ARP 2024-5
Ethical Action Plan
Name of practitioner-researcher: Zoi Zoupanou
| What is your project focus? The goal of this inquiry is to enhance student inclusive engagement in classroom by investigating and identifying evidence-based methods to identify inclusive pedagogy and critical thinking (e.g. questions, comments, opinions, dialogue with students) based on Slido application as a tool. I will focus only on Slido’s impact, such as its influence on student engagement for inclusive pedagogy and learning outcomes. This will promote dialogue, ideas exchange and critical thinking, leading to recommendations for broader teaching development and inclusion of students’ voice who may remain silent either due to low confidence, financial difficulties, or racial inequalities. If I am Hence my research question will centered on whether or not Slido can be a tool for promoting inclusive pedagogy and student engagement |
| What are you going to read about? Collaborative learning has been shown to increase student engagement and enhance undergraduate skills through practical experience, peer-assisted learning, and peer learning (Cook-Sather, 2014; Mascolo, 2009). As a specialist technician in psychology, I have observed that students are more engaged, particularly through goal-oriented group learning (O’Donnell, Hmelo-Silver & Erkens, 2005). However, many students face challenges such as travel expenses, finances, and performance anxiety, which can affect their attendance. Due to my professional background and studies in psychology, I believe that students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds would benefit from getting a safe place to democratically exchange knowledge understanding in classroom, and critically reflect on learning in the shaping of knowledge. This reflects an authentic representation of students’ experiences within the university and generate data for lecturers or tutors to take into consideration. Slido might prove to be a valuable tool for promoting inclusive pedagogy and student engagement in these situations. As a platform that allows for anonymous questions, poll-rating questions, and open text responses, Slido might provide a safe space for students to share their thoughts and experiences. This is particularly beneficial for students who might feel isolated or hesitant to participate in face-to-face discussions. By integrating collaborative learning with peer interactions, staff, and technology can foster skill and identity development (Peters & Mathias, 2018; Vespone, 2023; Mascolo, 2009). Slido can facilitate this by providing a platform for students to connect with their peers and share their perspectives on the course material. I am hoping to spot a light on how students embody the learning process and its experience, and what particular issues do they encounter as active observers in classroom. Their reflexivity while using slido may help to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students (Crooks , Owen & Stone, 2012). My objective is to investigate the interplay of reflexivity and collaboration among a technician, a researcher (myself) and students who ask questions, raise openly and anonymously via slido the issues they face and rate their confidence to complete tasks via slido. In conclusion, this research will examine as to whether Slido application is a valuable tool for promoting inclusive pedagogy, student engagement and reflexivity when in build in powerpoint presentation. By providing a safe space for students to share their thoughts and experiences, Slido can help to ensure that all students have a voice and feel valued in the learning process especially in response to their needs. Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” (1970) advocates for a critical pedagogy that promotes dialogue, critical thinking, and active participation to challenge oppressive systems. This approach emphasizes egalitarian, collaborative learning (Freire, 1970; 1996,p.16; 1997, p.91) and aligns with Vygotsky’s constructivist theory, which emphasizes guided problem-solving and peer collaboration (Vygotsky, 1978,p. 38). Intersectionality, as discussed by Crenshaw (2017) and Haraway (1988), is essential in understanding the complex dynamics between students and teachers. By examining these dynamics, we can better support marginalized groups at UAL, where inclusive pedagogical approaches are crucial (Active Dashboard, 2023/24). Scholars such as Peters and Mathias (2018) and Maxwell (2014) promote a pedagogy that empowers positive change through questioning and shared humanity. Slido, as a tool that facilitates dialogue and collaboration, can be a valuable asset in implementing such a pedagogy. By allowing students to share their questions, their thoughts and experiences anonymously, Slido might create a safe and inclusive space for critical reflection and discussion in class, encouraging dialogue, collaborative learning and critical thinking. And exchanging questions and answers and aligning with the philosophies of Freire, Vygotsky, and intersectionality, students could actively engage with course material via Slido, challenge power structures, and work towards a more equitable learning environment. Also, I will include the following reading: Collaborative learning -including students working in groups, students teaching each other (Loes&Pascarella, 2017) in classroom- fosters shared goals, enhances cognitive motivation and academic success (Tinto, 1997; Castle, 2014; Johnson et al., 1998). Furthermore, this benefits racial minorities and students with lower academic abilities (Barkley et al., 2014; Loes & Pascarella, 2017). White students with lower academic scores who participated in collaborative learning programs showed the greatest improvement in critical thinking skills compared to racial and ethnic minority counterparts (Loes & Pascarella, 2017). Rooted in constructivist theories (Piaget, 1950; Vygotsky, 1978), collaborative learning facilitates cognitive growth through shared experiences and diverse perspectives, fostering innovative problem-solving (Davidson & Worsham, 1992; Johnson & Johnson, 2002). Facilitated by tutors, collaborative learning challenges students through “disequilibrium” (Slavin, 1996), significantly improving critical