Research funding shapes the future of online learning
Oregon State University instructors often have great ideas for improving the online learning experience, but turning those ideas into research can be challenging. Instructors may have questions about research grants, study design and participant recruitment in the online environment.
For 10 years, the Oregon State Ecampus Research Fellows Program has helped solve those challenges through one-year research grants of up to $25,000 paired with structured support and training. For some faculty members, participation leads to larger grants and more research opportunities.
In its first decade, 45 research projects from 69 Oregon State faculty members have been completed through the Research Fellows Program. Those studies have been linked to three federal grants, 10 peer-reviewed publications and $1 million in federal grants.
Measuring the impact of 10 years of research grants
Instructors from nine Oregon State colleges have participated in the program since its inception, studying topics such as peer-reviewed writing, generative AI, 3D models and video segmentation.
“We have also funded some collaborative projects with instructors from several different departments and colleges working together,” said Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, director of the Oregon State Ecampus Research Unit.
“Funded fellows tend to be deeply passionate about instruction and teaching and are able to bring what they’ve learned from their fellow’s project directly back into the online classroom,” explained Naomi Aguiar, associate director of the Ecampus Research Unit and coordinator of the Ecampus Research Fellows Program.
Two stories from funded fellows
What does it mean to participate in this program? What can seed money do for a researcher’s career? The following two studies are very different, and they highlight the impact of this program.
Oregon State’s research funding was just the beginning
Lara Letaw, Oregon State senior instructor, used her grant to introduce inclusive design concepts to a group of computer science students considering careers in software development. Instead of designing products for people just like them, students were asked to explore personas with differing motivations, attitudes and information processing styles.
As she explained in a published white paper, her students discussed these personas with one another, and those conversations infused the designs students created — as well as the feel of the class.
“I learned that our curricular intervention helped online computer science students feel included and behave inclusively in their classes,” Letaw said. “I continue to teach the topic that fostered this change and still see its effectiveness today. This makes me feel that, in at least one important way, I am doing right by students.”
Letaw also ties that grant to a remarkable list of accomplishments, including a shared National Science Foundation grant, an Oregon State online teaching award from the College of Engineering, multiple conference papers and journal articles.
“Through the fellows program, I went from having less than a year of professional research experience to leading a successful grant proposal, research team and conference publication,” she said. “The program gave me the chance to test my abilities and take a significant step forward as a research professional.”
Study results change opinions on online teaching techniques
Todd Kesterson, senior instructor with the School of Communication, conducted a study centered on virtual reality. In theory, VR should help students feel closer to one another and to course materials. However, his research uncovered significant limitations.
Students in his New Media Visualization course were provided with VR headsets for small-group creative activities, such as brainstorming and story development. Students struggled with poor connectivity, an inability to use the tools and software reliability issues, as Kesterson shared in an open-access white paper.
“The research fundamentally changed my views on the application of VR in education,” he said. “The lessons went far beyond Ecampus classes, expanding into the use of VR in any educational setting. The results may influence how other instructors use VR, and how Ecampus chooses to fund similar courses.”
“His findings were really actionable,” Aguiar said. “His findings helped us understand why fully immersive VR hasn’t taken off in the online sector. He uncovered the logistics, which is hugely helpful for universities in terms of where they’re investing their money.”
Deadline for research grant application nears
There’s a lot to celebrate about the past 10 years of the program. Some accomplishments (like grant funds) are easy to measure, but others (like mentorship experiences) are harder to quantify. However, those hard-to-define improvements could be some of the most important.
“We know that our funded fellows have improved research design skills and feel more confident in participant recruitment and meeting requirements for seeking external funding,” said Dello Stritto. “That’s an experience that some instructors, especially those who aren’t on the tenure track, do not have access to. I’m proud that we can provide that support.”
The work continues.
The Ecampus Research Unit is accepting applications for the 2026 Research Fellows Program until Nov. 1. Oregon State full-time faculty and instructors with innovative ideas about online teaching and learning are encouraged to apply.
