Greetings

You are invited to participate in a research study with graduate students, Courtney Kuntz and Kara Flando, affiliated with The University of Tampa. This research study aims to understand the motivations behind college students’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic and personal contexts. Your responses will help improve instructional design and support services related to AI in higher education.

Procedures
If you agree to participate, you will complete a brief online survey containing 18 items. The survey will take approximately 10–15 minutes and includes multiple-choice, rating scale, and open-ended questions. If you choose, there are additional interviews being conducted following the survey that are completely optional. The interviews will be conducted via Zoom or in-person. The Zoom interviews will take place in a private, quiet environment for no longer than 30 minutes. The researcher will ask 7 open-ended questions during the interview. The in-person interviews will take place on The University of Tampa campus in a private, quiet environment for no longer than 30 minutes. The Zoom and in-person interview will be voluntarily recorded with participant permission. The zoom meeting will be voluntarily recorded with participant permission.

Voluntary Participation
Your participation is entirely voluntary. You may choose not to answer any question and can withdraw from the survey at any time without penalty. For any questions, contact Courtney Kuntz at courtney.kuntz@spartans.ut.edu, Kara Flando at kara.flando@spartans.ut.edu , or Dr. Minkyoung Kim at mkim@ut.edu. You also may contact the University of Tampa International Review Board, irb@ut.edu should there be further questions or should you experience undesirable consequences from participating.

Risks and Benefits
There are no known risks associated with this study. While you may not receive direct benefits, your insights will contribute to a better understanding of how AI tools support student learning at The University of Tampa. 

Confidentiality
Your responses will be anonymous and stored securely. No personally identifiable information will be collected other than an email address should you choose to share that as your contact information for additional interviewing purposes. Data will be used solely for research purposes and may be presented in academic publications or presentations in aggregate form.

Consent
By clicking "Next” and beginning the survey, you acknowledge that:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You have read and understood the information above.
• You voluntarily agree to participate in this study.

Thank you for participating in this study on college students’ motivations for using AI resources.

This research aims to explore how and why students engage with AI tools in academic and personal contexts. By analyzing patterns of use, perceived benefits and motivations, we hope to inform the development of more inclusive and effective instructional design strategies—especially within higher education settings.

Your responses will contribute to a broader understanding of how AI technologies impact learning, motivation, and decision-making among college students. No identifying information has been collected unless you have opted to voluntarily give your email for further interviewing. All data will be analyzed in confidential environments.

If you have questions about the study, would like to withdraw your data, or are interested in receiving a summary of the findings, please contact:

Principal Investigator: Courtney Kuntz (courtney.kuntz@spartans.ut.edu)

Co-Investigators: Kara Flando (kara.flando@spartans.ut.edu)

Minkyoung Kim (mkim@ut.edu)

You may contact the University of Tampa International Review Board, irb@ut.edu should there be further questions or should you experience undesirable consequences from participating. 

Thank you again for your valuable contribution to this research.