Application

Informed Consent

Efficacy of the Master Remote Work Professional Certificate Course

You are invited to participate in a research study Dr. Paul Hill, Extension Professor, and Dr. Amanda D. Ali, Data Scientist, in Home and Community Department at Utah State University.

The purpose of this research is to assess the value of this remote work course in preparing rural Utah residents for remote employment opportunities. Specifically, we are interested in learning about your experiences in finding remote work after completing the course. You are being asked to participate in this research because as a valued course participant, your insights will provide us with important feedback for course improvement, as well as identify potential opportunities that can assist future cohorts in securing remote employment.

Your participation in this study is voluntary and you may withdraw your participation at any time, by contacting the Principal Investigator Dr. Paul Hill at paul.hill@usu.edu or 435-634-5706 for any reason. Please note that if you decide not to participate in this study, you can still register and take the course. Your final grade or outcome or services provided by the course or USU will not be impacted or affected in any way. The research conducted is separate from the course.

All course participants are taking part in the study measures. This means that as part of the course certification, everyone will be asked to fill out a participant questionnaire prior to beginning the course (approximately 10 minutes to complete), module quizzes throughout the course (each should take about 10 minutes to complete), an exit questionnaire at the end of the course (approximately 10 minutes to complete), a 3-month follow-up survey (approximately 5 minutes to complete), and a 6-month follow-up survey (approximately 5 minutes to complete).

If you agree to participate in this study, the researchers will draw your coursework data off Canvas and questionnaire responses from Zoho (our survey database). If you agree to participate in this study, there will be no activities outside the normal course assignments except for an optional interview (approximately 30 minutes to complete). Your total participation in this project is expected to be 210 minutes (240 minutes with the interview).

The possible risks of participating in this study include loss of confidentiality. We cannot guarantee that you will directly benefit from this study, but it has been designed to learn more about the value of this course in preparing participants for remote work opportunities.

We will make every effort to ensure that the information you provide remains confidential. We will not reveal your identity in any publications, presentations, or reports resulting from this research study.

We will collect your information through audio recordings, interviews, Zoho surveys, and Canvas. Online activities always carry a risk of a data breach, but we will use systems and processes that minimize breach opportunities. This information will be securely stored in a restricted-access folder on Box.com, an encrypted, cloud-based storage system. Any audio/visual recordings from interviews will be kept until transcribed, and then destroyed.

You can decline to participate in any part of this study for any reason and can end your participation at any time. If you have any questions about this study, you can contact Dr. Paul Hill at paul.hill@usu.edu or 435-634-5706. Thank you again for your time and consideration. If you have any concerns about this study, please contact Utah State University’s Human Research Protection Office at (435) 797-0567 or irb@usu.edu.

By signing below, you agree to participate in this study. You indicate that you understand the risks and benefits of participation, and that you know what you will be asked to do. You also agree that you have asked any questions you might have, and are clear on how to stop your participation in the study if you choose to do so. Please be sure to retain a copy of this form for your records.