Multichannel Learning System (MLS) Concept Evaluation

Informed Consent Form

INTRODUCTION

You are invited to participate in the Multichannel Learning System (MLS) Project sponsored by the Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity (NETSAFA), the Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management (DISAM), and the Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group (MCSCG). Your participation in this study is voluntary. Please read the information below and ask questions about anything you do not understand before deciding whether to participate.

PURPOSE OF M ULTICHANNEL L EARNING S YSTEM PROJECT

The purpose of the MLS Project is to develop a capability that will ensure International Military Student Pre-Departure Brief (IMSPDB) students have a positive experience alongside their U.S.-counterparts.

The research study is designed to (1) identify the best methods for providing distance education to international military students, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of having multiple learning formats to support Security Cooperation Education and Training Program (SCETP) requirements.

DURATION OF INVOLVEMENT

You will be asked to evaluate the American and Military Cultures content from the International Military Student Pre-Departure Brief (IMSPDB) course, which has been reformatted to several learning formats. Your participation is estimated to be 40-45 minutes.

PROCEDURES

You are asked to complete following three steps during the MLS Concept Evaluation.

Step 1: You will receive a “MLS Instructions” email so that you can register as a participant. Upon accepting this Informed Consent agreement, you will be asked to complete a demographics questionnaire and take a pre-test. This phase should take approximately four (4) minutes.

Step 2: View and evaluate at least two different learning formats (i.e., e-book, e-learning, mobile app or video) upon your choosing. You will evaluate the formats by (a) clicking on the Video format, (b) clicking on the e-Learning format, (c) downloading the e-book in Android/Apple or Amazon Kindle format, or (d) downloading the DISAM Mobile App from the Android or Apple Store using the QR Code.

Each format contains course material related to American and Military Cultures, Cultures, Individualism, Punctuality, Informality, Egalitarianism, Short Term Mentality and Daily Life in America. However, only the Culture, Individualism, and Punctuality sections are testable for the research study. You should view the material with the intent of learning the content in addition to identifying your likes and dislikes about the formats you are evaluating. This phase should take approximately 18 minutes.

Step 3: After evaluating the learning formats, you will complete (a) the Post-Test and (b) the final Evaluation Questionnaire. This should take approximately 23 minutes.

RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS

This research is considered minimal risk. Some potential risks include: (1) you may experience some anxiety if you do not complete the evaluation; (2) you may feel uneasy if it takes longer than you expect to complete the evaluation; or (3) you may be apprehensive if you don’t understand some words, terms, or concepts in the material you are evaluating. Otherwise, the risks associated with this study are the same as what you would face when interacting with online content.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS

The benefits to you as a participant in this study are (1) a preliminary view of multiple potential formats of mobile course material, (2) the information from the course material itself, and (3) the opportunity to provide your opinion on the use of multiple learning formats for course content.

The results of this research project will serve as the launching point for developing a capability that ensures the International Military Student Pre-Departure Brief (IMSPDB) content helps future international students.

ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION

An alternative to participation in this study is to not participate in the study.

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL

You are free to participate or withdraw at any time. There will be no penalty if you decide not to take part in this research study. By volunteering your participation in the MLS Concept Evaluation, you have agreed to provide honest and ethical responses, and perform to the best of your ability throughout the research study. Failure to follow directions and procedures may result in invalid test data.

During the Concept Evaluation, you can elect to withdraw at any time by closing your browser. However, you should be aware that we would intend to use whatever portion of the evaluation you completed in the study if feasible. There is no direct or incidental consequences of withdrawing and you will not be contacted any further. If you do not wish for your data to be included in the study evaluation, please contact Mr. Jacob Hodges by sending an email to and provide the PIN number used to register for the study.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All data regarding your participation will remain confidential with the appropriate safeguards in accordance with US DoD guidelines, European Union (EU) regulations and other International human research protection requirements. Only summarized and averaged information will be presented in the project’s final brief and final report. Published information will not contain any personal identifiers associated with participants.

There is minimal risk of breach of confidentiality. Each participant is assigned a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) to ensure anonymity. This PIN allows the volunteer to participate without being identified. The spreadsheet containing participants’ names and PIN will be password-protected, and kept on a password-protected USB drive and locked in a secure room/file cabinet when not in use. The computer used to access this information is a separate system from the MLS Data Collection Portal and will not be connected to the MLS Portal at anytime. The spreadsheet will be deleted upon evaluation completion.

The data collected during this evaluation will not contain any personal data or “identifiable characteristics.” All data collection will be limited only to the essential information required to evaluate the success of the project. Initially, Siebenundvierzig ING GmbH & Co. KG

will maintain the data collected during the MLS Concept Evaluation. Once the evaluation has completed, the data collected during the evaluation will be download analyzed by the MLS Testing & Evaluation Team. All data collection on the MLS Data Collection Portal will be destroyed within 7-days following the conclusion of the evaluation period. Subsequently, the non-attributable results will be sent to the MLS Project Sponsors to support further research related to the Security Cooperation Education and Training Program (SCETP).

You may contact any of the following individuals should you have questions before the MLS Concept Evaluation commences.

1) Julie Howell (MLS Research Protocol Lead) at for the concept evaluation process or the protection of your identity during the study.

2) Dr. Kristen Barrera (MLS Testing & Evaluation Lead) at for the data collection process or the testing and evaluation approach.

3) Dr. Kara Sorensen (SSC PAC IRB chair) at regarding the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Protocol or Federal Wide Assurance which covers this study. Please reference IRB # SSCP-2015.0001-IR-EP7-A when corresponding.

CONSENT OF MLS EVALUATION PARTICIPANT

By checking the box below and clicking the “Proceed” hyperlink, you agree to the following:

(1) You have read the Privacy Act Statement (US participants only)

(2) You have read this voluntary consent form and accept the terms and conditions stated herein,

(3) You have been given opportunity to discuss any questions you have with the principal study leads.

By clicking on the “Proceed” button during the registration process, you will “certify that I have read, acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions of the MLS Concept Evaluation Informed Consent”.

This is revision # 1 of 1. Approved [DLK]. This document may NOT be used after 4/19/2016.