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Ecampus Research Fellows

Funded projects 2020


Lauren Dalton
Lauren Dalton
Katie Jager
Katie Jager
Jeremy Rose
Jeremy Rose
Johanna Caity Smyth
Johanna “Caity” