{"id":740,"date":"2018-01-08T11:24:51","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T19:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=740"},"modified":"2024-04-02T14:35:30","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T21:35:30","slug":"innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Great ideas are worth sharing"},"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\/pRCBEh0Vclk?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;start=1&#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<div class=\"wp-caption video-caption-full\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">By its nature, online education has no boundaries. Our classrooms have no walls. Our students span the globe, studying everywhere, at all times. Our approach to education has no historical precedent. At Oregon State Ecampus, every day is history in the making. Watch the video above to see how Ecampus staff and instructors partner to create opportunities that did not exist before.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>By Julie Cooper<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Jan. 8, 2018<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Oregon State University Ecampus staff and instructors are in the business of creative solutions, and they have plenty to go around.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to daily collaborations, the annual Oregon State Ecampus <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/forum\/\">Faculty Forum<\/a> allows Ecampus staff and OSU teaching faculty to share online course development success stories and inspire the use of advanced technologies and methods to optimize the student learning experience.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h3>In with the new<\/h3>\n<p>The age-old question about online education asks whether it can compare to the in-person learning experience.<\/p>\n<p>Ecampus instructors are determined that, with their efforts and Ecampus\u2019 innovative course development and multimedia team, it can be even better.<\/p>\n<p>For many faculty, a focal point has been engaging students beyond lectures and slides, developing meaningful course content and more personal connections to encourage enthusiastic participation.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_745\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-250 alignright\" style=\"width: 250px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-745 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/microscope_3.png?resize=250%2C250&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Over the shoulder of a student with short, dark hair and a blue shirt, a laptop screen shows the award-winning 3D microscope in use. On the left side of the screen is a close up of the sample in the microscope, while the right side shows the whole microscope.\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oregon State is no stranger to pushing the limits of technology, having created a nationally recognized and award-winning 3D virtual microscope for a biology course sequence that is the first of its kind.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Through simulation activities, Ecampus marketing instructor Nikki Brown interprets course content into real-life situations for her students, allowing them to make choices in a low-stakes environment and take control over their learning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m looking for ways to move the students from passive learning to more active learning, and I like to incorporate more fun into the classroom,\u201d Nikki says. \u201cIt seems like the\u00a0simulations are their favorite part of the class. They\u2019re more engaged and focused on the content that I want them to understand, and they also get the benefit of interacting with other students.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In an attempt to form significant personal connections with students, many instructors have chosen to craft lessons using a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PIhGLIhWpv8\">lightboard \u2013 or Learning Glass<\/a> \u2013 which allows students to see and hear the instructor as they create visuals to illustrate key concepts. Ecampus has also been experimenting with interactive video elements that control video playback and prompt responses from the student for more active engagement.<\/p>\n<p>With creative applications of emerging virtual and augmented reality tools, instructors are able to immerse online learners in settings they may never have encountered otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>Oregon State is no stranger to pushing the limits of technology, having created a nationally recognized and award-winning <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/virtual-microscope-award\/\">3D virtual microscope<\/a> for a biology course sequence that is the first of its kind.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEcampus instructional designers, faculty support specialists, and multimedia developers help faculty find the right technologies to suit their particular course and their students\u2019 needs,\u201d says Ecampus director of course development and training Shannon Riggs. \u201cEquipped with the right toolkit, faculty teaching online courses are able to connect with students in powerful and transformative ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"smartquote\">&ldquo;<\/span>Equipped with the right toolkit, faculty teaching online courses are able to connect with students in powerful and transformative ways.<span class=\"smartquote\">&rdquo;<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Providing a global perspective<\/h3>\n<p>With students in all 50 states and more than 50 countries enrolled in Oregon State courses online, Ecampus instructors rise to the challenge to expand their reach and develop course content that is applicable to real-life settings, regardless of a student\u2019s location.<\/p>\n<p>Ecampus crop science instructor Alyssa Duval seeks to transform the way her online students engage with their home environments through a survey of agriculture project.<\/p>\n<p>Students take an active role, contributing to course materials by creating videos identifying characteristics of their local agriculture.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_742\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-250 alignright\" style=\"width: 250px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-742 size-full\" style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif, Helvetica, Verdana, Geneva, 'Trebuchet MS', Tahoma; font-size: 12px;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/student-vr.jpg?resize=250%2C250&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A student in an orange Oregon State hooded sweatshirt uses a virtual reality headset to complete a lab assignment. The virtual environment the student is in shows Petri dishes filled with samples on a table and lab tables in the background.\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ecampus is always exploring and creating new ways to enhance the students&#8217; online experience. One example of this is the online soils lab, where Ecampus multimedia developers are taking the current interactive experience and turning it into a virtual reality, &#8220;hands-on&#8221; adventure.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>She also provides insight into Oregon\u2019s agricultural systems through farm tour videos and a virtual greenhouse environment. Students can then compare characteristics with their local area.