Challenges

Interactions and distance between researchers and participants are central to research, both when proximal, and when mediated by technologies.

AI and associated infrastructure has shifted relationships of researchers and participants through greater secondary use of data, online platforms that connect (sometimes invisibly) participants to researchers, heightened risks of re-identification, and tools that may be used in unanticipated contexts. In some cases, research may be conducted under the auspices of 'quality improvement' or operational research. In such cases the research is carried out to improve existing practices within the research site; there may be alternative ethics approval processes for such research. This kind of research has the advantage of being located at the site of implementation. Complex power dynamics should be considered between researchers (who may fulfil dual roles), and other stakeholders such as teachers, students, administrators, and technology providers.

Challenge Instances Research involving teacher-student relationships involves power dynamics Technologies mediate the interactions and distance between researchers and participants Assessing risks of harms and benefits may be challenging in research involving technology-mediated researcher-participant relationships. Technology-mediated relationships between researchers and participants may serve to entrench, create, or miss opportunity to challenge, injustices. Decisions throughout research processes have implications for risks and benefits; assessment of these is impacted by researcher-participant relationships Design of interventions in naturalistic environments should ensure risks of harms and potential for benefits are considered for all those impacted (including any 'controls') While shifts in researcher-participant relationships can create distance, they can also create connections. However, such research involves power relations that are complex to navigate. Data collection or/and analysis often involves methods that challenge individually based participation models Research involving learning may seek to draw on secondary analysis of learner data

Overarching Principles Respect for persons

Principles Autonomy Privacy

Reference

Sources IEEE AoIR report 3 AoIR report 2 Ethics in The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Created At 2023-06-14T12:17:55.000Z

Title Interactions and distance between researchers and participants are central to research, both when proximal, and when mediated by technologies.