Student Well-Being and Learning on Laptops (SWeLL) - Round 2

Study Objectives and Procedure: The digital workplace and the role of knowledge work in university studies are still poorly understood. The aim of this study is to identify general patterns of digital device use in everyday student life based on anonymized behavioral data. To do so, we ask you to install the software PersonalAnalytics (PA)—developed at the University of Zurich—on your primary work device. 

What does PA do? PersonalAnalytics records app usage data (e.g., start and end times, app names, but no content), aggregated input data (such as keystroke and mouse activity counts, with no keylogging), and brief, periodic well-being check-ins. All collected data are stored exclusively on your device and are visible only to you.

Surveys: Around week 4 and week 10, we will send you two short questionnaires in which we ask about your study experience, family background, and digital device use.

Data Donation: Upon completing the surveys, you will have the option to donate your anonymized data for research purposes. Participation and data donation are entirely voluntary, and your anonymity is guaranteed at all times.

Your Benefits: By participating, you contribute to ethically responsible foundational research at the University of Zurich. For each data donation and completed survey, you receive 2 and 4 entries, respectively, for a raffle of 60 gift cards worth 50 CHF each. After the study has concluded, if you have donated one set of data, you will also receive the full version of our UZH-developed software to support mindful and effective digital device use during your studies. Thank you!

Onboarding-Survey

This link redirects to Qualtrics, where we will ask you to provide us with your Email-Address so that we can contact you and provide instructions for how to install PersonalAnalytics on your work device. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us, e.g., at swell@d2usp.ch, or in person here.

Data Protection: Personal information is collected anonymously, and all gathered data will be securely stored on encrypted servers at the University of Zurich. Participants can decide at any time which data they wish to provide for scientific purposes. All donated data is safeguarded in password-protected storage. Identifiable data will be retained for a maximum of one year before being anonymized or deleted. Collected data will be exclusively used for research purposes. It is intended to make an anonymized version of the dataset openly accessible for research (Open Data Science).

Voluntary Participation: You may end your participation at any time without providing a reason. Additionally, you can request the deletion of your data retrospectively at any time by providing the pseudonym created at the start of the study. Please contact us (here) for this purpose. Your decision not to participate in the study or to request deletion of your data will be treated confidentially and will have no negative consequences for you.