IRB Protocol-p 1

Log Number _________

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Institutional Review Boardfor the Protection of Human Subjects

Human Subjects Review Protocol

1. Principal Investigator

Name Marlen Elliot Harrison Department ___English______________ Position/Rank Temporary Faculty E-Mail Address: __kmym@iup.edu_ Address __719 Philadelphia St, #306 Indiana, PA 15701_________ Phone where you can be reached during the day _561-716-6690___

Date of Submission ___________________ 2. Co-Investigator (e.g. thesis/dissertation committee chair; use a second sheet for any

additional names):

Name Tomoko Oda Department __English___ Position/Rank Graduate Student E-Mail Address____t.oda@iup.edu__Address 1302 Oakland Av, E#211 Indiana, PA 15701_______

FACULTY ADVISOR: Name Nancy Hayward Department __English___ Position/Rank Professor Office Phone___412 309 0471___ Address 201J Leonard Hall E-Mail Address____nhayward@iup.edu__

3. Project Title: Innovations in writing curricula in the Japanese post-secondary English language classroom: Instructor and learner perspectives and responses 4. Check one: Thesis __ Dissertation __ Faculty Research X

Student Research ____X___ Staff Research ________

Dates during which project will be conducted: From 4/1/09 To __9/1/09_

5. A. Project Funding Source: Check as many as apply: N/AB. If grant funded, application deadline or date of transmittal ________N/A___________

(Please submit one copy of grant proposal as soon as it is available).

6. Consider each of the following separately and place an X next to each to indicate that the information is complete. PLEASE NUMBER ALL PAGES!!!

X A. PURPOSE, RESEARCH VARIABLES, AND POPULATION

Purpose of the study-State concisely and realistically what the study is intended to accomplish.

Background-Briefly state the background of the study, including some relevant references and identify the main questions the current study is intended to address.

IRB Protocol-p 2

Characteristics of the Subject Population-The following information should be provided:

a. Age Range-What is the age range and why was it chosen?b. Sex-What is the sex of the subjects? If there is a restriction, provide the rationale.c. Number-What is the estimated number of subjects?d. Inclusion Criteria-What are the specific inclusion criteria?e. Exclusion Criteria-What are the specific exclusion criteria? Clear rationale should be

provided for the exclusion of any particular population group, unless the title of the study reflects the restricted population range.

f. Vulnerable Subjects-If vulnerable subjects will be included (children, pregnant women, fetuses, prisoners, mentally disabled persons), provide justification of the need to use these subjects in research.

X B. METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Method of Subject Selection-Describe the study's method(s) of identification and recruitment of prospective subjects. Provide a copy of any planned advertisements.

Study Site-State the location(s) where the study will be conducted. Include letters of approval to conduct the study from all non-IUP sites.

Methods and Procedures Applied to Human Subjects-Describe in detail the study design and all procedures (sequentially) to be applied to subjects. Attach copies of any instruments to be used, such as surveys, rating scales, or questionnaires.

X C. RISKS/BENEFITS

Potential Risks-Identify the potential risks of the study. Specify the types and levels of risk.

Protection Against Risks-For all studies involving greater than minimal risk, specify the procedures for preventing or minimizing any potential risks.

Potential Benefits-Describe any potential non-monetary benefits of the study, both for subjects and for society in general.

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Compensation for Participation-Describe any monetary or other forms of compensation which will be provided to subjects, and any conditions which must be fulfilled to receive compensation.

Alternatives to Participation-Describe any alternatives to participation in the study which might be advantageous to the subject. If the subjects are to receive academic credit for research participation, describe the alternatives available to earn equivalent academic credit.

Information Withheld-Identify the nature of any information to be purposely withheld from subjects, and provide justification for the non-disclosure.

Debriefing-Describe the procedure for post-study debriefing of subjects.

X D. CONFIDENTIALITY

Describe explicitly how confidentiality of data will be maintained. If any information with subject identifiers will be released, specify the recipients. Include a statement that all data will be retained for at least three years in compliance with federal regulations.

