MedLab Research Study Participant Guide

Life Science

MedLab Research Study Participant Guide

The Museum is conducting an education research study about our MedLab Learning Lab and how it impacts participants’ STEM career interest and knowledge of community health issues through a race and ethnic identity lens.

Class Participation

Classes who participate will be provided with:
- A free Learning Lab. This will be either our MedLab or one of our other Learning Labs.* (Groups will be randomly selected to participate in MedLab or a non-MedLab option.)
- A free bus ride to Griffin MSI and back to your school.
- An iPad or similar tablet device.
- A report on results of the study, when completed.
Requirements
Participation requires:
- Handing your students a pre-visit survey to do as homework about three to four weeks before your visit and collecting the survey from them. You do not need to do any grading, processing or reading of the surveys. You simply hand them out and pick them back up.
- Bringing them to the Learning Lab and taking a post-session survey immediately after the lab is completed.
- Handing students a second post-visit survey about three to four weeks after the visit. The procedures are the same as the pre-visit survey: simply pass them out and pick them back up.
- We will also give you a short, one-page teacher survey on the day of your visit.
Eligibility
Participants should be youth in 7th through 12th grade. Some participating educators, students and families will be invited for optional interviews after the experience.
Registration
If interested in participating, complete the Field Trip Reservation form to schedule your visit.
When you make your reservation, the Call Center will tell you whether you are in the MedLab or the non-MedLab group. If in the former, you can choose from one of the three MedLab topics (heart disease, diabetes, asthma). If in the latter, you can choose from any of our other Learning Labs.

Optional Interviews

Participation
Educators, youth and their guardians may be invited to complete a one-hour individual interview about the youth’s recent field trip to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, their job and career interests and their life experiences. Each participant will receive $40 for their interview.
Purpose
Your participation will help researchers better understand how youth’s field trip to the Museum and experiences in their life shape their job and career interests.
Location
Interviews will be completed at a location of your choosing (e.g., your home, the University of Illinois at Chicago, over the phone, or Zoom).

More Information

For any questions about the study, contact Dr. Anjylla Foster by emailing anjylla.foster@msichicago.org or calling (773) 947-6050.

This study is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (DRL #1906954) and run by the Griffin MSI Research and Evaluation department in partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of California, Riverside.

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