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy students are in love with the virtual greenhouse,\u201d Alyssa says. \u201cThey\u2019re able to go in at anytime from anywhere in the world and access it, see what the plants look like, rotate them so they can get into the nitty gritty identifying characteristics, and then apply that out in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bringing a global lens to the online classroom can be as simple as using a discussion board to create what Ecampus applied economics instructor\u00a0Christy Anderson Brekken calls a \u201cweb field trip.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudents love to report back on what\u2019s happening in their own state or country,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd that enriches the experience of all of the students because then they\u00a0can all interact and have even more examples of how the material we\u2019re learning about is applied.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As they embrace the global nature of online learning, Oregon State instructors have access to an extensive toolkit of technology and Ecampus staff eager to make new ideas a reality.<\/p>\n<p>Ecampus communications assistant professor Colin Hesse\u2019s philosophy for building online courses: \u201cDon\u2019t accept \u2018You can\u2019t.\u2019 Use the resources available and ask \u2018How can we?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With this willingness to embrace the exploration process of pioneering online education, the future looks bright for Ecampus faculty and students.<\/p>\n<p><em>Julie Cooper is a student marketing writer for Oregon State Ecampus.<\/em><\/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>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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_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":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[373,26,67,25,24,130],"class_list":["post-740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-crop-and-soil-science","tag-distance-education","tag-faculty-forum","tag-online-education","tag-online-learning","tag-online-teaching"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-Forum.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-bW","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":818,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/teaching-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":740,"position":0},"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 &quot;Archives&quot;","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":2367,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/ai-faculty-resources-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":740,"position":1},"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 &quot;All Stories&quot;","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":[]},{"id":116,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/faculty-forum-2016\/","url_meta":{"origin":740,"position":2},"title":"Ecampus instructors, staff share best practices at annual Faculty Forum","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"May 10, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"At the ninth annual Oregon State Ecampus Faculty Forum in April, more than 200 great minds came together to share online learning best practices, new methods and emerging technology.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A room full of people seated at round tables listen to keynote speaker Jan Plans at the 2016 Faculty Forum.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-forum-2016-main.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-2016-main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-forum-2016-main.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2886,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-education-research-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":740,"position":3},"title":"Journal publications illustrate Oregon State\u2019s leadership in online education research","author":"Oregon State University","date":"October 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"For 10 years, the Oregon State University Ecampus Research Unit has made a significant impact on the field of online teaching and learning. It is one of the nation\u2019s only research units connected to an online education division, which helps to illustrate OSU's commitment to continually improving the student and\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 person uses a laptop while writing with a pen in a notepad.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/note-taking-laptop.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/note-taking-laptop.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/note-taking-laptop.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/note-taking-laptop.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2273,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/2023-ecampus-awards\/","url_meta":{"origin":740,"position":4},"title":"OSU faculty, staff lauded for commitment to online student experience","author":"Carly Fredericks","date":"May 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"For the seventh year in a row, Ecampus presented its Ecampus Awards. The 2023 awardees included six OSU faculty and staff partners who exemplify the Oregon State commitment to student success and course innovation. Read more about each faculty member and the university's five instructors who received Quality Matters certifications\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ecampus award winners stand together for a photo. From left: Blake Hausman, Doug Reese, Noah Buckley, Marc Curtis, Lynn Greenough.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/FF-2023-Award-Winners.jpg?fit=800%2C505&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/FF-2023-Award-Winners.jpg?fit=800%2C505&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/FF-2023-Award-Winners.jpg?fit=800%2C505&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/FF-2023-Award-Winners.jpg?fit=800%2C505&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1410,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/ecampus-rising-to-challenge\/","url_meta":{"origin":740,"position":5},"title":"Rising to the challenge to meet the needs of students and faculty","author":"Lisa L. Templeton","date":"May 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust an opportunity upon online education professionals under very unfortunate circumstances. Now is the time for us to \u201cget out of our lane,\u201d so to speak, and show how we will support an entire educational enterprise for the advancement of our universities. Online education is on\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 person sitting at a table and typing on a laptop, with an Oregon State University water bottle in the foreground. K-12 remote instruction resources","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/oregon-state-ecampus-student-laptop.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/oregon-state-ecampus-student-laptop.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/oregon-state-ecampus-student-laptop.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/oregon-state-ecampus-student-laptop.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740","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\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}