thinking, especially in less academically prepared students (Loes & Pascarella, 2017). This collaborative approach leads to a rich diversity of information and experiences that are then integrated with established academic knowledge. According to Greenwood-Hau (2024), ‘‘engaged pedagogy’’ is not just an alternative approach to education, it actively challenges traditional power dynamics and hierarchical structures within the classroom. Students are encouraged to contribute their own knowledge and ideas, enriching the understanding of complex issues. Teachers, in turn, become co-learners alongside their students as both equally listen to learn. This resulting community of learners may foster a more accurate and dynamic construction of scientific knowledge, as opposed to the traditional educational model that isolates critical thinking from factual information and creates a divide between students and teachers. Consequently, engaged pedagogy and reflexivity can promote open discussion and challenge the limitations of traditional hierarchical structures within classroom. |
| What action are you going to take in your teaching practice? Thirty students will attend an optional two-hour introductory workshop to a software that the researcher will walk through students. The researcher will give the briefing of slido intervention at the beginning of the workshop, informing students that this is a research action project to explore the role of Slido application in collaborative learning and engagement in classroom. Students will be instructed to use an anonymous Slido code to participate. Slido will display emoji ratings embedded on slides, allowing for quick feedback on clarity. Also, Slido provides a feature known as open text ,allowing space for students to anonymously record any challenges they face with specific functions of the program they learn (e.g., coding themes, matrix and relationships). Slido also includes rating questions of open confidence polls, gauging student comfort with tasks. Finally, slido displays space known as audience questions and answers so students can anonymously express their doubts, problems, insights. All above will be a rich source of qualitative and quantitative data. Students’ slido responses will be used as real-time feedback to inform the researcher in relation to students’ learning experience and a questionnaire will be administered an anonymous questionnaire. The researcher -I- will have to create and edit the questions for the Qualtrics questionnaire (Section 4 follows &Appendix C ) An information sheet and a consent form (Appendix A, B) will be required to be completed in advance. This allows the researcher (myself) to receive feedback in classroom and discuss any emerging issues in time. By incorporating Slido, the classroom may become more inclusive as students can anonymously raise questions, discuss answers of one another raise issues they face on activities without fear of judgment. By addressing challenges will openly promote a learning environment that respects dialogue, diversity of all including minority groups with ethnic/ racial background and different levels of academic performance. This approach will ensure all students feel valued and empowered to participate in the learning process while working together to raise questions and discuss responses. Slido’s responses will inform about the students’ experience of using slido as a valuable application or not valuable tool to an engaged and collaborative learning environment in classroom. These findings will give answers to the original research question as to whether Slido can benefit students’ reflexivity and learning in classroom. Students’ group findings from the Qualtrics questionnaire will be used to validate these results. Students who for any reason cannot complete the questionnaire in classroom will be able to access it on Moodle in the Qualitative Methods unit Results with students’ responses to qualtrics questionnaire for slido application will be shown and discussed transparently and reflexively with the peer group for the PG Certificate in Academic practice. Results will be extracted on spss. Also some visualizations with results from slido responses embedded on power point slides will be presented to the peer group. This multifaceted approach aims to provide a clear, engaging, and inclusive experience for improving students’ experience in class using Slido application. As time will be short I have removed the action of generating field notes as a researcher based on my observations , and also removed observations from another technician who was to attend in classroom as this would require a big scale study. |
| Who will be involved and how? The population to be sampled will be UAL second year undergraduate students (all aged 18 or older) in November 2024. 1. All students will be invited to participate voluntarily using a Slido code in classroom.Students will be briefed that the researcher attends the PGCertificate in academic practice and will test a learning intervention known as slido in classroom (Appendix A). Students’ consent will be requested and they will be briefed that if consent to take part in the study, they will provide their responses anonymously. Students will also be informed that slido slides embedded in PowerPoint presentation. 2. An anonymous Qualtrics questionnaire (Appendix C ) will be available for students in classroom regarding their slido experience and for those who cannot attend or feel hesitant to participate in class the questionnaire has been added on slides. Students should give consent (Appendix B) before completing this questionnaire. The Qualtrics questionnaire for Slido application will include: i) A rating question about ‘‘overall, how was your experience of using Slido in classroom to communicate any issues/problem facing?’’ . This will be rated on four-point Likert scale (1 =don’t know, 2=poor 3=neither good nor poor 4 =good). ii) Matrix rating question : Please rate the Slido application in classroom based on three rating statements ‘‘how was the content of delivery, the pace and learning support of Slido’’. This will be rated on a three-point Likert scale (1=Fair,2 = good , 3=excellent). iii) A matrix question on ‘‘ which aspects of Slido would you like to include as a follow-up?’’ Questions and Answers, open text , emojis-based rating . These aspects would be rated on a three-point Likert scale Yes=3, Maybe=2, No=1, and iv) a multiple-choice question about ‘‘How do you feel using Slido in classroom for learning?’’ This will be rated on a five-point Likert scale (1=Extremely dissatisfied, 5= extremely satisfied). The instruction that will be displayed on slides in classroom will show: ‘‘Please paste this reusable link into a website; it can’t be tracked and can’t be used to identify respondents: https://arts.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cPfCesi3jHNJe2G Please get in touch with the researcher if you have questions’’.  http://zoupanou.myblog.arts.ac.uk/files/2024/10/qualtrics-questionnairePGC-300×203.jpg N.B. If any of your participants/co-researchers will be under 18, please seek advice from your tutor. |
