Perspectives on Interdisciplinarity in Engineering Education
SURVEY INVITATION
Research Team: Valeria Martinez Rodriguez and Maurits Ertsen
Approximate Time to Complete Survey: 30 – 50 minutes
You are invited to participate in a research study titled “Perspectives on Interdisciplinarity in Engineering Education”. This study is being done by Valeria Martinez Rodriguez and Dr.ir. Maurits W. Ertsen from the Water Resources department at Delft University of Technology as part of the Delft Education Fellowship granted by TU Delft. Before you decide to participate, it is important that you understand why the research is being conducted and what it will involve. Please take the time to read the following information carefully. Feel free to contact the research team with any questions you may have.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this research can be defined by two steps. First, the study aims to explore different interpretations of (the relations between) inter-, multi- and mono-disciplinary skills and knowledge. Second, the research wants to explore whether (and to what extent) these skills and knowledge are required for engineering students. The following survey targets the first purpose of the research, and will take you approximately 30 – 50 minutes to complete.
Study Procedures
Please complete the exercise using a computer (preferable) or a tablet for your comfort and better performance of the program. If you agree to participate, we will be asking you to organize a set of 37 statements into three piles (agree, disagree, neutral), and then arrange them in a way that strong agreement/disagreement statements are on the extremes and the neutral statements will be placed close to the centre of a sorting grid provided by the researcher. Additionally, there is a short questionnaire at the end to provide additional explanations regarding your decision making during the exercise and/or to hear about your experience completing the survey. The study will take approximately 30 – 50 minutes.
Please note: This exercise must be completed in one sitting. Closing the tab will cause all progress to be lost and you will have to start from the beginning.
Data Usage, Management & Anonymity
The data will be used as part of a Delft Education Fellowship research and archived at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The research could be published in the future if the responsible researcher sees fit. Findings could also be used after publishing for teaching purposes. Nonetheless, your personal identifying information will never be made public. As with any online activity the risk of a breach is always possible. To the best of our ability your answers in this study will remain confidential. We will minimize any risks by anonymizing any Personal Data that was collected. You will be provided a randomized participant number which will be associated with your Q-set, so your name or email (if provided) will not be associated with your responses in any way. The data from participants will be stored separately from responses to reduce the chances of reidentification. Lastly, data will be stored in a secure online project folder from the TU Delft which can only be accessed by the main researchers.
This study is in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) EU regulation on information privacy. The data management plan has been reviewed and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the TU Delft.
Voluntary Participation
Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary and you can withdraw at any time. You are free to omit any questions. If you decide to withdraw, close the webpage and any data collected up to that point will be deleted.
You can request for your Q-sort to not be included in the study up to three (3) days after completion of the exercise (to give researchers enough time to find a new participant if needed). In case you would like to retract any of the responses given during the follow-up interview (if it took place), this can be done up to one (1) month after the researcher has explained to you how given statements are being reported. This will take place immediately after the interview if possible or within one (1) working day. Any statements will be incorporated in the final report only after you have agreed to their inclusion.
