BridgeU Student Research: Information Sheet
To be read by the student participant and the student’s parent/guardian.
Study title
BridgeU Product Development: Student Research (Incentivised)
What is ‘incentivised student research’?
Student research allows us to gather feedback about what students need, and want, from our product. Incentivised research simply means you are being paid for your time.
Why is BridgeU doing this research?
At BridgeU, we’re always looking for ways to improve our product, and the best way to do that is for us to talk directly to our users.
Our most important user-base (we sure hope you’ll agree with us!) is, well, our students! That’s why it’s so important for us to hear from them, so we can make sure we understand their wants, needs, and concerns.
Feedback and opinions from students contributes firsthand to how we improve our product, for both current and future students.
How is BridgeU doing this research?
BridgeU has pre-selected a sample of eligible students, and invited them to participate in a research session.
BridgeU will be using students’ insights to conduct User Research.
This means that we will be analysing student data and comparing it to the data from other students in order to develop our understanding of what students want and need from BridgeU when it comes to careers and university.
What will happen before the research session?
Interested students will first have to complete an eligibility questionnaire, where they will also have to provide their date of birth and may be asked to confirm parental consent.
Next, eligible students will need to confirm their willingness to participate in the study and to confirm they have read the Privacy Notice and accept the Terms and Conditions.
In an unmoderated session such as a survey, students who wish to proceed will then be taken to a third-party service provider to complete the research tasks. For an interview, students who wish to proceed will be invited to book a slot at a time convenient for them.
What will happen during the research session?
Interviews will take place via video calls, where each student will speak with a member of the BridgeU Product team.
The call will be recorded for research and monitoring purposes. Students can turn off their camera if they prefer not to use video, so only audio will be recorded.
Examples of questions students could be asked include:
- When did you begin thinking about your university plans?
- What are some of the resources you are using to research universities?
- Has anyone else been involved in your university research process so far?
Students may also be asked to participate in ‘solution validation’ or ‘usability testing’ (put simply, that just means they’ll be asked to help us test and troubleshoot parts of our product and to share their feedback with us). This could include activities like:
- Virtually interacting with a prototyped concept
- Using a beta/pre-release version of a new feature
- Sharing their screen (if they feel comfortable doing so) to show our BridgeU team member how they use certain parts of the BridgeU platform
Similar questions may be asked in surveys or other types of unmoderated sessions, where students are taken to a third-party service provider to complete the research tasks.
How will BridgeU store the student data it collects?
Calls will be recorded for research and monitoring purposes. Recordings will not be shared outside of BridgeU, and will be deleted after 3 years, to improve our product and enhance your user experience throughout your user journey at BridgeU. You can turn off your camera if you prefer not to use video, so only your audio will be recorded.
BridgeU will not share individual or personal information gathered during research sessions. Any collected data will be analysed and only shared as anonymised insights with BridgeU staff to guide our product development.
You can learn more about how we keep student data safe in this Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.
How will students be paid if they choose to participate?
Students who complete an interview will be offered a gift voucher, for example an Amazon voucher. Students will receive the voucher via email after successfully completing the research session.
Students who complete an unmoderated session such as a survey, will be offered either a gift voucher or other types of rewards, which could include entering a prize draw for a physical reward, or points that can be accumulated and used to redeem vouchers or physical rewards.
Are there any other advantages to taking part?
Alongside the voucher, students can also add the experience to their CV: they get to be a part of the product development of a tech company.
What if a student changes their mind about participating?
Participation is optional at every stage, including during and after the research session. To withdraw your consent, please contact us via email to hi@bridge-u.com. Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your information for the purpose or purposes you originally agreed to.
Will counsellors/advisors (or any other third party) know what a student has said during the research session?
No. Research sessions are confidential and the collected data only viewable by BridgeU personnel.
If students or parents/guardians have any further questions, who can they contact?
Please contact hi@bridge-u.com and a member of the BridgeU team will be very happy to answer any further questions about this research initiative. Students or parents/guardians can also speak with their school counsellor/advisor to learn more about BridgeU at their school.
What if students or parents/guardians have complaints about the research process?
We take concerns and complaints very seriously. Please contact hi@bridge-u.com and a member of the BridgeU leadership team will be very happy to hear your feedback and take appropriate action.