The following statement explains the research study. Please read the following information carefully.
You are invited to participate in a research study about Generative AI, a type of artificial intelligence computer program. The title of this study is “Workforce readiness of university students considering Generative AI use” (IRB #0038-25-EX). The purpose of this study is to explore AI readiness and its impact on your educational and career development.
The Principal Investigator (PI) of this study is Dr. Margeret Hall, Faculty Fellow in Artificial Intelligence and Associate Professor in Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis. You can get further information by contacting Dr. Hall at 402.554.2066 or mahall@unomaha.edu. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant or concerns/complaints about the research and wish to speak with someone who is not a member of the research team, you should contact (anonymously, if you wish) the UNMC Office of Regulatory Affairs at (402) 559-6463 or IRBORA@unmc.edu.
Partaking in this study is voluntary. If you do not want to participate, there will be no penalty and your relationship with UNO and the PI will not be affected in any way. If you agree to participate, your participation will include answering a short survey that consists of a few questions about GenAI The survey will also provide information for scheduling participation in a voluntary focus group. Filling out this survey does not obligate you to participate in said focus group. This survey should take no more than 15 minutes. The minimal risks of taking part in this research are breaches of confidentiality and privacy, although every effort will be made to safeguard your data. Participating in this research will not benefit you directly but the benefits are that your ideas, experiences, and views may help us better understand the value of Gen AI and perhaps improve workforce readiness for you and future students. This research may bridge the gap between your current skills and the demands of AI-integrated academic and professional environments. By identifying key skills and challenges, the study may equip you with strategies to engage responsibly and effectively with AI technologies. It may also inform educational institutions like UNO about their pivotal role in guiding students like you toward ethical, future-proofed AI usage, while addressing evolving concerns around plagiarism, originality, and academic integrity.
CONFIDENTIALITY: The surveys are anonymous. All surveys will be assigned a tracking number and that is how you will be referred to. Any digital text/notes will be stored on a secured website that is password protected. Once the study is complete, the files will be destroyed. In order to monitor this research study, representatives from federal agencies such as the OHRP (Office of Human Research Protection) or representatives from UNMC’s IRB may inspect the research records. However, this process will not reveal any identifying information. You do not have to answer any question that you do not wish to answer. You can also stop taking this survey any time you wish to stop, with no questions asked. If you withdraw from this study, all individually identifiable data you provide will be destroyed and not used for analysis.