Help us make this site better, and you could win an iPod Nano!

Join the MIT Education Arcade / iCue Research Study and you could win one of five 4G iPod Video Nanos!*

It's easy – all you have to do is use the program normally, and agree to let our researchers track what you do. We may invite you to fill out a short survey during the study, but this will not be required. Don't worry, we will not be able to see your personal information like your name, birth date, or other information that could identify you. Read the information below before you decide:

ASSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH MIT EDUCATION ARCADE iCUE EVALUATION

My name is Jason Haas, and I'm a researcher at MIT's Education Arcade. You can see more about our work at http://www.educationarcade.org. We are asking you to take part in a research study because we are trying to learn more about the possibilities of videogames and social networks in learning.

If you agree to be in this study, we will be able to see the things you write on the site, and information about what you do on the site, but none of your private, personal information will be available to us.

There are really no risks to be had from our research above and beyond your use of iCue. Your information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone.

By participating in the study, you will allow our researchers to understand the ways that you use iCue. Our study will, in turn, help NBC develop iCue to be an even more compelling educational site.

If you are under 18, please talk this over with your parents before you decide whether or not to participate. We will also ask your parent/guardian to give their permission for you to take part in this study. But even if your parent or guardian says "yes" you can still decide not to do this at any time.

If you don't want to be in this study, you don't have to participate. Remember, being in this study is up to you and no one will be upset if you don't want to participate or even if you change your mind later and want to stop.

You can ask any questions that you have about the study by emailing me at jhaas@mit.edu. You can also call the Chairman of the Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects at M.I.T. at 1-617-253 6787 if you feel you have been treated unfairly.

Checking the box at the bottom of this page means that you agree to be in this study. If you are under 18, we will ask you for an email address for a parent or guardian. They will also have to give their permission for you to participate in the study.

You – or your parents if you are a minor – should read the complete study details below before you agree to participate:

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN NON-BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

MIT EDUCATION ARCADE iCUE EVALUATION

You are asked to participate in a research study conducted by Eric Klopfer Ph.D., Henry Jenkins Ph.D., Jason Haas M.Ed., and Scot Osterweil from the Education Arcade at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). You and/or your child are eligible to participate in this research because of your family's participation in iCue. You should read the information below, and ask questions about anything you do not understand, before deciding whether or not you and/or your child participate - you can contact Jason Haas at jhaas@mit.edu.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL

Your family's participation in this study is completely voluntary and you and your child are free to choose whether to be in it or not. If you and your child choose to be in this study, you may subsequently withdraw from it at any time without penalty or consequences of any kind. The investigator may withdraw you or your child from this research if circumstances arise which warrant doing so.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This study has three major purposes. The first part is a massive, quantitative study of how students are using iCue with respect to preferred activities, frequency of use, scores etc. In addition, we will randomly select a portion of the participants for a more in depth study of how they use the site, performing qualitative investigations into their written participation on the site. Finally, we will look at how a random sample of the "CueCards," the annotatable, trade-able media currency of the site, travel between users. By investigating these aspects of the site, we hope to understand and improve the ways in which iCue and sites like it can create rich learning opportunities that trade on students' new media skills.

PROCEDURES

If you volunteer to participate in this study, we would ask you and your child to simply use the site unself-consciously, as you normally would. We will be anonymously following the actions of the site's users. Occasionally, you and/or your child may be asked to fill out short online surveys but never be required to complete them.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS

There are no expected discomforts or risks associated with this research.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS

By participating in this research and/or allowing your child to participate, you will help researchers at MIT and the staff of iCue to develop a better understanding of the ways in which students and their families can use new media technologies like videogames and social networks for educational purposes. This will create opportunities for improvements to iCue and the emergence of new strategies for engaging youth in their education through media.

PAYMENT FOR PARTICIPATION

Participants will be entered in a drawing for one of five 4G iPod Video Nanos from Apple* (one entry per login, see complete sweepstakes rules here).

CONFIDENTIALITY

Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be identified with you will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission or as required by law.

Your personal information and the personal information of your child will be stored on secure servers maintained by NBC News. MIT researchers will not have access to your names, addresses, or any other personal information. If MIT researchers discover that they require personal information for research purposes, they are required to get your further consent.

IDENTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATORS

If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Jason Haas, M.Ed. at jhaas@mit.edu or Scot Osterweil at scot_o@mit.edu. The principal investigators for this research are Eric Klopfer Ph.D., and Henry Jenkins Ph.D.

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH SUBJECTS

You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies because of your participation in this research study. If you feel you or your child has been treated unfairly, or you have questions regarding your rights as a research subject, you may contact the Chairman of the Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects, M.I.T., Room E25-143B, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, phone 1-617-253 6787.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Void where prohibited. Open only to permanent, legal residents of the United States who are 13 or older. Sweepstakes runs from 5/1/2008 to 1/31/2009. Prize restrictions apply. For full Sweepstakes rules and prize details, go to http://www.icue.com/mitrules.

