Completing the SoTL cycle involves sharing your research publicly. In order to do so, you will likely need IRB approval in some form.
What is the IRB?
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is the body at URI that reviews all research involving human subjects. IRBs exist at every university to ensure research is being conducted ethically–in particular seeking to minimize the risks that research participants are exposed to, and working to ensure that participants can give their informed consent to participate without coercion. More information about URI’s IRB can be found at their website, https://web.uri.edu/research-admin/office-of-research-integrity/human-subjects-protections/
SoTL & IRB Review
There are several concerns related to research ethics that may be raised in SoTL projects, and must be addressed in order to continue and share one’s research.
- Students’ privacy rights and data
Students’ educational records are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). While instructors have access to these records through their teaching capacity, this access does not apply to research. Any personally identifying information or data included on students’ educational records (including name, ID, grades, birthplace, and more) is protected under FERPA and requires consent from students to be used in research.
- Overlapping relationships between researcher, instructor, and students
Most often instructors are conducting SoTL research on their own classes and teaching. Your first responsibility is to your students as their instructor; this is a position of relative power. Think about how you will ensure that you are not coercing students into participating in your research process. For example, consider who else might collect students’ consent to participate so that you are not at risk of grading participating students more favorably than non-participating students. If you plan to offer extra credit to students who participate, are you offering equal opportunities for extra credit to non-participating students? Is there another person your students can go to if they have questions or concerns about your research process? Partnering with another professor or graduate student with whom your students are not enrolled might be a good way to ensure there is another person who can communicate with your students about your research process. ATL can also support you in this process!
- Possibility of research processes interrupting student learning
Students enroll in classes without knowing ahead of time whether their instructor might be conducting SoTL research. Students’ access to education takes priority over any research goals an instructor might have. It is therefore important to consider whether your research process requires additional work or time outside of what might be ordinarily expected in the class. Are you placing an undue burden on students in what you are asking them to do? Also consider the possibly disruptive nature of some forms of research. For example, how might having an observer in class influence your students’ open participation?
In 2021, the Office of Research Integrity offered a presentation on the IRB for SoTL projects. The slides from that talk are available here: IRB for SoTL Slides.