{"id":608,"date":"2023-09-15T15:24:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T22:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=608"},"modified":"2026-05-25T20:15:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T03:15:19","slug":"virtual-microscope-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/virtual-microscope-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon State wins national innovation award for 3D virtual microscope for online biology labs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"744\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v0N9OXLDQHU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>It was a fundamental question in search of a much-needed answer: How can distance students taking introductory biology courses online learn to operate a microscope without being in a physical laboratory?<\/p>\n<p>The simple answer was that they couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Students could buy a compound microscope to use at their homes, but with costs ranging from $50 for the cheapest ones on the market to well over $1,000 for the advanced variety, it was an untenable solution.<\/p>\n<p>They could enroll in a campus-based course at their local college and use its labs. Commuting to and taking a class on campus, however, would further drain adult learners of their most valuable and fleeting resource: time.<\/p>\n<p>The ultimate cost was that the lack of a sufficient, interactive online lab experience delayed and, in some cases, prevented many students from completing their degree requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Those days, thankfully, are over.<\/p>\n<h2>The solution:\u00a0Do something no one else has done<\/h2>\n<p>Oregon State Universit offers a series of biology courses online that effectively puts a microscope in the hands of every distance learner. Believed to be <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/bi206\/virtual_scope\/build.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the first virtual microscope of its kind<\/a>, this academic breakthrough was the result of a partnership between OSU&#8217;s Department of Integrative Biology, the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, and Oregon State Ecampus, the university\u2019s online education division.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_609\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-580 alignright\" style=\"width: 580px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-609\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/andrew-bouwma-smaller-web.jpg?resize=580%2C366&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Oregon State biology instructor Andrew Bouwma sits next to a large fish tank.\" width=\"580\" height=\"366\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Biology instructor Dr. Andrew Bouwma says the detailed lessons he gives\u00a0on microscope techniques will prepare Ecampus students\u00a0to use a real microscope.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The groundbreaking microscope and lab series won a <a href=\"https:\/\/wcet.wiche.edu\/for-members\/awards\/wcet-outstanding-work-wow-award\/wow-media-release-2017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award<\/a>, given to institutions that \u201cimplement exceptionally creative, technology-based solutions to contemporary challenges in higher education.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was a significant challenge. But trying to do something that\u2019s never been done before is Oregon State\u2019s comfort zone.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the Reader\u2019s Digest version of what it took for Oregon State to create the virtual microscope experience and, thus, eliminate a significant barrier to degree completion:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Six months of research and development<\/li>\n<li>One year producing a 3D microscope\u00a0using animation and\u00a0photos<\/li>\n<li>The collaboration of 30-plus OSU faculty, department heads, Ecampus multimedia developers, instructional designers and other staff<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Dr. Andrew Bouwma and Dr. Genevieve Weber are the faculty members who piloted the development of the lab series. The end goal was not just to increase access to education but also to make that educational experience rigorous and engaging. The comprehensive development process was necessary to ensure the labs meet the same learning outcomes as OSU\u2019s on-campus labs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI teach on-campus and online biology courses, and I wanted to find a way to give my online students the same, meaningful experience my on-campus students receive,\u201d Bouwma said. \u201cI started using the virtual microscope in my online classes immediately, and it\u2019s been an effective tool in my teaching since it allows me to give my students more realistic assignments in cell biology, which I believe improves student engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>This is what the cutting edge looks like<\/h2>\n<p>The first step in building the virtual microscope was to design a way to replicate the in-person experience in an online, interactive environment. That massive undertaking was tasked to the OSU Ecampus multimedia development team, which pushed the limits of what\u2019s possible in online education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI took the exact microscope that the students on campus use, and I measured it down to the millimeter so that I could model the virtual one precisely,\u201d said Ecampus multimedia developer Nick Harper. \u201cThen, using 3D modeling software, I was able to manipulate basic shapes like cubes and cylinders to build an accurate digital model of a real microscope.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout\">\n<h3>How does it work?<\/h3>\n<p>Oregon State&#8217;s online learning innovation gives students worldwide the ability to learn how to manipulate a microscope&#8217;s controls. You can give it a try yourself. Switch the lamp from off to on to start. <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/bi206\/virtual_scope\/build.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Try the microscope \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Then came a year\u2019s worth of interactive work, using game development software that would enable students to manipulate all of the microscope\u2019s controls \u2013 adjusting the brightness, increasing the zoom, focusing the viewer and so on. The Ecampus staff then mounted a camera on a real microscope and took photos of slides that were central to Bouwma\u2019s instruction and programmed those images to create the virtual simulation.<\/p>\n<p>The final product is &#8220;an interactive web application that utilizes a custom 3D microscope and incorporates animation and real-life slide photos,&#8221; according to Victor Yee, an\u00a0Ecampus assistant director of course development and training.