E. COPY OF CONSENT FORM

See attached Essentials of Informed Consent and Informed Consent Form. Please note that an informed consent form addresses five critical points: 1) subject participation in the study is voluntary (provide a description of the procedure to be used if choosing not to participate); 2) a statement of the subject's right to withdraw at any time and a clear description of the procedures for withdrawal from the study without penalty; 3) subjects are informed of the level of risk (from 'no known risk' through the level appropriate to the study) and the means of protecting the subjects from known risks or minimizing the risk; 4) confidentiality is ensured; and 5) the means by which confidentiality is to be ensured is elucidated. While it is not mandatory that an Informed Consent Form is identical to the example, the five points listed above are critical elements of any form an investigator may develop. It is important to include sufficient specific information regarding the purpose and nature of your study to ensure that subjects are fully informed. A copy of the Informed Consent Form should be given to each subject who participates in the study. Please note: the IRB will not accept "blanket waivers" of the right to privacy. Subjects (or their legal agents must sign a consent form for each research study.)

Mailed surveys ordinarily receive expedited reviews and do not need consent forms except when one of the following conditions prevail: 1) the person's name or other identifier is known to the researcher; or 2) the content of the survey puts the respondent at risk for emotional, physical, or other types of distress. If an informed consent form is not required, the researcher should use a cover letter to potential subjects which addresses all the elements of informed consent previously

IRB Protocol-p 4

described. Please include a copy of this cover letter with your protocol.

7. Protected Populations and Sensitive Subjects: N/A

8. Nature of Risk. In your judgment, does your research involve more than minimal risk? "Minimal risk" means that the risk of harm anticipated in the proposed research is not more likely than those risks encountered in daily life, or during routine physical or psychological examinations/tests.

Yes X No

9. In your judgment, does your research fall under one of the six exempt categories? (List of Exempt Categories attached.) If you believe it does, indicate the number of the category under which you are claiming an exemption. #1, #2

10. Does your project fall under one of the categories eligible for expedited review? (List of Expedited Review Categories attached.) If you believe it does, indicate the number of the

category under which you are claiming expedited review. #2

11. Additions to or changes in procedures involving human subjects as well as any problems connected with the use of human subjects once the project has begun must be brought to the attention of the IRB.

I agree to provide whatever surveillance is necessary to ensure that the rights and welfare of the human subjects are properly protected. I understand that I cannot initiate any contact with human subjects before I have received approval/or complied with all contingencies made in connection with the approval. I understand that as the principal investigator I am ultimately responsible for the welfare and protection of human subjects and will carry out the project as approved.

Signature of Principal Investigator/Program Director Date

12. Approval by Faculty Sponsor (REQUIRED FOR ALL STUDENTS):

I affirm the accuracy of this application, and I accept the responsibility for the conduct of this research and supervision of human subjects as required by law. THE PROPOSED PROJECT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE THESIS/DISSERTATION COMMITTEE.

Signature Date

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FOR COMMITTEE USE ONLY

DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:

This project:

poses minimal risk.

poses greater than minimal risk.

is Exempt from Continuing Review.

requires Expedited Review.

requires full IRBPHS Review.

Signature Date

IRBPHS:

Approved to Proceed Disapproved

Signature Date

IRB Protocol-p 65. A. PURPOSE, RESEARCH VARIABLES, AND POPULATION

Purpose of the Study: If innovation can be defined as a new method or idea (“Innovation”), how do learners in the Japanese post-secondary classroom respond to innovations in writing curricula? Likewise, how do instructors develop and implement such innovation? Despite the plethora of studies documenting development of teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language), there has been little previous research in writing curricula investigated from two different perspectives such as the lived experiences of both learners and instructors, or how the Japanese EFL writing context, itself, is a unique environment. Although research has tended to highlight oral skills as effective strategies to improve English proficiency in Japan (Ogura, 2009), few studies exist that examine how EFL writing curricula addresses students’ emotional needs (Falout, 2009). This manuscript focuses on the narratives of both Japanese post-secondary English learners and English instructors in the Japanese EFL context, in order to more deeply explore innovative writing pedagogies in the Japanese post-secondary classroom, and the lived experiences of those involved in such innovations.