MIT Education Arcade iCue Sweepstakes – Official Rules

May 1, 2008 – January 31, 2009

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION:

No purchase necessary. Void outside the United States and where prohibited. The MIT Education Arcade iCue Sweepstakes ("Sweepstakes") begins on May 1, 2008 at 12:00 A.M. and ends on December 31, 2008 at 11:59 P.M.] ("Sweepstakes Period"). All times in the Sweepstakes refer to Eastern Time. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received.

TO ENTER:

To enter, access the iCue website at http://www.icue.com and click on the MIT Research icon. Complete and thereafter submit the iCue Registration, which includes your name, email address, and date of birth, (collectively, "Entry Information"), and complete the MIT Research Assent Form. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian will also need to complete the MIT Research Assent Form. Alternatively, you may enter by mailing a 3" by 5" postcard with your Entry Information printed legibly thereon to: MIT Education Arcade iCue Sweepstakes, NBC News Education Initiatives, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112. All entries become the property of NBC News and NBC Universal, Inc. (collectively, "Sponsors"), and will not be acknowledged or returned.

If you agree to participate in the MIT Education Arcade iCue Research Study and you are between the ages of 13 and 17, your parent of guardian must also give you permission to participate in the study (we will ask for a parent or guardian email at the time of entry). The research study will begin on May 1, 2008, and end on July 31, 2009. Study participants simply use iCue as they would normally, and may be asked to complete up to three (3) short surveys over the course of the study. You may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. Withdrawing from the study or failure to complete the surveys will have no impact on your chances of winning the Sweepstakes.

Entries must be received before January 31, 2009, at 11:59 P.M. to be eligible for the Sweepstakes. You may enter once during the Sweepstakes Period, regardless of the method of entry. Multiple entries received from any person or email address beyond this limit will void all such additional entries. Entries generated by a script, macro, or other automated means will be disqualified. Entries that are incomplete, garbled, corrupted, or unintelligible for any reason, including, but not limited to, computer or network malfunction or congestion, are void and will not be accepted. In case of a dispute over the identity of an entrant who made a potentially winning entry, Sponsors reserve the right to deem that the entry was made by the registered subscriber of the email address submitted at the time of entry.

Entrants will have the opportunity to receive information from NBC Universal and selected partners by checking the appropriate box. If, at any time, you no longer wish to receive materials from NBC Universal, please go to our privacy policy, located at http://www.icue.com/privacy, and follow the procedures indicated.

ELIGIBILITY:

Open only to permanent, legal U.S. residents who are physically located in the United States and who are at least thirteen (13) years of age or older as of the start of the Sweepstakes Period. Officers, directors, and employees of Sweepstakes Entities, members of these persons' immediate families (spouses and/or parents, children, and siblings, and their spouses), and/or persons living in the same households as these persons (whether or not related thereto) are not eligible to enter the Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes Entities, as referenced herein, shall include Sponsors, Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc., and Apple Computer, Inc., and their respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliate companies and administrative, advertising, and promotion agencies and any other entity involved in the development, administration, promotion, or implementation of the Sweepstakes.

WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION:

Winner(s) will be selected in a random drawing by employees of Sponsors from all eligible entries on or about February 15, 2009.

Sponsors will make two (2) attempts to notify winner(s) at the email address submitted at the time of entry. Winner (or, if Winner is a minor, his/her parent or legal guardian) may be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility, release of liability, and, except where prohibited, publicity release (collectively, "Sweepstakes Documents") within ten (10) days of such notification. Noncompliance within this time period will result in disqualification, and an alternate winner may be selected from the remaining eligible entries. If winner cannot be reached, if he/she is found to ineligible, if he/she cannot or does not comply with these Official Rules, or if his/her prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, winner will be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected from the remaining eligible entries. Limit one (1) prize per family or household.

PRIZE:

There will be FIVE (5) prizes awarded (collectively, "Prizes"), each consisting of the following: a 4G iPod Video Nano from Apple Computer, Inc.

Estimated Retail Value ("ERV") of Prize is One Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($150). ERV of all Prizes is Seven Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($750). Sponsors will furnish an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 to Winner for the ERV of Prize for the tax year in which Prize was won.

Specifics of Prize will be determined by Sponsors in their sole discretion. Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a similar Prize (or Prize element) of equal or greater value. All taxes and other expenses, costs, or fees associated with the acceptance and/or use of Prize are the sole responsibility of Winner. Prize cannot be transferred by Winner or redeemed for cash and is valid only for the items detailed above, with no substitution of Prize by Winner. If Prize is unclaimed, it will be forfeited, and an alternate Winner may be selected from the remaining eligible entries. If a Prize element is not available for any reason, the remaining elements of Prize shall constitute full satisfaction of Sponsors' Prize obligation to Winner, and no additional compensation will be awarded.

