WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Human Subjects Institutional Review Board
APPLICATION FOR PROJECT REVIEW
I. REQUIRED HUMAN SUBJECTS WEB-BASED TRAINING AT www.citiprogram.org must be
completed before HSIRB can approve this protocol.
II. PROJECT TITLE: Experiencing Shakespeare: Creative Engagement with
Shakespeare in the Classroom
III. INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION
WMU INVESTIGATORS
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR OR ADVISOR
Name: Allen Webb
Department: English Title: Select one
Degree Attained: PhD
Email Address: [email protected]
Street or Campus Address:
City: Kalamazoo
State: MI
ZIP: ????
??
Office Phone: ????????????????
??
Home Phone: ????????????????????
Human Subjects web training at www.citiprogram.org completed: Select one
CO-PRINCIPAL OR STUDENT INVESTIGATOR
Name: Joseph Haughey
Department: English Title: Select one
Degree Attained: BA??English
Email Address: [email protected]
Street or Campus Address: ??
??N??Palm??Drive??F??????
City: Blythe
State: CA
ZIP: ??????????
Office Phone: ????
??????????????
Home Phone: ????
??????????????
Human Subjects web training at www.citiprogram.org completed: Select one
Status and level of involvement of student investigator:
Undergraduate
Master level
Doctoral level
Assisting
Thesis
Dissertation
Other (please specify):
CO-PRINCIPAL OR STUDENT INVESTIGATOR
Name:
Department:
Degree Attained:
Email Address:
Street or Campus Address:
City:
State:
Title: Select one
ZIP:
Office Phone:
Home Phone:
Human Subjects web training at www.citiprogram.org completed: Select one
Status and level of involvement of student investigator:
Undergraduate
Master level
Doctoral level
Assisting
Thesis
Dissertation
Other (please specify):
If there are more WMU investigators, please complete the “Additional WMU Investigators” form
COLLABORATING INVESTIGATORS AND AFFILIATIONS
Name:
Affiliation:
Name:
Affiliation:
Name:
Affiliation:
IV. PROPOSED PROJECT DURATION:
From (mm/dd/yy): ??
??
??
To (mm/dd/yy): ??
??
??
(date following anticipated approval)
(maximum one year later)
V. TARGETED PARTICIPANT POOL
Total number of subjects: ??
Number of subjects in the control group:
Age range (lower limit – upper limit, e.g., 18-99): ????????
Gender: Select one
Targeted Race/Ethnicity: Select one
Inclusionary criteria:
Secondary??School??Students??in??the??Palo??Verde??Unified??School??District??in??Blythe??Calif
ornia
Exclusionary criteria: none
Source of participants:
Mr??HaugheyFriday, July 28, 2017s??Students??at??Blythe??Midlle??School??in??Blythe??California
Length of participation (x min/session, y sessions, over z months):
Regular??participation??in??classroom??lessons??over??the??course??of??the??school??year??the??e
mphasis??being??placed??on??a??single??fourweek??unit
Targeted Participants in Special Consideration Categories: (Check all that apply.)
None
Military personnel
Children (age range: ????????)
Wards
Cognitively impaired persons
Institutionalized individuals
Prisoners
Non-English speaking individuals
Pregnant or lactating women
Students
Blind individuals
Other subjects whose life circumstances may interfere with their ability to make free choice in
consenting to take part in research (please specify):
VI.
FUNDING
Funding source: None
Select one
WMU proposal number for funded project:
Date of submission to funding agency:
VII. RESEARCH SITE(S)
Site(s) and organizations involved in data collection and/or research activity:
WMU??Blythe??Middle??School
Letters of approval from project site officials: Select one
VIII. Protocol Outline
Prepare and attach a proposal that follows the outline below. NUMBER YOUR PAGES. Do not submit your
thesis or dissertation proposal, grant application, etc. Please review your proposal and mark each box below
with a  following review of that section.
ABSTRACT: One page maximum.
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
SUBJECT RECRUITMENT: Describe in detail how you intend to contact and recruit participants.
Attach all written advertisements, posters and oral recruitment scripts.
INFORMED CONSENT PROCESS: Describe the process by which informed consent will be obtained.
If the participant is a child or mentally challenged, explain how the parent(s)/guardian(s) will be contacted
for consent and how the researcher will insure that the participant understands and assents to the research.