| What are the health & safety concerns, and how will you prepare for them? I will conduct this research action in a classroom setting with the researcher-I-, students, and a technician acting as an observer. Students will be presented with a Slido code, a voluntary participation tool, to provide real-time feedback on certain features of the slido software. Slido will allow students to rate their understanding with emojis, answer open-ended questions regarding challenges they face with data classification and participate in confidence polls. The nature of the research, its location (classroom), and the chosen methods minimize any potential physical safety risks for participants. However, the researcher acknowledges that participation can sometimes lead to stress. Should any student experience stress during the study, they are encouraged to utilize the following resources: UAL’s Health, Advice, and Chaplaincy service: https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/student-services/counselling-health-advice-and-chaplaincy Mind charity support resources: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-supportSamaritans’ helpline: 116 123Accessing counselling or therapy through the NHS for UK-based participants: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/free-therapy-or-counselling.aspxSelf-help resources: http://www.getselfhelp.co.ukProgressive muscle relaxation exercise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=912eRrbes2g |
| How will you protect the data of those involved? All data collected will be used solely for the completion of my PG Certificate in Academic Practice, Arts and design. Participants will have the right to withdraw from the study at any point, without explanation or penalty. Data will be stored on UAL-managed systems and deleted once my research is assessed. While OneDrive will be installed on a personal device, only data files anonymized for analysis will be transferred and stored there. It is important to reiterate that no personally identifiable information will be collected or stored. All data collected will be completely anonymized. Students can request their questionnaire data to be withdrawn and destroyed within 6 weeks of completing the questionnaire by contacting the researcher (email provided on the information sheet). Anonymized data will be accessible to Dr. Zoi Zoupanou, relevant PG Certificate tutors, and peers for research purposes. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be stored securely. No personally identifiable information will be linked to participant responses. For more information about UAL’s data management practices and your privacy rights, please visit: www.arts.ac.uk/privacy-information. This research action prioritizes transparency and respects participants right to privacy. Students can participate with confidence, knowing their responses will be secure and anonymous. |
| How will you work with your participants in an ethical way? The researcher -I- will maintain the confidentiality of student data. Only use the data for research purposes for the PGCertificate in Academic practice and do not share it with unauthorized individuals. Students’ participation in the classroom is completely voluntary. Students do not have to take part if they do not wish to. Their responses will remain anonymous while recording their responses on Slido. The researcher-I- ensure that students’ responses remain anonymous throughout the research process. This will encourage honest participation and protect sensitive information. I will be transparent to the peer group of Certificate in academic practice and share information produced as part of data I will collect. I will share the outcomes of the intervention and build dialogue and discussion with peers and how my positionality as psychologist specialist technician shapes how I conducted research with slido Crooks , Owen & Stone, 2012). I will also identify challenges faced ahead for enacting the intervention. Due to power dynamics between the researcher and participants, I will ensure that participants feel comfortable expressing their opinions and concerns by sending their questions anonymously via Slido in classroom. As I am working with a diverse student population, I will be aware of cultural differences and ensure that the research is conducted in a culturally sensitive manner, allowing students to complete the questionnaire at home. |
Appendix A: Participant Information Sheet
Research project: Students’ Engagement, responses and challenges by real feedback to Slido application
Participant Information Sheet
About this study This study is part of my research on the PgCert Academic Practice in Art, Design and Communication at UAL.I am researching the learning experiences of second-year BSc Psychology of Fashion students in the Qualitative Methods Unit. My research aims to improve student learning by evaluating their comfort with anonymous feedback and using it to identify gaps and foster collaboration. This “responsive evaluation” uses a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative) by implementing Slido application during an introductory walkabout session on NVivo software. Slido will offer active polls, emoji-based ratings, questions and answers, open text that enables multiple answers on coding, pace and learning support of Slido, and poll -rating questions on students’ confidence.
