Appendix A: Student Consent Form
The consent form was distributed via Microsoft Forms. The following is the text from the form.
Lost in Translation: Co-designed Approaches to Implement Digital Accessibility Initiatives
Project Details
Student Investigator:
Luke McKnight OCAD University/Langara College lmcknight@ocadu.ca
Faculty Supervisor:
Dr. Michelle Miller, Faculty of Arts & Science, OCAD University michellemiller@ocadu.ca
Purpose
This study is about making course materials easier to use, especially for students with disabilities. Even though there are rules to make learning more accessible, it doesn’t always happen in a helpful way. This study asks students: What makes digital learning materials easier or harder to use? What do you want instructors to know about what makes things easier for you to learn?
Students will help design resources that staff can use to improve their courses. Your ideas will help make real changes at the college. We are inviting 10 students to take part.
You can participate if:
- You are currently or have previously attended a post-secondary school
- You are 18 years or older
- You’ve used online learning materials (like Brightspace, PDFs, videos, etc.)
- You want to share your experiences and ideas
You do not need to have a documented disability to join.
Participation is voluntary and no identifiable information will be shared with instructors.
This study is undertaken by Luke McKnight as part of a Major Research Project (MRP) at OCAD University. This project will contribute to the completion of a Master of Design degree.
There is no funding or sponsor for this project.
There is no plan to sell or make money from the study. The investigator has no conflict of interest, and the project has been approved by the research ethic boards of both OCADU and Langara College.
What’s Involved
As a student participant, you will be asked to join a co-design session, where you will :
- Be interviewed about your experiences using digital course materials (like Brightspace content, PDFs, videos, etc.).
- Share what helped or made it harder for you to learn.
- Look at examples of inaccessible materials and say whether you’ve seen anything similar.
- Help improve or redesign these materials to show what would make them easier to use.
- Work with the investigator to share your ideas about what staff should know and do to help students.
You can choose how you participate:
- In person at Langara College (in a private, accessible space)
- Remotely by Zoom or Microsoft Teams
We will record the session (audio only) and take notes to help us remember what you said. Any materials (like drawings, written notes, or suggestions) you help create will be saved and stored securely. Participation will take about 1 to 1.5 hours total. There are no costs to you. If you’re attending in person, you will need to make your own way to Langara College. The only information collected about you will be your name and email (or other contact information). Your participation will not be identified to anyone other than the primary investigator.
Potential Benefits
By participating in this study, you will have the chance to share your experiences and ideas about what makes digital learning materials easier for you to use. You may find it meaningful to know your voice is being used to help instructors better understand and support student needs.
Your contributions will help me build a workshop for faculty and staff members on digital accessibility best practices.
You may also feel empowered by helping shape future staff training and learning materials at Langara College. The results of this project will be published in an Open Educational Resource designed to share the findings and help instructors make informed decisions about digital learning material.
This is a way to influence how digital learning can become more inclusive—not just for yourself, but for other students in the future.
The researchers cannot guarantee that you will receive any direct benefits from participating in this study.
Confidentiality
Your identity in this study will be kept confidential.
- Any records associated with you will be assigned a student number. Your real name will not appear in any research reports or publications unless you explicitly give permission (see checkboxes at the end of this form).
- All audio recordings will be stored securely and will be labeled only by the date of the session and a general descriptor (e.g., “20250601-Recording.mp3”).
- You may request to review or edit your transcript or withdraw your consent before it is used to create the staff workshops. The deadline to edit responses or withdraw is October 31, 2025. After this date, your contributions will be used to create staff workshops and while nothing you contribute is attached to your name, is will not be possible to remove the information. You can withdraw by emailing lmcknight@langara.ca.
- Any recordings, transcripts, and co-design materials (e.g., whiteboards, notes, worksheets) will be stored in a secure OCADU OneDrive folder only accessible by the investigator, Luke McKnight.
Attributing quotes
( )Yes, I wish to be attributed for my contribution to this research study. You may use my name alongside statements and/or quotations that you have collected from me.