Background: Of particular focus here is what Oda (2008) refers to as “cultural gags”, cultural norms of silence that may influence learner performance. Oda, a Japanese bilingual, explains that she recognized her own cultural gag while studying EFL in Japan with instructors from predominantly English-speaking countries. Oda felt that Japanese and native English-speakers utilize different modes of self-expression; the reflective writing curricula employed by her native-speaking EFL composition instructor allowed her to identify alternative means of self-expression through writing (as opposed to speaking), a phenomenon not untypical of second language writers (Courtivron, 2003). Oda’s story can speak to the myriad ways students might understand and apply their own English language writing experiences as potentially empowering and transformational modes of self-expression and communication.

Harrison, an EFL instructor in Japan from 2002 to 2006, provides another perspective on writing curricula innovation by exploring the development of writing activities for Japanese post-secondary EFL classrooms via written narrative. Harrison traces the development of, and learner and administrative responses to, a computer-assisted penpal (also known as “keypal”) project that required learners to use their writing skills for real-world communication (Harrison & Kitao, 2005; Harrison, 2006a & 2006b). Though he focuses mainly on the experience of the instructor, of particular interest is Harrison’s discussion of student responses to the writing project, responses that included outright refusals to participate in the activity as well as student-initiated face-to-face meetings with their penpals, sometimes in other parts of the world.

Plan of Study: Inspired by the work of Cumming and Owen (2001), one of the main objectives of this inquiry is to make more transparent what instructors actually do to implement writing curricula innovations in the local Japanese context and how students respond. As such, the information collected will help instructors and learners gain insight as to what is necessitated when implementing such innovations, the realities of teaching and learning in the Japanese post-secondary English language writing classroom, and the unique nature of writing curricula as a form of silent communication that speaks volumes. Moreover, the collected narratives will help examine how such writing curricula may address the emotional needs of EFL student-writers.

In order to further highlight a range of perspectives on and affective responses to innovations in writing curricula, the researchers wish to not only include their own narratives as

IRB Protocol-p 7responses to the research question, but also to examine the narratives of current EFL writing instructors teaching in the Japanese post-secondary classroom and English language learners themselves (Japanese). These narratives will illustrate how both learners and instructors navigate the implementation of “innovative” approaches to the teaching of composition. A number of factors that influence adaptation to innovations emerge from participants’ stories in preliminary research: such narratives might shed light upon in-depth emotional needs for future writing curricula in Japan and beyond.

This study will build on two groups: instructors and learners. Information we hope to obtain via written narratives include: 1) the identities of the instructors and learners (though all identities will be protected via the change of names and identifying info); 2) methods of instruction; 3) the relationships between the learner and instructor; 4) learner histories; and 5) the significance of various cultural norms that may affect how learners and instructors navigate the EFL writing classroom, norms that may be characteristic of the Japanese context, specifically (e.g. “cultural gags”).

Characteristics of the Subject Population: Participants will be comprised of two separate groups: (1) instructors; and (2) EFL learners.

In the instructor group, the following criteria should be considered:a. Age range: 18 and up b. Sex: females and malesc. Number: four (two who are from English speaking countries; two who are Japanese) d. Inclusion criteria:

1) Participants will be those who have experience in teaching writing in Japanese post-secondary schools for more than two years;

2) Participants will be currently teaching writing in post-secondary schools in Japan or have taught such courses within the last 5 years.

e. Exclusion criteria: No other exclusion criteria will apply.f. Vulnerable subjects: No vulnerable subjects as specified by the IRB will be included.

In the learner group, the following criteria should be considered:a. Age range: 18 and up (as this study focuses on post-secondary school education)b. Sex: females and males c. Number: four (two females and two males) d. Inclusion criteria: participants will be those who

1. consider themselves native speakers of Japanese and completed the majority of the primary and secondary schooling in Japan.;

2. have experience in learning English writing in Japanese post-secondary schools;

3. are willing to share their narrative about their academic experiences related to English writing learning.

b. Exclusion criteria: No other exclusion criteria will apply.c. Vulnerable subjects: No vulnerable subjects as specified by the IRB will be included.

