Research and your data

ChronoForge is a learning research project of VIABLE Lab. We study how playing a decision, and then comparing it with what really happened, helps people learn. To do that we keep a record of what learners do in ChronoForge. This page says what is recorded, who can see it, and how it is used.

What is recorded

What you do in a story: The leads you follow, the questions you ask characters, your answers to work-it-out questions (and each try), the option or your own move at each decision, how sure you said you were, rewinds, and how long each chapter took.
What you write afterwards: Your reflections, the coach's reply, and the short questionnaire at the end of a story.
How you use the player: Time spent on each chapter while the tab is open, panels you open (journal, dialogue log), and settings such as voices on or off.
Your account: Your Google name and email, the name you play under, the classes you joined and the name you gave your teacher.

Who can see it

Your teacher sees your work in their class: your progress, choices, answers, questions, reflections and questionnaire, under the name you gave when you joined. Teachers do not see your email.

ChronoForge administrators manage accounts and AI allowances, and can download the research export described below.

The AI. Every AI reply is made through the VIABLE platform, which receives what that reply needs (the story so far, your question or move, and the name you play under) and keeps a log of the request. Your email is never sent.

The research export

Researchers work from an export in which every account and class is replaced by a code that cannot be traced back without ChronoForge's private key. Names and emails are never included. Your own writing (reflections, questions, answers) can contain anything you typed, so please don't write personal details there.

Left out of the export: anyone who turns research off below, and every class whose teacher keeps it out of research.

Studies that report results about learners follow the ethics approval and consent rules of the institution running them. Teachers using ChronoForge with students under 18 follow their school's rules on research and on parental consent.

Your choice

Questions, or a request to remove your data: contact VIABLE Lab.