Consent to the use of data for research purposes
The DELTA Research Group, coordinated by Prof. Marchisio Conte, intends to conduct a research project to study the development of virtual or blended intercultural learning activities in Higher Education and how teachers and university staff deal with their realization.
The project has been realized through a comprehensive training module, tailored for teachers and technical/administrative staff from universities worldwide. This module, developed by the Erasmus+ INVITE project, equips participants with the skills to design and develop digital collaborative international activities. It also introduces innovative learning methodologies and technologies, such as gamification, role play, computer-supported collaborative learning, problem solving and critical thinking with the use of Artificial Intelligence, all of which are highly relevant in today's educational landscape.
The activities will be available to Higher Education teachers and staff worldwide, enrolled in the INVITE training module. These activities will be conducted online through the University of Turin's Moodle platform. It is important to note that all the proposed activities serve a training purpose, and therefore, all participants are expected to complete them. However, only the activities completed by participants who have given their consent for the use of data for research purposes will be subject to analysis.
Notice that the provision of personal data (name and surname) and of the email address is mandatory for creating an account in the platform and for accessing the training activities. You need to provide your consent for the use of these data before accessing the online platform. However, the consent to data treatment for research purposes is voluntary. If you do not give consent to the treatment of data for research purposes, you will be able to access all the training materials, complete all the activities, and receive the final certification. However, your data will not be collected and analyzed for research purposes.
Research group
Prof. Marina Marchisio Conte (Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin) coordinates the research group. The following researchers collaborate on the activities: Dr. Alice Barana, Dr. Giulia Boetti, Dr. Cecilia Fissore, Dr. Francesco Floris, Dr. Valeria Fradiante, Dr. Fabio Roman, and Dr. Matteo Sacchet from the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin.
The other members of the INVITE partnership (Aalborg University, Columbus Association, and Hellenic Mediterranean University) will have access only to anonymized results in aggregate form.
Title of the research project
Developing competencies for new virtual and blended modalities of international collaboration – training module.
Why have I been invited to participate in this study?
You have been invited to participate in this study since you are enrolled in the INVITE training module.
What do I need to know about this research project?
- You can choose to participate or not participate
- You can choose to participate and then change your mind
- Your decision will not affect your evaluations or the educational activities that will be offered to you
- You may ask as many questions as you wish before participating.
Who can I contact for doubts or questions?
If you have any doubts, questions, or other requests, you can contact the research group at the following email address: deltarg@unito.it. You can contact the research group if you:
- have questions about your rights as a research subject;
- want information or to provide insights about this research;
- agreed to participate in the study but changed your mind later.
What is this research about?
Internationalization is a priority in Higher Education. Short-term technology-enhanced international collaboration activities conducted in virtual, hybrid, or blended modalities are sustainable and affordable alternatives to physical mobility, and can attract more students. Through interviews with international experts, we have selected eight sustainable practices that Higher Education teachers and institutions could adopt to develop digital mobility activities. We also discuss barriers and drivers that could hinder or support valuable international experiences for students. In recent years, Higher Education (HE) institutions have prioritized internationalization. Knight defined internationalization as “the process of integrating an international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions, and delivery of post-secondary education.” A mobility experience has become essential in students’ personal and academic paths. Many universities set goals related to the percentage of students who have the opportunity to join mobility programs during their careers. The recent global health, economic, and climatic crises have prompted the urgency to develop different forms of mobility that may be accessible for a larger portion of students and have a lower environmental impact, such as short-period mobility and virtual mobility. The pandemic caused an unexpected increase in available technologies and devices; moreover, it showed us that it is possible to convey educational activities at a distance. New teaching and learning modalities are now common alternatives to in-person activities: namely, fully virtual (teachers and students are all in different places), blended (part of the activities take place in presence, part online), and hybrid (part of the people are in the classroom, part elsewhere). The idea that these modalities can also be applied to international activities opened the path towards new forms of mobility that we call “digital activities of international collaboration.” The idea that these modalities can also be applied to international activities has paved the way for new forms of mobility, such as COILs and BIPs. However, there is a shortage of training for HE teachers and staff to develop and implement these forms of digital mobility.
This project aims to support HE teachers and staff in developing international activities by identifying elements that facilitate and limit such activities and studying how teachers and staff approach their implementation.
How will the research be carried out?
Teachers' submissions to the proposed activities and questionnaires during the training module will be analyzed and cross-referenced to analyze the development of international learning activities and identify elements that support or limit their effectiveness.
What data will be processed?
The data processed will include, common personal data of the participants (first name, last name, email address, nationality); answers to tests and learning activities and questionnaires that do NOT involve special categories of personal data (art.9 Reg 2016/679/EU). Only data from participants who have signed a consent form are collected and used.
Data will be collected through submissions, forum discussions, and digital questionnaires uploaded on the University of Turin's Moodle platform. Participant responses will be downloaded, cross-checked, and then irreversibly anonymized. They will then be processed anonymously.
The data will be stored in Prof. Marchisio Conte's office on an external hard disk.
In the case of scientific presentations or publications, pseudonyms will be used to conceal students' and teachers' identities.
What is my role in the research?
You can complete the proposed activities during the training module and submit them through the platform. All the participants registered for the module can carry out the activities. With your consent, data will be collected and analyzed only at the end of the module for research purposes. In addition, the research group will not access the answers to the questionnaires until you have received the final certification.
How will my data be used?
Upon completion of the BIP, the data collected in the platform will be downloaded and cross-checked. The first name, last name, username, and email address of participants will be removed and replaced with a code. The association of each participant with the code will be irreversibly removed. Non-anonymized versions of all files will be removed.
To pursue the research aims, qualitative and quantitative analyses will be performed on the anonymized data. The research group will handle the data anonymously only and will not have access to the non-anonymized files.
No personal data about participants will appear in publications or presentations related to the study.
Personal data may be retained for scientific research and/or statistical purposes beyond the period necessary to achieve the purposes for which they were collected or subsequently processed, per Art. 5, § 1 letter e) and Art. 89 of the Regulation.EU on the processing of personal data 2016/679 (GDPR). This is to prevent future opportunities for disseminating results from being prevented by premature data destruction.
Other research groups may not use the collected data. The other members of the INVITE partnership (Aalborg University, Columbus Association, and Hellenic Mediterranean University) will have access only to anonymized results in aggregate form.
How will my privacy be protected?
After being digitized, participants' personal identifying data will be removed and replaced with a code. The association of each participant with the code will be irreversibly removed. Non-anonymized versions of all files will be deleted.
What are the benefits of taking part in this research?
Those who participate in the research will have no additional benefits over others, as all participants, regardless of whether they have agreed to data processing for research purposes, will have equal opportunities to participate in educational activities. Participation in the research will only result in using the data for research purposes.
What if I do not want to participate in this research?
If you do not wish to participate in the research, you may still carry out the proposed activities, but the researchers will not collect or analyze your answers. Your choice will not affect your access to the activities or your evaluations.
What happens if I agree to participate but change my mind later?
You may choose not to participate in the research at any time. To do so, you can change the selected option through your profile in the Moodle platform. Your choice will not affect your teaching activities or your evaluations.
Data will be downloaded and analyzed only at the end of the training module, so if you change your idea, your data will not be downloaded.
What are the risks involved in participating in this research?
There are no risks associated with participation in this research.
How can I agree to participate in this research?
You will need to accept this policy through the platform.
What are the contact details for more information?
For more information, you can contact the research group at deltarg@unito.it.