B. METHODS AND PROCEDURES

IRB Protocol-p 8Subject selection:

Instructor-participants will be invited to participate based on their status as having had experience teaching English writing in a Japanese post-secondary classroom, are personal acquaintances of the researchers', and will be recruited via email (see Appendix A).

Learner-participants will primarily be recruited via the Japanese Student organization of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and will be recruited via email (see Appendix A).

All participants will be asked to download, print, sign and mail the Informed Consent Form. The form will be posted on the study website, http://writinginnovation.wordpress.com

Study Site:In terms of the group of instructor-participants, the study site will be through e-mail.

If the student-participant requests to meet in person, the researcher and participant may meet at a public space at Indiana University of Pennsylvania or the surrounding environment depending upon the participants’ preferences.

Methods and Procedures Applied to Human Subjects: As above, this study requires in-depth and in-context inquiries among the participants in

order to explore students’ needs for innovative teaching in a writing EFL classroom and teachers' approaches to such innovation. It does not require a predictive logico-mathematical explanation. Moreover, cultural norms might construct a process socially and temporally, in which newcomers become socialized into academic discourses at various levels of schooling, instructors discover new approaches to teaching, or learners experiment with the as of yet undiscovered territories of composition (e.g., Balchaer, 1994; Casanave, 1992, 1995; Duff, 2001, 2002; Harklau, 1999, 2000; Morita, 2000; Prior, 1998; Spack, 1997; Toohey, 2000). Therefore, narrative inquiry will be employed in order to help participants more thoroughly illustrate how they learn/teach writing in English. We will employ the following data collection methodologies:

1) To the instructor participants: As above: Participants who are instructors will correspond with Marlen via email. Procedures include the writing of one’s story regarding innovation and possible follow-up writing for clarification. No further procedures are involved.

2) To the learner participants: For learner participants working with Tomoko, the same procedures apply as above; though Tomoko will be available to meet with participants in person by request (as language issues may deem it necessary for face to face communication), meeting is not required. If the participants feel uncomfortable having interviews in English, Japanese will be used and their responses translated by Ms. Oda.

All of the participants will be interviewed between April 2009 and August 2009.

IRB Protocol-p 9C. RISKS/BENEFITS

Potential risks/protection against risks:The potential for risk is minimal in this study. All names will be changed to protect the privacy of participants; correspondence will involve email (unless a participant requests to meet in person with Ms. Oda to reflect on experience as a writing student). Informed consent will be mandatory prior to participation of any kind and participants may withdraw from the project at any time. Subjects will have access to all information and materials related to the project via the project blog (InnovativeWriting.wordpress.com) and may participate using a pseudonym. Neither audio nor photographic records will be kept and participants will not be required to interact with other participants. The informed consent form will include:

Your participation in this study is voluntary. You are free to decide not to participate in this study or to withdraw at any time without adversely affecting your relationship with the researchers and without fear of having your information/identity revealed. If you choose to participate, you may withdraw at any time by notifying the Project Director, Marlen Harrison at m.e.harrison@iup.edu. Upon your request to withdraw, you may also request to have all information pertaining to you destroyed. If you choose to participate, all information will be held in strict confidence and no attempt to reveal your responses and identity to others will be made. Should your participation require translation by a third party, all identifying information will be removed from the text to ensure complete anonymity and privacy. You may choose to use your real name, or you may choose to use an imaginary name. The information obtained in the study will be published in either an academic journal or a book, or presented at scholarly meetings but your identity will be kept strictly confidential and only available to Marlen Harrison and Tomoko Oda. We will not make recordings of our conversations or reveal the contents of our private written correspondence nor will we take photographs. Finally, we will not store, either electronically or in print, documents with your name on them.