RESEARCH PROCEDURE: (including what exactly subjects will do as part of the study), Method of data
collection, Instrumentation, Location of data collection, and Duration of the study.
METHODOLOGY: Design, Analysis, and Dissemination (e.g., thesis, dissertation, peer-reviewed journal,
presentation).
RISKS AND COSTS TO AND PROTECTIONS FOR SUBJECTS: Describe the nature and likelihood
of possible risks (e.g., physical, psychological, social, economic) so far as they are known. Risks include
mild discomforts, inconveniences, and potential for disclosure of sensitive information. Describe measures
to be taken to protect subjects from possible risks or discomforts.
BENEFITS OF RESEARCH: Briefly describe the expected or known benefits of the research. Indicate
benefits specific to the research participant, longer term or more general benefits, and benefits to the
knowledge base.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA: Describe precautions to ensure the privacy of subjects and
confidentiality of information. Be explicit if data are sensitive. Describe coding procedures for subject
identification. Include the method, location and duration of data retention. (Federal regulations require
data to be maintained for at least 3 years. Your professional society may require you to keep it longer.)
APPENDICES: Attach questionnaires, interview scripts, and data collection instruments, etc. Attach
coding sheets for video- or audio-tapes and other data collection procedures. Attach a copy of all
consent/assent documents, including non-English and Braille translations, if applicable.
IX. CONSENT DOCUMENT DEVELOPMENT CHECKLIST
The following information must be included in the consent documents. Mark () each of the requirements
you have included. Omitted information must be justified on a separate sheet of paper. Sample consent
documents are posted on the HSIRB WebPage under Consent/Assent Document Development.
GUIDELINES
Leave a minimum top margin of 2 inches on all pages. Submit the final version of the consent document without headers such
as “Draft” or “Appendix___.”
Language in the form of an invitation to participate AND at a reading level appropriate for the participants (Note that the mean
reading level in the United States is 6th grade.)
Do not include phrases like “I am aware” or "I understand" anywhere in the document.
Do not include language that would absolve the researcher of responsibility for negligence
REQUIRED COMPONENTS
A header that includes “Western Michigan University, Department of __________” (if departmental letterhead is not used),
Principal Investigator: (name) , Student Investigator: (name(s)) , and title of the study.
The nature, purpose, and duration of the study
Procedures to be employed in the research; exactly what the subject is expected to do
Risks (hazards, inconveniences, discomforts) the subject may undergo, so far as they are known, and how any risks will be
minimized
Benefits to the subject (and to the general subject population)
Conditions of participation
How confidentiality will be maintained and any limits to confidentiality
Statement that the participant can refuse to participate; stop participating at any time; or refuse to answer any question without
prejudice, penalty, or risk of any loss of service he/she would otherwise have
The researchers’ names and telephone numbers (including the faculty advisor) as well as the following statement: “You may
also contact the Chair, Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (387-8293) or the Vice President for Research (387-8298) if
questions or problems arise during the course of the study.”
A place for date and signature of participant and a witness line, if required (e.g., with subjects who are not legally competent); a
place for date and signature of translator, if applicable; a place for date and signature (or initials) of individual obtaining the
consent, if applicable
The following statement must be included in all consents: “This consent document has been approved for use for one year by
the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB) as indicated by the stamped date and signature of the board chair in
the upper right corner. Do not participate in this study if the stamped date is older than one year.”
The following are only to be included if appropriate:
If there is physical activity or a possibility of physical injury, include the statement: “As in all research, there may be unforeseen
risks to the participant. If an accidental injury occurs, appropriate emergency measures will be taken; however, no
compensation or additional treatment will be made available to you except as otherwise stated in this consent form.”
Any available compensation or additional treatment should then be specified, if appropriate.
If the research is therapeutically related, disclose alternate procedures the subject might choose.
Any significant new findings affecting risks will be promptly reported to the participant.
Circumstances under which the researcher may terminate the subject’s participation
Any additional costs the participant may have to bear
Consequences of the participant’s withdrawal from the study
The approximate number of participants in the study
Debriefing procedures
X. LEVEL OF REVIEW
Administrative or Expedited: This project does not require a full board review because it meets
at least one of the following criteria: Select best description
Forward the original application to the office of the research compliance coordinator,
251W Walwood Hall.

