I started my work on 6th October. I was introduced to the staff and structure of the Reading Research Centre. Meetings are held online, and I met my mentor, Prof Petscher, online on 11th October. He talked more to make me comfortable and get settled. I started talking about my work in my usual anxiety, and he gave his views. He asked me to visit the university website and learn about procedures like the IRB!!
It was something very new to me. I met with a research support staff member, Sarah, virtually on the 14th, and she explained IRB elaborately. All these meetings are planned, scheduled, and conducted with the administrative support of Greg Hutchins. I was introduced to the Institute Review Board (IRB), where I had to submit my proposal and get approval to conduct the study. I can’t submit it in my style; I had to do it in their fixed format. The format itself was 17 pages!!
I almost fainted when I saw the format for the first time. It is a very rigorous process. I filled in the format and prepared all the required enclosures to fulfil the formality. An online human subject protection (HSP) course is compulsory to get through the IRB. The HSP certificate has to be uploaded to the IRB portal as a mandatory step. I enrolled on the online course and started reading the modules.
It was interesting, though bulky. One must get 80% to get through the online course and apply to IRB. I had no option but to make it happen. Out of the 15 compulsory modules, I started taking one per day, which is hectic, but I rose to the challenge of completing it as soon as possible to start grounded research.
The content in the HSP course is very well organized into modules. It is in text and video format. We can choose the style we prefer. I did both to get the best of both. After completing each module, there was an assessment before going to the next. The questions are so well prepared that they assess the outcomes precisely. Once we complete the quiz, we will be taken to the automatic grading procedure. The right/wrong answers are discussed. If you get less than 80%, there is a chance to review it. You can go through the modules once again and retake the assessment. The questions will be different next time!! I wonder how they prepare these modules. Reading, taking assessments, re-reading, and improving your score at your own pace is self-motivating. I also noted this as a way to be introduced to the MOOCs and online assessment I will prepare once back In India.

I understood one hard-core truth. You should be very good with language, reading and comprehension. When we identify children with specific language impairments in schools, we should guide them into professions that don’t require reading prints and oral and written comprehension. Reading the modules, listening to the modules, and taking the assessment all require excellent control over language. As we are not native English speakers, I had to read and re-read to understand the depth of knowledge embedded in the content. Many examples, case illustrations, and videos are included to make the modules exciting and help comprehension. Still, I think the language load is overwhelming to those who are not linguistically intelligent, as per Harvard Gardner, and as a teacher of Inclusive Education, I made notes to deliver these points to my students before they go for internship. I have collected the modules in text form in Word files by copying and pasting. I am unable to download the videos, though. I also copied one or two assessment examples out of the fifteen modules I completed, to share with my collegues and students to appreciate the standard of the modules and the assessment. I scored 100% in seven modules and 80% in seven. In one module, I scored 60%, and overall, as ot is above 80%, I am eligible for the certificate. Now, I am relieved that I am eligible to apply to IRB. It was a tedious process and a demanding journey.
Along with the IRB format, all the tools proposed to be used in the study, the letter to the schools for permission, and the informed consent form for the participants must be enclosed for the review committee. I worked on them, too, with the help of my mentors and friends. The language, the content, the clarity and the adequacy of the information will all be reviewed by the board before giving approval to carry out the study.
Ultimately, the University intention is to make research highly ethical no where no research participant would be harmed physically, socially, economically, or psychologically. Privacy and confidentiality were highly regarded. The participants’ autonomy is respected. I learned through this procedure that I shall always preserve that “Nothing is and nobody can be taken for granted”. The HSP report certificate gets automatically generated upon course completion. The report certificate must be uploaded to the IRB portal to complete the procedure. IRB review report is very elaborate running to three pages that we have to keep safe during the time of conducting the study.
I started understanding the socio-cultural and academic environment here and adapting to it. Every time I got adjusted to a new situation there was a feeling of empowerment from within. That is such a enjoyable journey!! The happiness is beyond measure and beyond expression. It is a learning opportunity to expand the horizon of knowledge beyond the boundary.
I troubled Hugh, Yaacov, John and Srimani at different stages of filling up the IRB format, preparing the required letters and tools that had to get uploaded with the format. Sarah and Greg were of great help too.