Potential benefits for subject and for society in general: The ultimate goal of this research is to obtain first-hand accounts of experiences with writing innovations, stories that will ultimately speak to the lived experiences of both students and instructors in the Japanese post-secondary classroom. Our hope is that after considering their responses/stories, non-native English writer-participants might understand their own English language writing experiences as potentially empowering and transformational modes of self-expression and communication, and that instructors will both have a stronger understanding of their own pedagogic processes and find their own attempts at implementing writing innovation validated. Most importantly, it is our hope that that our research is a starting point for greater discussion and consideration of both the learner and instructor perspectives when considering EFL curricular design in the teaching of writing. Additionally, this research will be useful to educators in the fields of Asian Studies, education, and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

Compensation for participation : There will be no monetary compensation for participating in this project.

Alternatives for participation: None

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Information withheld: No information will be withheld from participants, and they may follow the progress and examine the results of the research at any time by visiting the project website and via communication with the researchers.

Member Checking: We will engage in member checking, the process by which the participants are given the opportunity to read and respond to our written inquiry to determine if it is an adequate representation (Lincoln & Guba, pp. 314). We will provide copies of our inquiries via email prior to discussion, and we will provide and receive feedback via email.

Timeline: The timeline for this research begins in April, 2009 and will end in August of 2009 after collection and analysis of data.

Debriefing: After member checking, and upon completion of the project, we will share our manuscript with our participants with the intent of debriefing. Likewise, we will continually post our progress on the project on our blog, InnovativeWriting.wordpress.com.

D. CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality of data will be maintained by 1. using pseudonyms or initials in place of names throughout all responses (including the

use of pseudonyms for all identifying information included in responses, e.g., businesses, individuals, organizations, etc).

2. Transcripts of all interactions will be promptly removed from the internet (if applicable, e.g., email or text chat) and printed on paper so that it may be safely stored.

3. No audio recordings or photography will be used in this project. 4. All data will be retained in a locked box in the researcher’s home for at least three

years in compliance with federal regulations.

E. COPY OF CONSENT FORMAttached (Appendix B)

Explanation for claiming expedited review

Category 2: Research on individual or group behavior or characteristics of individuals, such as studies of perception, cognition, game theory, or test development, where the investigator does not manipulate subjects' behavior and the research will not involve stress to subjects.

No attempt to manipulate behavior will be made. Participants will be asked to write narratives and reflect on such writing. To reduce possible participation-related stress, all participation is voluntary, participants may remain anonymous, and participants are not required to identify themselves to other participants via physical exposure or communication. Given the inter-cultural variables (such as differences in time zones and language which can make communication more difficult) and the possibility for follow-up questioning, we respectfully request expedited review in order to conduct interviews with participants as soon as possible.

IRB Protocol-p 11References

Adams, R., & Chen, D. (1981). The process of educational innovation: An internationalperspective. London: Kogan Page/UNESCO Press.

Belcher, D. (1994). "The apprenticeship approach to advanced academic literacy: Graduate Students and their mentors." English for Specific Purposes 13: 23-34.

Casanave, C. P. (1992). Cultural diversity and socialization: A case study of a Hispanic woman in a doctoral program in sociology. In D. Murray (Ed.), Diversity as resource: Redefining cultural literacy. (pp. 148-182). Alexandria, VA, TESOL.

Casanave, C. P. (1995). Local interactions: Constructing contexts for composing in a graduate sociology program. In D. Belcher & G. Braine (Eds.), Academic writing in a second language: Essays on research and pedagogy (pp. 83-110). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Courtivron, I. (Ed.). (2003). Lives in Translation. NY: Palgrave McMillan.Cumming, J. & Owen, C. (2001). Reforming schools through innovative teaching.

Australia: Deakin, A.C.T.Duff, P. A. (2001). Language, literacy, content, and (pop) culture: Challenges for ESL students in mainstream courses. The Canadian Modern Language Review 59, 103-132.Duff, P. A. (2002). The discursive co-construction of knowledge, identity, and difference: An

ethnography of communication in the high school mainstream. Applied Linguistics, 23, 289-322.