A post-presentation questionnaire will be available on Qualtrics for students to provide anonymous feedback, particularly those who were unable to attend or felt hesitant to participate in the classroom. Students would need to consent anonymously.
Slido responses will be discussed in class with the researcher (time permitted), and the online questionnaire results will be analysed using SPSS. The researcher will share the Slido visual evidence of students’ responses (anonymously) to the peer group in PG Certificate in Academic practice.
What does it mean to take part? If you take part, you are consenting to taking part in the questionnaire on Qualtrics. The questionnaire may take between 10-15 minutes. The data will be used as the basis for academic analysis. If you choose to take part, you will be free to withdraw your participation at any point. You will not be obliged to give any reason for deciding not to take part.
Will my participation be kept confidential? Your anonymity is very important. The information about you will be confidential to me, as the researcher. You will not be identified individually anywhere in the research. What will happen to the results of the research project? The information collected from your questionnaire and Slido responses will be used for academic research purposes. This includes anonymous quotations from you e.g. how confident you felt using emoji-based ratings and open questions with your replies to challenges, thus contributing to an academic action plan dissertation. Your anonymized words may also be used to academic reports, presentations for the PG Certificate in Academic Practice, papers, and conference presentations. Your anonymous responses may also be published online.
Thank you for your contribution and participation in this study.
Contact for further information: Researcher’s Name, Zoi Zoupanou Email address z.zoupanou@fashion.arts.ac.uk
Appendix B: Consent form
Participant Consent Form
Project Title: Students’ Engagement, responses and challenges by real feedback to Slido application
You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide to take part it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the attached information sheet carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask if anything is unclear or if you would like more information.
• I understand that I have given my consent to take part in providing feedback on Slido application
• I fully give my consent to take part.
• I understand that I have given approval for my opinions to be included in the research outputs. Anything I say may be used in academic papers relating to the project, although these quotations will be anonymous.
• I have read the information sheet about the research project, which I have been asked to take part in and have been given a copy of this information to keep.
• What is going to happen and why it is being done has been explained to me, and I have had the opportunity to discuss the details and ask questions.
• Having given this consent I understand that I have the right to withdraw from the research programme at any time without disadvantage to myself and without having to give any reason.
• I hereby fully and freely consent to participation in the study, which has been fully explained to me.
I give consent
I do not give consent
Date:
Appendix C
Qualtrics Questionnaire for Slido Application
Section 1: Overall Slido Experience
Question 1 : Overall, how was your experience of using Slido in classroom to communicate any issues/problem facing?
1-Do not know
2-Poor
3-Neither good nor poor
4-Good
Section 2: Slido’s Impact on Classroom Interaction
Question 2: Please rate the Slido application in classroom based on:
1 Fair 2 Good 3 Excellent
Content of delivery
Pace of delivery
Learning support
Section 3: Follow-up Topics for slido
Question 3: Which aspects of Slido would you like to include as a follow-up?
1 No 2 Maybe 3 Yes
Questions and Answers
Open text
Emojis-based rating
Section 4: Overall Satisfaction with Slido
Question 4: How do you feel using Slido in classroom for learning?
1-Extremely dissatisfied
2-Somewhat dissatisfied
3-Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
4-Somewhat satisfied
5-Extremely satisfied