EPY Research Requirement System

Research Requirement for Educational Psychology Courses

The science of educational psychology rests on information acquired through psychological research. Faculty and graduate students in the Department of Educational Psychology conduct a variety of research studies to advance theory and practice in a variety of domains. Your participation provides you with a closer look at how researchers acquire the type of information that is presented to you in your educational psychology courses.

To help you better understand these procedures and methods, the requirements for some (EPY 303, EPY 451, EPY 702) of our courses include a requirement for direct experience with psychological research. The general requirement is for 'research participation credits' equal to the number of credits associated with your course.

REFER TO THE SYLLABUS FOR YOUR COURSE SECTION FOR INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS IN YOUR COURSE(S).

QUICK START GUIDE

-Check the listing of studies available for the Fall 2009 semester by clicking here.

-A link will be provided to studies for which enrollment is currently open. The link will take you to the Experiment Management System where you will register with your student ID and email address (TYPE CAREFULLY) and the course for which credit is desired.

-To register, on the opening page of the Experiment Management System, in the lower left hand corner, you will see a link to request an account.

-Click the link, provide some very basic information, including your student ID (L number), and identifying the course section in which you are enrolled. You will receive an email with your login instructions (your rebelmail address is preferred in order to insure that you receive credit for your participation).

-In addition to the User ID and password used to login, the system will also assign you a unique numeric ID code, and you may see the numeric ID code in emails from the system. It is used to mask your identity from the researchers in the studies in which you participate.

-When you login with your User ID and password, you will see a list of available studies. Click on the study name for more information about the study and for instructions to sign up as a participant.

-When you sign up for a study, be sure to carefully check the time period(s) during which the study will be conducted. Each semester, there will be choices of studies involving online surveys, online studies involving interactions in WebCampus, and studies conducted on campus.

GENERAL PROCEDURES

-The number of available studies changes frequently - check regularly if you need another study to meet the research requirement. Well before the end of the term, there will be a sufficient number of available studies to meet the research requirement.

-If an online study allows you to participate at any time, the description of the study will include a direct link to it. When you sign up for an online survey, it is usually assumed you will participate in the study shortly after you sign up for it. Many studies are offered at several time periods, typically with a limit on the number of participants in each time slot. Signing up early is your best guarantee of getting your preferred time period.

-It is very important that you arrive on time for your scheduled appointment. The experimenter has put in considerable effort to schedule sessions and prepare materials.

-Insuring that you receive credit for your participation is important. For each study, the researcher has established a procedure through which your participation is provided to your instructor. Your instructor will typically be informed within a week that you have participated in a study. It is important for you also to keep your own record of the name of the study and the date and time of your participation.

STUDENT OPTIONS

-There are many options available for a student in this system, including checking to see when credit has been assigned for your participation (expected within 48 hours or less after the study is completed). For more detail about student use of the system, click here for the extended student user guide.

-All research studies available for participation have met the guidelines required by the university for research involving human subjects. At the beginning of each study, you will be given information about the study and you will consent to participate. Once the study has begun, it is your right to withdraw from the study at any time for any reason without penalty.

-Alternatives to research participation are available in your course, including a standard option for part or all of the requirements in undergraduate courses. The standard alternative for undergraduate courses is available by clicking here. Additional information, if needed, will be available from your instructor.

If you need assistance, contact the Educational Psychology Department Experiment Management System Coordinator.