Falout, J. (2009). Emotional scaffolding through editing conferences. The Language Teacher. 32. 9-14. Harklau, L. (1999). Representing culture in the ESL writing classroom. In E. Hinkel (Ed.),

Culture in second language teaching and learning. (pp. 109-130). New York, Cambridge University Press.

Harklau, L. (2000). From the "Good Kids" to the "Worst": Representations of English Language Learners across Educational Settings. TESOL Quarterly. 34: 35-67.

Harrison, M. (2006a). Developing Keypal Projects in the Japanese University Classroom. National University of Singapore: Reflections on English Language Teaching 4(2005), 141-148. http://www.nus.edu.sg/celc/publications/HarrisonVol5.pdf

Harrison, M. (2006b). Keypal projects in English language classes: What do students really think? In T. Gutierrez (Eds.), Glocalization Through CALL: Bringing People Together (The proceedings of JALTCALL 2005) (pp. 94-99). Nagoya: The JALT CALL SIG.

Harrison, M., Kitao, K. (2005). Keypal friendships and their influences on learner development. In Nozawa, K. & Levy, M. (Eds). CALL-EJ 7(1). http://www.tell.is.ritsumei.ac.jp/callejonline/journal/7-1/Harrison-Kitao.html

“Innovation” (n.d.) Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved February 19th, 2009 fromhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovation

Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.Morita, N. (2000). Discourse socialization through oral classroom activities in a TESOL graduate program. TESOL Quarterly. 34: 279-310.Oda, T. (2008). Negotiating Identities in Class Participation: Experiences of Japanese

Females in  the United States. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania.

IRB Protocol-p 12Ogura, F. (2009). Communicative competence and senior high school oral communication

textbooks in Japan. The Language Teacher. 32. 3-8.Prior, P. A. (1998). Writing/ disciplinarity: A critical introduction. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence

Erlbaum.Spack, R. (1997). The acquisition of academic literacy in second language: A longitudinal case

study. Written Communication. 14: 3-62.Toohey, K. (2000). Learning English at school: Identity, social relations and classroom

practice. Clevedon, England, Multilingual Matters.

IRB Protocol-p 13

Appendix A

RECRUTIMENT: Via email letter to potential participants:

Dear (Name),

I am writing a book chapter for the Journal of Second Language Writing about innovations (new ideas or methods) in the Japanese writing classroom (beyond high school, e.g. college, eikaiwa1, private language studies, etc.). I’m interested in your experiences with what you consider to be innovations in writing teaching and hope you will participate.

Participation will take approximately 1-2 hours of your time between April and August of 2009 and involves you writing about your experiences as a student/instructor who experienced or implemented innovations in English writing coursework (please email your 1-2 page completed response to either Marlen or Tomoko as a.doc or .rtf file). For example, you might discuss a specific activity, class, student, or instructor; experiences either positive or negative implementing or participating in what you personally consider a new writing method; or memorable moments in English writing experiences when you taught or tried something new. Please note that we are only interested in settings beyond high school.

If you are interested, we will guarantee your privacy by changing all names used in your responses and keeping your identity private. Additionally, if you are an instructor, participation may be carried out via email. Likewise, if you are or have been a student of English language writing while in Japan, participation may be carried out via email. Should you desire to meet with the researcher, Ms. Oda will be available to meet with you at your convenience at a mutually agreed upon site; participation may be in English or Japanese.

All participants will be asked to download, print, sign and mail the Informed Consent Form. The form will be posted on the study website, http://writinginnovation.wordpress.com

Please feel free to visit http://WritingInnovation.wordpress.com for additional information including our written proposal for this chapter which includes our purpose, methods, and researcher narratives, or contact us: Marlen m.e.harrison@iup.edu; Tomoko t.oda@iup.edu. Please email us back by May 15th to confirm participation in this exciting project.

Marlen and Tomoko

1 Eikaiwa – Japanese for “English conversation school”, a term widely understood in our target-participant community.

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Appendix BInformed Consent Form

“Innovations in writing curricula in the Japanese post-secondary English language classroom: Instructor and learner perspectives and responses”

The following information is provided in order to help you to make an informed decision whether or not to participate. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. The purpose of this study is to make more transparent a) what instructors actually do to implement writing curricula innovations in the local Japanese context and b) how students respond to such innovations.

