High school math class... and.. OREOS??

[CMdeux]

SERIOUSLY??


Just when you thought it was safe to assume that "food = fun = improved learning" had faded due to the age of students...

[GingerPye]

Oh, I believe it.  History teacher called me the other day --- she offers food prizes daily for students who answer a question correctly. 

[rebekahc]

Got an email the other day from DS's UNIVERSITY asking our permission (since he's a minor) for him to participate in a research study.  Participants will be offered a candy bar as compensation for answering the initial survey.  Seriously?

(paraphrasing the consent ) This is a research study to examine the adjustment and psychosocial wellbeing [sic] of gifted students attending {the early college program}.

Offering a candy bar for completing a one hour questionnaire with monthly follow-up questionnaires seems...   patronizing.

[CMdeux]

Just a little bit like:


[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

Eh?   

[rebekahc]

LOL - exactly!

[SilverLining]

The specific schools my son has gone to, this seems to have increased instead of decreased.  Well, it's not always a reward. Sometimes, it just IS.

My son does not have food allergies, so these things have not been an issue for me, and I'm not always aware of them until long after the fact.

One of his classes had a microwave in it for teachers.  They allow students to go in at lunch time and use it.  But sometime other students are in there doing school work....with students eating lunch.  (For us, this has been really good....when ds was having some problems, one of the teachers took the time to sit and talk with him during lunch time.)

I just found out yesterday that during exams, ds got breakfast at school.  I never even knew it was available.  It was free (not sure who provided it).

At his age, I would expect any student with an fa would know whether or not they are allowed to eat something (what ds ate was pre packaged and had an ingredient  label).  But, it's just....these are things I don't know about.

[twinturbo]

Compensation for human subjects is standard.

[rebekahc]

I understand compensation is standard - but compensation with a candy bar is not. 

[twinturbo]

Yes.

[CMdeux]

<insert joke about working for peanuts>

[twinturbo]

What do you think? Should we duo a blurb about college students as test subjects because it involves food? It's not going to come up too often neither is it really part of any program. I think in rebakah's DS's case it was one of those rare intersections.

[CMdeux]

Hmmmm-- well, I think that it comes up even there more often than most of us WISH to imagine.

I knew colleagues that passed out candy at every midterm, others that did "surprise" demos involving food, etc.

[CMdeux]

In the AYKM??

category--

Benefits of the University Honors College

There are many benefits to being part of the University Honors College:

    Graduate with the Honors Baccalaureate degree, one of about 13 such degrees in the nation
    Be a member of a tight-knit community of about 900 students
    Small class sizes (no more than 24 students)
    One-on-one interaction with faculty
    All classes are taught by professors, not teaching assistants
    Personal academic advising from the UHC advisors
    Priority living in the UHC Residence Hall (West Hall)
    Two centrally located study lounges including a computer lab, free printing, and lounge areas perfect for study groups, sleeping, and meetings
    Leadership opportunities
    UHC trips and events
    Free candy from the UHC office
    Support in the completion of an undergraduate thesis
    Over 90% of UHC graduates who apply to law, medical, and graduate schools are accepted (depending on student accomplishments)

There is also "free candy," otherwise known as "slug bait" in the honors college LOUNGE areas, too.

[twinturbo]

Then maybe I should share how I understand it and where I perceive some overlap. The student body is used quite often as non-invasive data gathering test subjects.I think all the ethical guidelines fall under HHS. FYI for those with college students of majority age they decide if they participate or not. Although it may be run by faculty gathering data it's almost never tied to a curriculum. Part of the ethical guidelines stipulate that compensation must at least be offered. You can never be forced to cooperate because that is the backbone of human subject testing--the ability to opt out. There's a lot of other stuff CMdeux can wax philosophical on IRBs if she wants. DH avoids the more invasive stuff whenever he can.

So anyhow they often compensate with candy bars, Starbucks gift cards, there may have been a raffle I don't pay all tha much attention because it's not my job. Remember this is all voluntary and for the most part has nothing to do with any curriculum or program. However... as a lure to invite participation some profs offer extra credit, whether it's the prof as primary researcher I forget. Usually you don't have to eat anything as part of the experiment but say you do but want the extra credit? Then I would argue it's tied to the curriculum. Typically you just opt out but that wouldn't be okay to be ineligible for grade points because of the nature of gour disability.

Your profs handing out candy like grade school can't help there. As a test subject those calls you can freely ignore because you have the right to opt out for any reason. I think whoever decided to try to get permission from a minor's parents to participate in university research might not have been too on the ball but I guess it would depend on the investigation.

Research participation might be something you might want to cover with kids going off to college so they don't sign up for the short term memory brain zapper in return for a couple of mochas. Once they are of majority you are not required to be informed. By the way I'm not kidding about the brain zapper.

[rebekahc]

My whole point was that food incentives extend even beyond secondary education - it's apparently something they will never grow out of.