Online course on emotional wellbeing for university students

About the project

You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish before taking part. Contact us for more information.

What is the project's purpose?

We would like to refine the contents and delivery of the FLY online wellbeing course for University students. We would like to start at the beginning and find out what challenges student are experiencing that are impacting on their emotional wellbeing and get you to design your ideal support tools.

The purpose of this workshop is to find out the major challenges you face day-to-day and find out how you currently manage your emotional health. We think that if we can create a digital online resource that you can interact with 24 hours a day, on any day, it may be helpful in encouraging you to better self-manage your wellbeing and help you find the right support. But we also need to know if this is something that you would like to see us developing. We only want to create solutions to problems that exist and that people find acceptable.

We have planned a workshop to help redesign the FLY online course and make sure it is acceptable to all people who may use it. In total we would like 8–10 students to take part in the workshop.

Why have I been chosen?

You are being asked to take part because you enrolled onto the FLY course and so we hope you have an interest in this area.

Do I have to take part?

No. It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part you will keep this information and you will complete this application process. If you decide to take part, you are still free to withdraw at any time and without giving a reason. Email k.a.easton@sheffield.ac.uk to let her know and she can remove you from the list of potential participants.

What will happen to me if I take part?

You will complete a very brief application form and contacted via email if you are selected to take part. If you are not selected it is because we may have received a large number of applications. Applicants will be selected to represent a range of age, gender, ethnic backgrounds and home/international students. The workshops will be held at the University of Sheffield at the Innovation Centre.

When you come to the workshop you will sign a form which shows you understand what the project is about. The workshop will be five hours long and you will take part in different conversations about being a student and the system we hope to redesign. We will provide refreshments and lunch.

What do I have to do?

If you fill in the application then just wait for the researcher to email you. You will hear either way if you are selected or not.

What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?

We do not anticipate any risks or disadvantages in taking part. You do not have to speak or contribute to the workshop if you do not feel comfortable doing so. The research aims to understand if the FLY idea will be useful, but you should only speak about things if you feel comfortable. We ask all participants to treat the discussion as confidential.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

The benefits of taking part are that anything that gets a person more engaged in their emotional wellbeing is likely to help that person emotionally. You may find that sharing your thoughts in a group of people is a positive experience for you. You will be helping us to create something that we hope will be of great benefit in the future for many other people, which means you could be making a positive contribution to science and healthcare. You will receive a £10 Amazon voucher as a thank you for your support of this work.

What if something goes wrong?

If you should wish to raise a complaint about the conduct of any of the researchers then please contact Professor Jon Brazier, Dean of the School of Health and Related Research, via email j.e.brazier@sheffield.ac.uk or call +44 114 222 0726 .

Will my taking part in this project be kept confidential?

Yes, to a degree. In the workshops we will all be sharing our name and information about ourselves. Only share what you feel comfortable with. We will be recording the workshops on a digital camera. Please tell us if you do not want your image used on our CATCH website for the project. No one's name or details will be given out anywhere and all reports will be anonymous.

Will I be recorded, and how will the recorded media be used?

We will digitally record the workshops. Once we have taken all the information we need from the recordings will store them securely at the University on a secure drive. Only images that we have consent to use will appear on our website. We keep all data for five years on this drive to support the publication process.

What will happen to the results of the research project?

We will use the findings from the workshop to help us develop the FLY. We will publish the findings from this work in an international journal and try and secure more funding to test the system and find out if it can effectively help people manage their emotional health.

Who is organising and funding the research?

The research is a collaboration between the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) and the University Counselling Service.

Who has ethically reviewed the project?

The project has been reviewed by the University of Sheffield and has been given favourable ethics approval.

Further information

Contact Dr Katherine Easton.

Telephone: +44 7969 846 886

Email: k.a.easton@sheffield.ac.uk

School of Health and Related Research
The University of Sheffield
The Innovation Centre
217 Portobello
Sheffield
S1 4DP