The study will examine:1. the lived experiences of learners and instructors involved in English writing settings in

Japan via short written responses.2. the realities of introducing new approaches to English writing curricula in Japan,

specifically.3. how students respond to and apply such learning as potentially transformational and

empowering experiences.

The information gained from this study may help us to better understand the significance of English language writing in the lives of Japanese EFL students and how instructors develop, implement, and troubleshoot new writing curricula.

PARTICIPATION: Participation will take approximately 1-2 hours of your time between April and August of 2009 and involves you writing about your experiences as a student/instructor who experienced or implemented innovations in English writing coursework. For example, you might discuss a specific activity, class, student, or instructor; experiences either positive or negative implementing or participating in what you personally consider a new writing method; or memorable moments in English writing experiences when you taught or tried something new. Please note that we are only interested in settings beyond high school.

If you are interested, we will guarantee your privacy by changing all names used in your responses and keeping your identity private. Additionally, if you are an instructor, participation may be carried out via email. Likewise, if you are or have been a student of English language writing while in Japan, participation may be carried out via email. Should you desire to meet with the researcher, Ms. Oda will be available to meet with you at your convenience at a mutually agreed upon site; participation may be in English, Japanese.

IRB Protocol-p 15All participants will be asked to download, print, sign and mail the Informed Consent Form (please use the address listed on the back of this form). The form will be posted on the study website, http://writinginnovation.wordpress.com.

Please feel free to visit http://WritingInnovation.wordpress.com for additional information including our written proposal for this chapter which includes our purpose, methods, and researcher narratives, or contact us: Marlen m.e.harrison@iup.edu; Tomoko t.oda@iup.edu. Please email us back by May 15th to confirm participation in this exciting project.

Your participation in this study is voluntary. You are free to decide not to participate in this study or to withdraw at any time without adversely affecting your relationship with the researchers and without fear of having your information/identity revealed. If you choose to participate, you may withdraw at any time by notifying the Project Director, Marlen Harrison at m.e.harrison@iup.edu. Upon your request to withdraw, you may also request to have all information pertaining to you destroyed. If you choose to participate, all information will be held in strict confidence and no attempt to reveal your responses and identity to others will be made. Should your participation require translation by a third party, all identifying information will be removed from the text to ensure complete anonymity and privacy. You may choose to use your real name, or you may choose to use an imaginary name. The information obtained in the study will be published in either an academic journal or a book, or presented at scholarly meetings but your identity will be kept strictly confidential and only available to Marlen Harrison and Tomoko Oda. We will not make recordings of our conversations or reveal the contents of our private written correspondence nor will we take photographs. Finally, we will not store, either electronically or in print, documents with your name on them.

Project Director: Mr. Marlen Harrison Project Director: Ms. Tomoko Oda Temporary Faculty, English Graduate Student, English

Email: m.e.harrison@iup.edu t.oda@iup.eduPhone: 561-716-6690 Address: Leonard Hall, Rm 110

Indiana, PA 15705 USA

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nancy Hayward, Professor, IUP (724) 357-2473 nhayward@iup.edu

This project has been approved by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (Phone: 724/357-7730).

VOLUNTARY CONSENT FORM: I have read and understand the information on the form and I consent to volunteer to be a subject in this study. I understand that my responses are completely confidential and that I have the right to withdraw at any time. I have received an unsigned copy of this informed Consent Form to keep in my possession. I understand that I may use a pseudonym or my initials instead of my name.

Name (PLEASE PRINT):____________________Signature:_________________________

Date:________________________ Phone or email:________________________________

IRB Protocol-p 16

Best days and times to reach you:

I certify that I have explained to the above individual the nature and purpose, the potential benefits, and possible risks associated with participating in this research study, have answered any questions that have been raised, and have witnessed the above signature. Date:__________________ Investigator's Signature:______________________________