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Full: Forward original application plus 15 copies to the office of the research compliance
coordinator, 251W Walwood Hall.
If blood products are involved, you must complete and attach the HSIRB collection of blood and
blood products form.
Your application must be in the research office by 5:00 pm on the first Wednesday of the month in
order to be reviewed at the board meeting on the third Wednesday of that month.
XI. CERTIFICATION/SIGNATURE
I certify that the information contained in this HSIRB application and all attachments is true and
correct. I certify that I have received approval to conduct this research from all persons named as
collaborators and from officials of the project sites. If the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board
approves this proposal, I agree to conduct the research according to the approved protocol. I agree not
to implement any changes in the protocol until such changes have been approved by HSIRB. If, during
the course of the research, unanticipated risks or harm to subjects are discovered, I will report them to
HSIRB immediately.
_____________________________________________
Principal Investigator/Faculty Advisor Signature
________________
Date
______________________________________________
Co-Principal or Student Investigator Signature
________________
Date
______________________________________________
Co-Principal or Student Investigator Signature
________________
Date
______________________________________________
Co-Principal or Student Investigator Signature
________________
Date
ABSTRACT: This qualitative study will introduce eighth grade English students at Blythe Middle
School (in Blythe, California) to William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream through a careful
exploration of visual art inspired from the play. Students will speak, write, and create their own art
projects, and their experiences and example work will be included as anecdotal evidence in a National
Conference for Teachers of English (NCTE) presentation and also in my dissertation writing towards
my doctorate in English Education through the English department at WMU.
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND INFORMATION: As Shakespeare pedagogical practice over the past
several years has embraced incorporating performance-based approaches (teaching the plays as scripts
to be performed) alongside more traditional reading-based approaches (teaching the plays as texts to be
read), students are increasingly experiencing plays more and more as actors, directors, costume
designers, and other theater professionals. Such considerations – made possible by experiencing the
plays through the lens of dramatic art – are revolutionizing how teachers and students think about the
plays.
There is also an established tradition of creative engagement with Shakespeare's plays, though, through
visual art that oftentimes remains overlooked in English classrooms. Many visual artists – from line
artists like Arthur Rackham to painters such as Henry Fuseli, Benjamin West and others – have
transformed Shakespeare's imagery into their own on the canvas; Shakespeare's plays have been turned
into drawings, paintings, children's picture books, comic books, and a host of other graphical art
forms. These rich works of art, much like a critical essay or a performance, offer a glimpse into how
their respective artists read the plays. And analyzing these paintings and drawings, much like reading a
critical essay or attending a performance, offer students rich opportunities to gain new perspective into
another dimension of literary interpretation.
Alongside exploring what others have done, students can also join in this long creative tradition and
create their own visual art projects. Transforming Shakespeare’s imagery into their own paintings,
drawings, and sketches requires a deep engagement with and careful reading of Shakespeare’s script,
much like a traditional essay or performance project calls for. Many students, talented in sketching and
visual art, have limited, if any, opportunity for demonstrating such ability in the English classroom;
visual arts projects offer another dimension for reaching visual and kinesthetic learners in the English
classroom. Further, synthesizing and evaluating the plays, important higher order thinking skills,
encourage deeper, more insightful experiences with the plays.
SUBJECT RECRUITMENT: Subjects will be students from Blythe Middle School enrolled in
Language Arts classes with Mr. Joseph Haughey.
INFORMED CONSENT PROCESS: The researcher will take care to fulfill all the requirement of
Western Michigan University’s Human Subject Review Board (HSRB). Students will be told in class
about my research and writing and will be invited to have their experiences and work included in my
writing. I will also send a letter home with students that outlines the project informally and asks for
both parent and student consent to participate in the project. I will make it clear to students in class and
to parents in the letter that students will NOT be penalized for choosing to not have their experiences
included in my work. Parents and students will be notified (told in class and in the consent document)
that they may withdraw their permission at any time during or after the study as well.
RESEARCH PROCEDURE: Students will participate in regular classroom activities just as they
would were this not a research project. The research element of the unit will not affect students or
daily classroom practices. I can submit detailed lesson plans and writing prompts upon request.
