following steps will be taken:
- Participant’s privacy will be protected by not using names or other identifying information in any published reports or presentations
- Signed consent/assent forms and paper copies of the survey will be kept in a locked location.
- Any electronic data will be kept on a password-protected computer, with only the researcher and the research advisor will have access to the data.
- All data and signed informed consent forms will be kept for three years after the completion of the study and then destroyed.
Participation and Withdrawal:
You are free to decline to participate in this research study, or you may withdraw your permission at any point, without penalty. Your decision or their decision on whether or not to participate in this research study will have no influence on your or their present or future status at Waverly Middle School, Waverly High School, or Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Questions:
Questions:
If you have questions about this study, please contact:
Researcher: Patricia Souliere (402) 570-0163 psoulier@nebrwesleyan.edu
Teacher:
Advisors:
Advisors:
This research has been reviewed and approved by the Nebraska Wesleyan University Institutional Review Board (IRB). To ask questions about your child’s rights as a research participant, you may contact the NWU-IRB by contacting Nancy Wehrbein, IRB Coordinator, at (402) 465-2488, or at nwehrbei@nebrwesleyan.edu
______________________________________________________________________________
Agreement:
By signing this form you are indicating that you are under the age of 19, that you are aware that your parent/guardian has given permission for you to participate in this research, and that the purpose and nature of this research has been sufficiently explained to you in order for you to decide to participate in this study.
Printed Name:_____________________________________________________________
Signature:_________________________________________ Date:___________________
Research Participant
Appendix D
Alsawaier, R. S. (2018). The effect of gamification on motivation and engagement. The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 56-79.
Chou, Y.-K. (2014, February 10). Gamification to Improve Our World: Yu-Kai Chou. Retrieved from TedxLausanne: https://www.tedxlausanne.com/talks/yu-kai-chou/
Classcraft. (2019). Retrieved from Classcraft Studios Inc. : https://www.classcraft.com/
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining “Gamification” . MindTrek ’11.
Duckworth, A., & Quinn, P. (2009). Development and Validation of the Short Grit Scale (Grit–S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 166-174.
Education, N. D. (2019, June 10). Waverly Middle School. Retrieved from Nebraska Department of Education: https://nep.education.ne.gov/snapshot.html#55-0145-002
Hung, A. C. (2017). A Critique and Defense of Gamification. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 57-72.
Osborne, S. (2017, August 16). Gamification is Actually About Motivation, Not Badges. Retrieved from Udemy for Business: https://business.udemy.com/blog/gamification-motivation-badges/
Papp, T. A. (2017). Gamification Effects on Motivation and Learning: Application to Primary. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education, 3193-3201.
Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of Game-Based Learning. Educational Psychologist, 258-283.
An Educational Journey 