{"id":2914,"date":"2026-10-20T09:00:24","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T16:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=2914"},"modified":"2026-10-20T10:44:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T17:44:42","slug":"multimedia-assets-online-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/multimedia-assets-online-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Instructional multimedia assets transform online education at Oregon State"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 1,800 courses are delivered online through Oregon State University Ecampus. Every quarter, more come online.<\/p>\n

Interactive multimedia tools and simulations \u2014 from virtual microscopes to interactive maps \u2014 help shape the learning experience, allowing students to explore, experiment and master concepts once considered too complex to teach online.<\/p>\n

Oregon State Ecampus multimedia developers are always looking for ways to refine and improve their media assets, even holding hackathons to brainstorm new ways to solve common problems.<\/p>\n

The result: a full-featured experience rooted in innovation and collaboration.<\/p>\n

Enhancing online course design<\/h2>\n

Oregon State has long been a leader in multimedia development as part of the online course design process.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always characterize our media as a way to bring ideas and concepts to life,\u201d said Karen Watt\u00e9, the senior director of course development and training for Oregon State Ecampus. \u201cMedia helps students really understand the topics and ideas that faculty are trying to share. I think they are essential to creating a robust learning experience for students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each project begins as a collaboration between Oregon State faculty and Ecampus instructional designers. As they develop a course for online delivery, the team identifies moments where a visual or interactive element could bring abstract concepts into focus.<\/p>\n

Next, Ecampus multimedia developers take over. Nick Harper, an Ecampus senior developer, said some projects take eight to 10 weeks of design, coding and testing. But the results for a single course can benefit an entire cohort of students, and sometimes instructors, across multiple disciplines.<\/p>\n

How multimedia supports students and instructors<\/h2>\n

Research conducted by the Oregon State Ecampus Research Unit<\/a> suggests that both creativity and technology skills are critical for success in online teaching \u2014 and they\u2019re not always easy to develop. Collaboration with Ecampus instructional designers and multimedia developers helps instructors new to online teaching effectively connect with students.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>Media helps students really understand the topics and ideas that faculty are trying to share. I think they are essential to creating a robust learning experience for students.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Instructors aren\u2019t the only ones who benefit. Oregon State\u2019s<\/a> online students<\/a> often fit in coursework between caring for family, working or both. Multimedia developers look for ways to present course information clearly for an audience that may be juggling several demands at once.<\/p>\n

Experiential learning examples<\/h2>\n

Oregon State\u2019s excellence in multimedia development is rooted in years of innovation, including national award-winning online biology and chemistry labs<\/a>, which helped to redefine what complex subjects could look like in an online environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe courses look so different now than they did, say, 10 to 15 years ago. It’s really a very rich learning environment,\u201d Watt\u00e9 said. \u201cPreviously, online learning was very much text-based. But now, every module can have something that’s interactive and highly engaging in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are some examples of what that innovation looks like in practice at Oregon State, as explained by the Ecampus developers who worked on the projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe showcase our projects because once we build one, we don\u2019t need to start from scratch for the next. And we find that instructors who see a successful asset often want a variation of it for their course,\u201d Harper said.<\/p>\n

Virtual design<\/h3>\n

Transport Phenomena Laboratory (CHE 334)<\/h4>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Moving fluids safely is just part of a chemical engineer\u2019s job. In this online laboratory course, students learn what an effective pumping system looks like and then build one by selecting components and making adjustments. Targeted feedback ensures students understand when their decisions begin to take them off track.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>What makes this tool special to me is that students have the freedom to experiment and learn from their mistakes,\u201d said Mateo Estrada Jorge, an analyst programmer at Oregon State. \u201cRather than just solving equations and focusing on getting the right answer the first time, students can see how their choices about the setup, budget and engineering design affect the outcome and use those results to work toward a successful solution.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Explore the tool<\/a><\/h3>\n

Multi-sensory instruction<\/h3>\n

Applied Musicianship: Keyboard (MUS 339)<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

While practice is critical to mastery of any instrument, some students need a basic orientation before they begin. Assets created for this course combine both audible and visual cues to help even novice musicians understand core concepts, including how to use pedals and where to place their fingers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese instructional videos were planned, shot and painstakingly edited to present engaging music theory while showing students exactly what\u2019s being played on the keyboard \u2014 not an easy task,\u201d said Daniel Powers, senior instructional designer at Oregon State. \u201cUsing multiple camera angles, explainer graphics and light-up keys on the overhead keyboard (via hand-masking synced to the MIDI code of the audio), the media team did incredible work bringing these videos to life.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Explore the tool<\/a><\/h3>\n

Hands-on simulations<\/h3>\n

Reproduction in Domestic Animals Laboratory (ANS 317)<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

This course covers fertilization in animals like cows, including how to identify an oocyte when it\u2019s in a slide cluttered with debris. In this laboratory simulation, students access a virtual dish, examine the contents and move specimens with a pipette. No special tools are required, as students can use their keyboards to control the movement. And a strong focus on accessibility means students with low vision can access tools like screen readers as they complete the lab.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually measure an online lab by how close it gets to the in-person version. In this case, the online version is the more inclusive one. Students with low vision can complete a microscope-based lab that would be very hard for them to do on campus with the help of assistive browser tools,\u201d Harper said.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Explore the tool<\/a><\/h3>\n