METHODOLOGY: Students will be participating in regular classroom activities. Following the unit,
I will prepare a presentation for the NCTE Fall conference in November. Following that conference, I
will then re-draft my writing for inclusion in my dissertation.
RISKS AND COSTS TO AND PROTECTIONS FOR SUBJECTS: There are no known
risks/discomforts associated with participating in this study.
BENEFITS OF RESEARCH: Sharing my presentation and ideas will benefit other teachers and
future students because it will offer differentiated approaches based on visual learning styles that will
help more teachers and students be successful in teaching and learning about Shakespeare.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF DATA: Students mentioned in my writing will be given pseudonyms to
maintain their confidentiality. Should any experience or artwork in the classroom indicate a specific
student's identity, I will adapt that information in my writing so that student confidentiality will be
maintained. All original student work will be returned to the students. Any copies of work that I make
will be stored in a locked filing cabinet in my classroom.
APPENDICES: Attached is the parent letter that I will send home with students prior to the unit.
Dear Parents and Students,
I am writing to you today to ask your permission to present a talk later in the year on our class's
work, and also eventually to include the experiences in the writing of my dissertation towards my
doctoral degree through Western Michigan University. At Back to School Night, I shared some of my
enthusiasm for teaching Shakespeare and particularly his most magical play, A Midsummer Night's
Dream. This is my favorite of all of Shakespeare's plays, and I'm very excited to have the opportunity
to share it with my students. I've taught the play several times in the past, but am particularly excited
about this round of teaching the play because I am using a slightly different approach than I've used in
the past.
Early in the year, back in winter, I spent several weeks preparing a new unit plan for the play
based on using visual art as a mechanism for “seeing” the play. As part of my readings, I had found a
great deal of paintings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries inspired from several of
Shakespeare's plays, particularly A Midsummer Night's Dream. That got me thinking a bit about that
particular play and its relationship to art over the centuries, and gave me some insight into a new way
to teach the play. I really wanted to be able to share with my students what I had learned about the play
and about art from my readings. I spent several weeks doing further research, and put together a unit
that explores the play in the context of those paintings, examining how these artists (and those from
other centuries too) commented on the play much as a scholarly critic might write an essay about the
play. I think it is important that students are exposed to a wide variety of responses to literature, and
that exposure to such paintings can help broaden their understanding of the play and its contexts.
I am extremely excited now to have the opportunity to teach this unit to my students. I am so
excited, in fact, that I am planning to write a paper following the unit and present my ideas to other
English teachers in November at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) conference in
San Antonio. Following that presentation, I plan to develop my writing further and eventually publish
some of my experiences with this unit as part of my dissertation. I'd like to include references to our
class's experiences in the presentation and writing, and also to include examples of student work in
both the presentation and later writing.
Student confidentiality, though, will be maintained. I will change any names that I mention in
the presentation or writing, and make certain that nothing in my work could potentially identify any
student. Individual student identities will remain entirely confidential. Ensuring the confidentiality of
data is the norm in research. Student names will not be used in the dissertation dissemination process.
If I have your permission to include your students' classroom experiences and examples in my
work, please sign and return this letter as soon as possible. Students will NOT be penalized if you
choose not to give this permission. If a student or parent chooses not to give this permission, students
will still do the same work in class, as they would normally, but I will not include those experiences or
examples in my later work. Further, if a parent or student gives this permission and then changes his or
her mind, that parent or student may withdraw this permission at any time during or after the study.
Should this happen, simply let me know and I will not include your students' classroom experiences
and examples in my work; students will NOT be penalized in any way should they choose later to
withdraw this permission.
If you have any questions about this study, please contact me, Joseph Haughey, at (760) 9218258 (home) or (760) 636-8329 (cell) or via email at [email protected]. You may also
contact the Chair of The Western Michigan University Human Subjects Institutional Review Board at
(269) 387-8293 or via email at [email protected], or the Vice President for Research at Western
Michigan University at (269) 387-8298 if any questions or issues arise during the course of the study.
This consent document has been approved for use by the researcher for one year by the Human
Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB) as indicated by the stamped date and signature of the
board chair in the upper right corner. Do not participate in the study if the stamped date is older than
one year.
Best,
Joseph Haughey
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Parent/Guardian
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Student
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Date
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Date