Prizes won by minors will be awarded in the name of their parent or legal guardian.

CONDITIONS:

By entering the Sweepstakes, each entrant agrees for entrant and for entrant's heirs, executors, and administrators (a) to release and hold harmless Sweepstakes Entities and their respective officers, directors, and employees (collectively, "Released Parties") from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from such entrant's participation in the Sweepstakes and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of Prize or any portion thereof; (b) to indemnify Released Parties from any and all liability resulting or arising from the Sweepstakes and to hereby acknowledge that Released Parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to Prize, including express warranties provided exclusively by Prize supplier that are sent along with Prize; (c) if selected as a Winner, to the posting of such entrant's name on http://www.icue.com/MITcontestwinners and the use by Released Parties of such name, voice, image, and/or likeness for publicity, promotional, and advertising purposes without additional compensation, and, upon request, to the giving of consent, in writing, to such use; and (d) to be bound by these Official Rules and to waive any right to claim any ambiguity or error therein or in the Sweepstakes itself, and to be bound by all decisions of the Sponsors, which are binding and final. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in disqualification from the Sweepstakes.

ADDITIONAL TERMS:

Sponsors reserve the right to permanently disqualify from any promotion any person they believe has intentionally violated these Official Rules. Any attempt to deliberately damage the Sweepstakes or the operation thereof is unlawful and subject to legal action by Sponsors, who may seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law. The failure of Sponsors to comply with any provision of these Official Rules due to an act of God, hurricane, war, fire, riot, earthquake, terrorism, act of public enemies, actions of governmental authorities outside of the control of Sponsors (excepting compliance with applicable codes and regulations), or other "force majeure" event will not be considered a breach of these Official Rules. Released Parties assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to entrants' or to any other person's computer relating to or resulting from entering or downloading materials or software in connection with the Sweepstakes. Released Parties are not responsible for telecommunications, network, electronic, technical, or computer failures of any kind; for inaccurate transcription of entry information; for errors in any promotional or marketing materials or in these Official Rules; for any human or electronic error; or for entries that are stolen, misdirected, garbled, delayed, lost, late, damaged, or returned. Sponsors reserve the right to cancel, modify, or suspend the Sweepstakes or any element thereof (including, without limitation, these Official Rules) without notice in any manner and for any reason (including, without limitation, in the event of any unanticipated occurrence that is not fully addressed in these Official Rules). In the event of cancellation, modification, or suspension, Sponsors reserve the right to select Winners in a random drawing from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received at the time of the event warranting such cancellation, modification, or suspension. Notice of such cancellation, modification, or suspension will be posted at http://www.icue.com/MITcontestwinners. Sponsors may prohibit any entrant or potential entrant from participating in the [Contest or Sweepstakes], if such entrant or potential entrant shows a disregard for these Official Rules; acts with an intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other entrant, Sponsors, or Sponsors' agents or representatives; or behaves in any other disruptive manner (as determined by Sponsors in their sole discretion).

DISPUTES:

THE SWEEPSTAKES IS GOVERNED BY, AND WILL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AND THE FORUM AND VENUE FOR ANY DISPUTE SHALL BE IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK. IF THE CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM IS NOT OTHERWISE RESOLVED THROUGH DIRECT DISCUSSIONS OR MEDIATION, IT SHALL THEN BE RESOLVED BY FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION ADMINISTERED BY JUDICIAL ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION SERVICES, INC., IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS STREAMLINED ARBITRATION RULES AND PROCEDURES OR SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS THEREOF ("JAMS RULES"). THE JAMS RULES FOR SELECTION OF AN ARBITRATOR SHALL BE FOLLOWED, EXCEPT THAT THE ARBITRATOR SHALL BE EXPERIENCED AND LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN NEW YORK. ALL PROCEEDINGS BROUGHT PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE COUNTY OF NEW YORK. THE REMEDY FOR ANY CLAIM SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL DAMAGES, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY BE ENTITLED TO RECOVER PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING ATTORNEY'S FEES OR OTHER SUCH RELATED COSTS OF BRINGING A CLAIM, OR TO RESCIND THIS AGREEMENT OR SEEK INJUNCTIVE OR ANY OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT:

For the name(s) of the winner(s), available after February 15, 2009, visit http://www.icue.com/MITcontestwinners, or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to be received by March 31, 2009 to: MIT Education Arcade iCue Sweepstakes, NBC News Education Initiatives, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

Void where prohibited. Open only to permanent, legal residents of the United States who are 13 or older. Sweepstakes runs from 5/1/2008 to 1/31/2009. Prize restrictions apply.