<\/p>\n<p>It was a safe bet that the virtual microscope and corresponding online lab courses would be in demand among distance learners, but it has exceeded even Oregon State\u2019s high expectations. Since the series was launched in 2015, OSU has had to add sections for each course in the online series because each one enrolls incredibly quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Oregon State has also added more slides and fine-tuned the virtual microscope\u2019s features as needed. It\u2019s also being used in other Ecampus classes, and it\u2019s been added to the <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/oer\/microscope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">university\u2019s open educational resources (OER) library<\/a>, giving anyone in the world access to this innovative and, for many, essential tool.<\/p>\n<p>The microscope now has three national awards to its name. Eduventures, a prominent higher education research and advisory firm,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/eduventures-award-biology-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">honored\u00a0Oregon State with its annual innovation award<\/a> for its &#8220;creative use of technology to boost student success.&#8221; And the Online Learning Consortium named Ecampus a recipient of its Effective Practice Award for &#8220;advanc[ing] quality and access to online programs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I describe this project to others, I tell them that this is the kind of collaboration that all others should aspire to,\u201d said Shannon Riggs, the director of the Ecampus course development and training team. \u201cEverything was created based on\u00a0student need, and that really galvanized all the people who worked on the project. It helped us approach the project with enthusiasm and passion \u2013 to boost student success and break down barriers to degree completion.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>It was a fundamental question in search of a much-needed answer: How can distance students in introductory biology courses online learn to operate a microscope without being in a physical laboratory? The simple answer was that they couldn\u2019t. So Oregon State fixed that problem by developing a first-of-its-kind, 3D virtual microscope that increases student access to learning and eliminates a barrier to degree completion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":611,"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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[673],"tags":[25,330,130],"class_list":["post-608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-online-education","tag-online-learning-consortium","tag-online-teaching"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Screen-Shot-2017-09-14-at-2.43.15-PM.png?fit=2880%2C1620&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-9O","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":391,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/eduventures-award-biology-lab\/","url_meta":{"origin":608,"position":0},"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 &quot;Archives&quot;","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, 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in online education, creating innovative and accessible ways for students to engage with course materials, their classmates and instructors.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","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":111,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/3d-biology-innovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":608,"position":3},"title":"3D biology lab series leads to top award for Bouwma, Weber","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"April 12, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"April 12, 2016 A groundbreaking online biology lab series is having a major impact on Oregon State's distance students, and it's the reason\u00a0Dr. Andrew Bouwma and Dr. Genevieve Weber today received the Innovation in Online Credit-based Teaching Award from OSU's Division of University of Outreach and Engagement. After six months\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/oregon-state-logo-600x400.png?ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2825,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-science-labs\/","url_meta":{"origin":608,"position":4},"title":"Online science labs and courses: Grounded in research and designed for deep learning","author":"Kaitlyn Hornbuckle","date":"July 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Experiencing in-depth online courses like organic chemistry, physics sequences, or anatomy and physiology with hands-on labs is now a reality \u2014 and they\u2019re taught by the same Oregon State University faculty who lead these courses on campus.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Faculty &amp; Program Spotlights&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Faculty &amp; Program Spotlights","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/ecampus\/students\/faculty-and-programs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A man sits at a table holding up a molecular model in his hand, with a laptop, textbook and chemistry modeling kit in front of him.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Esteban-Contreras-online-lab-hero-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\/Esteban-Contreras-online-lab-hero-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Esteban-Contreras-online-lab-hero-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Esteban-Contreras-online-lab-hero-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1677,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-course-excellence\/","url_meta":{"origin":608,"position":5},"title":"Oregon State online classes are in a class of their own","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"January 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"At Oregon State University Ecampus, we have a proud history of pushing the boundaries of what\u2019s possible in higher education. Our track record of success spans decades and can be measured across 110-plus subject areas. What\u2019s the common thread that ties it all together? Oregon State Ecampus online courses set\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A professor stands behind a clear lightboard with writing on as an animated erupting volcano is to his left. Online courses at Oregon State","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/online-courses-oregon-state.jpg?fit=744%2C414&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/online-courses-oregon-state.jpg?fit=744%2C414&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/online-courses-oregon-state.jpg?fit=744%2C414&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/online-courses-oregon-state.jpg?fit=744%2C414&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608","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\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}