( ) No, I do not wish to be attributed for my contribution to this research study. You may not use my name alongside statements and/or quotations that you have collected from me.
Date of consent
(Date field)
Data Storage and Access
Use of recordings:
- Audio recordings will be used only for transcription and analysis.
- They will not be used for educational or public purposes.
- Video will not be recorded.
- Recordings will be deleted two years after the completion of the study.
- Anonymized notes may be kept in the Open Educational Resource (OER) project but will contain no identifying information unless explicit permission is given.
Data storage and access:
- Data will be stored on the OCADU OneDrive account of the investigator and password protected.
- A separate file with contact details will be stored securely and separately from your responses.
- No data will be released to third parties, unless required by law (e.g., if there is a disclosure of abuse or harm to self or others, it may need to be reported).
Data will be kept for 2 years after which time all recordings (and research artifacts not included in the final report) will be deleted from the primary investigator’s OCADU OneDrive account. Only the primary investigator, Luke McKnight, will have access to the raw and transcribed data.
Audio Recording
( ) I agree to be audio-recorded for the purposes of this study. I understand how these recordings will be stored and destroyed.
( ) I do not agree to be recorded for the purposes of this study.
Date of consent
(Date field)
Incentive for Participation
You will not be paid to participate in this study.
While there is no financial incentive, your contributions will directly help improve how digital learning materials are created and shared at Langara College. Your input may help make future learning more accessible for yourself and others.
Voluntary Participation
If you choose to stop participating at any time, there will be no penalty, and any information you’ve shared up to that point can still be used (unless you request its removal).
Participation in this study is voluntary. If you wish, you may decline to answer any questions or participate in any component of the study. Your choice to not participate, or withdraw at any point, will not influence your future relations with OCAD University or Langara College or the investigators (Luke McKnight) involved in the research. Not participating, or withdrawing consent, will not exclude you from future support from Langara’s Assistive Technologist.
To withdraw your data from the study, please contact Luke McKnight by email at lmcknight@langara.ca or lmcknight@ocadu.ca no later than October 31, 2025. Any data collected will be removed from the research project report and any materials informing the staff workshops. However, after October 31, 2025, any contributed information may be included in staff workshops but will be omitted from the final report.
Publication of Results
The results of this study may be shared in:
- A graduate student’s Major Research Project (MRP) at OCAD University and OCAD University’s Open Research Repository
- Academic or professional presentations
- Open Educational Resources (OER) for use by educators
- Reports or publications such as scholarly or professional journals
In any publication, data will be presented in aggregate forms. Quotations from interviews or surveys will not be attributed to you without your permission.
Feedback and findings from this study will be made available to participants.
You can request a summary of results by contacting the investigator (Luke McKnight) by email at lmcknight@langara.ca or lmcknight@ocadu.ca.
Anticipated availability: April 2026
The instructional resources created as part of the project will be published as an Open Educational Resource (OER) on: BCcampus Pressbooks or Opened.ca in April 2026. Participants will be informed of the OER’s publication if they wish.
If you wish to be informed when the results of this study are published, enter your email:
Contact Information and Ethics Clearance
If you have any questions about this study or require further information, please ask. If you have questions later about the research, you may contact the Principal Investigator Luke McKnight or the Faculty Supervisor (Dr. Michelle Miller) using the contact information provided above. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the Research Ethics Board at OCAD University, approval number 2025-42.
If you have questions regarding your rights as a participant in this study please contact: Research Ethics Board c/o Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation OCAD University 100 McCaul Street Toronto, M5T1W1 416 977 6000 x4368 research@ocadu.ca
Agreement
I agree to participate in this study described above. I have made this decision based on the information I have read in the Information-Consent Letter. I have had the opportunity to receive any additional details I wanted about the study and understand that I may ask questions in the future. I understand that I may withdraw this consent at any time.
Name:
Please check this box to confirm you have read and agree to the above ( ) I have read and agree to the above
Date of consent
(Date field)
