CONSENT FORM 
 
Study:  
 Computer-Mediated Learning:  Synchronous and Asynchronous 
 Communication Between Students Learning Nursing Diagnosis 
                (Ph. D. Thesis Research) 
 
Candidate: Robert N. Higgins    Supervisor: Dr. R.S. McLean 
 
Department of Measurement, Evaluation, and Computer Applications 
           Ontario Institute for Studies in Education 
                     University of Toronto 
 
 
Thank you for offering to participate in  this  research.  We
hope  you  will benefit from the opportunity to become better
acquainted  with  potential  uses  of  computers  in  nursing
education.  Your time will not be wasted. Your task is simply
to use the computer to discuss a nursing case  study  with  a
colleague,  just  as  you may have discussed similar cases in
small groups in your  class.  It  provides  an  occasion  for
cooperation  and  practice in your learning and understanding
of nursing process and nursing diagnosis.
 
Our purpose for the research is to  analyse  the  content  of
messages  typed  by  students  who  are  using  a computer to
communicate.  As  a  participant,  you  may   be   asked   to
communicate  with someone who is "online" at another computer
and who can watch  messages  appear  as  you  type  them  in.
Alternatively,  you  may be asked to send messages to someone
who will read  and  respond  later.  All  the  messages  will
provide data for our investigation. You will also be asked to
complete two short questionnaires, one before you get started
on  the  computer,  and one when your discussion is finished.
                                              continued ... 

All  your  activities,  messages,  and   responses   to   the
questionnaires will be kept strictly confidential. There will
be no grading or evaluation of your individual work  in  this
project.  You  will  be  assigned  a  pseudonym  to use while
participating, and your real name will never  appear  on  any
data collected from you, or on any reports written about this
research.

    Finally, you may withdraw at any time, for any reason. 
 
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RE: The Computer-Mediated Learning Research Project 
 
   I have read the information on the consent form and 
I wish to participate in this research. 
 
Participant's signature: ____________________________ 
 
                   Date: ____________________________ 
 
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