Virtual field work<\/h3>\n

Highway Location and Design (CE 365)<\/h4>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Engineering students learn how curves can lead to safety issues, especially when drivers also encounter objects that block the view or intersections that they don\u2019t expect.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stitched hundreds of high-resolution images into a handful of spherical panoramas to recreate the on-campus field site as a browser-based 3D construction zone. Students can use a virtual surveying instrument to measure angles and distances, then stake out highway curves, exactly as they would in the physical lab, but from anywhere in the world,\u201d said Victor Zellweger, an OSU Ecampus analyst programmer. \u201cI also included real-time tools for instructors to monitor students’ progress and pinpoint where they might need help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Explore the tool<\/a><\/h3>\n

Digital simulation<\/h3>\n

Applied Community and Ecosystem Ecology (FW 321)<\/span><\/h4>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

In this course, students explore strategies and techniques they can use to improve ecosystems and conserve natural resources. In this digital simulation, they put theory to work in a simulated wetland, exploring how their choices of plants, birds, insects and invertebrates can either improve or degrade the site.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of time went into the development of the graphics,\u201d Harper said. \u201cThis course is about how whole communities of species come together in an environment, and that\u2019s hard to picture. Engaging visuals make a big difference.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Explore the tool<\/a><\/h3>\n

Learn more about online education at Oregon State<\/h2>\n

Ecampus courses are designed from the ground up for online learners. In addition to digital media assets, Oregon State\u2019s online classroom may feature interviews, interactive quizzes, learning glass lectures and other engaging tools that support student success. See how these components come together to elevate the online learning experience.<\/p>\n

Preview online learning \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 5<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>Interactive multimedia tools and simulations \u2014 from virtual microscopes to interactive pollinator maps \u2014 help shape the learning experience, allowing students to explore, experiment and master concepts once considered too complex to teach online. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":2915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,6,679,672,684],"tags":[512,24,130,656],"class_list":["post-2914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-leadership-and-innovation","category-learning-experience","category-online-teaching-resources","tag-experiential-learning","tag-online-learning","tag-online-teaching","tag-thought-leadership"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-L0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1175,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/pushing-the-boundaries-of-online-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":2914,"position":0},"title":"Out there: Pushing the boundaries of what\u2019s possible in online education","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"April 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State Ecampus is home to national award-winning multimedia developers and videographers who partner with OSU faculty to create custom media to be used in Oregon State\u2019s online courses, including videos, animations, virtual field trips, augmented reality, 3D scanning and virtual reality.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The augmented reality sandbox used in Permaculture Design and Theory course online shows how landscape design affects water flow.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-Ecampus-course-media-reel-image.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-Ecampus-course-media-reel-image.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-Ecampus-course-media-reel-image.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-Ecampus-course-media-reel-image.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":740,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/innovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":2914,"position":1},"title":"Great ideas are worth sharing","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"January 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"From virtual reality labs to online field trips, innovations in course development help make Ecampus a nationally ranked leader in online education, creating innovative and accessible ways for students to engage with course materials, their classmates and instructors.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A member of the Oregon State Ecampus staff helps demonstrate a virtual reality assignment to an attendee of the faculty forum event.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-Forum.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-Forum.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-Forum.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":818,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/teaching-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":2914,"position":2},"title":"Exploring the world of teaching online","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"March 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Through Ecampus, instructors provide learners across the globe with access to the high-quality courses and programs they\u2019ve come to expect from the nationally renowned online education program. Learn what Oregon State faculty and Ecampus staff recommend to first-time online instructors who are ready to begin their collaboration with Ecampus.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two Oregon State faculty are seated in the distance with tall lights and a camera on a tripod in the foreground.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Advice-story-1.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Advice-story-1.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Advice-story-1.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":391,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/eduventures-award-biology-lab\/","url_meta":{"origin":2914,"position":3},"title":"Oregon State wins national award for online biology lab","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"November 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State Ecampus and faculty members from OSU's College of Science received a national innovation award for the development of a groundbreaking online biology lab series and 3D animation project that effectively puts a microscope in the hands of every distance student.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A screenshot of the 3D microscope designed by Ecampus multimedia developers and faculty members.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/3D-microscope.jpg?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/3D-microscope.jpg?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/3D-microscope.jpg?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/3D-microscope.jpg?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/3D-microscope.jpg?fit=1200%2C627&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1406,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/ecampus-growth-ed-ray\/","url_meta":{"origin":2914,"position":4},"title":"Oregon State Ecampus booms in the Ed Ray years","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"May 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many people, including Oregon State University leadership, saw the life-changing potential of the World Wide Web. In the quarter century since Newsweek published its infamous article doubting the value of the internet, OSU has earned a reputation as a national leader in online teaching and learning \u2013 and that rise\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ecampus-enrollment-infographic.jpg?fit=744%2C432&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ecampus-enrollment-infographic.jpg?fit=744%2C432&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ecampus-enrollment-infographic.jpg?fit=744%2C432&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ecampus-enrollment-infographic.jpg?fit=744%2C432&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2367,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/ai-faculty-resources-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":2914,"position":5},"title":"Tips on when and how AI tools can support teaching and learning","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"September 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State Ecampus created a principles-based framework on how to incorporate AI tools responsibly and ethically into online courses, research and other projects. These open-source materials provide clarity for instructors and foster positive learning experiences for students.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A man sits at a table while working on a laptop computer.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/news-ai-resources-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/news-ai-resources-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/news-ai-resources-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/news-ai-resources-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ce-365-simple-curve-lab-02.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}