You have been sent the link to this page if you have contacted Dr. Jordan and been accepted as either a volunteer or a independent studies/thesis student in the VPA Lab.
Before you can be a student or volunteer in the lab, you must complete two sets of on-line training modules. These are self-guided on-line modules that can be completed at your own pace and at a time that suits you. However, you will not be allowed to run participants until you have completed ethics training and supplied the certificate of completion to Dr. Jordan. You will be granted physical access to the lab space once you have completed the required health and safety training. For details of both sets of training, please read on! Make sure that you keep the certificates you receive at the end of the training as you will need to submit them as proof of completion. If you have any questions you can ask Dr. Jordan (jordanh@uoguelph.ca).
Learning to use the desk-mounted eye tracker
If you are just starting in the lab and are involved in a project that uses eye-tracking, you will probably be using the lab’s Eyelink 1000 Plus. This is our newest and most user-friendly eye tracker, but remember the first golden rule that it is easier to replace students than equipment. It is important that you learn to use the equipment properly so that you can collect usable data without damaging the equipment and while giving the participant the best possible experience. To this end you need to:
1. Watch the manufacturer’s video about how to set-up a participant. The link is here. You will probably find it useful to return and re-watch the video from time to time as you gain experience.
2. Watch and learn from the student you are assigned to work with as they have more experience with our specific set-up.
3. Ask questions and ask for help! If you are not sure of anything, or something unexpected happens, please ask for advice and help rather than trying to work it out yourself. You can and should ask the student you are working with, Dr. Jordan or Coleman (in that order) if you need any help. It saves time in the long run as pressing random buttons usually causes more problems.
1. Ethics Training
The most important is the Tri-Council Course on Research Ethics (CORE) which is self-guided but takes 2-3 hours to complete and is pretty boring. The link to the tutorial is here: : https://tcps2core.ca/welcome
“Students are advised to register using their @mail.uoguelph.ca or @guelphhumber.ca email address, list the University of Guelph or the University of Guelph-Humber as their institution, and keep a digital copy of the certificate of completion that is provided. The training need only be taken once but the certificate should be kept as a record for all future research projects as needed.” (Source UoG Research Ethics Board)
Once you have completed the training, send the certificate to Dr. Jordan (jordanh@uoguelph.ca) who will submit it to the REB so you have approval to run participants. You can’t run participants in the lab until it is submitted to the REB and approved.
2. Safety Training
In the College of Biological Science, there are five* online mandatory modules that must be completed in advance of someone working, volunteering, or participating in a lab in any way. These courses are available online through the EHS training site (link: https://www.uoguelph.ca/hr/hr-services-environmental-health-safety-training/course-registration ) and everyone has the ability to self-register. The certificates of completion need to be compiled into a single document, attached to an e-mail and sent to [someone in HK and I will confirm who that is] (????@uoguelph.ca) in the HHNS departmental office, and cc jordanh@uoguelph.ca. Ensure that explain that (1) you are joining Dean Fallah’s lab and (2) that you don’t need any keys.
Once you have the ok from TBD, Dr. Jordan will send your name and the number on your student card to the e-card access office and you will be able to open the electronic lock on the lab door.
The five mandatory modules are:
- Laboratory Safety
- EHS BioSafety
- WHIMS
- EHS Worker Health and Safety Awareness
- Principles of Belonging (found on CourseLink under resources)
*these modules are in addition to any lab specific training that may also be required.
Volunteers Policy | Human Resources (uoguelph.ca)
Please note item #7
3. Lab-specific Training
Last but not least Dr. Jordan will need to have a conversation with you about the location of fire exits and the first aid kit and get you to sign a form to that effect.
4.
And really finally, you should also note that participants may provide their contact information to the lab but you absolutely must NOT use it for any reason including contacting them!!! Dr. Jordan is the only person approved by REB to use participant’s contact information. If you break this rule, the lab can have REB approval to conduct research pulled and we will not be able to continue our work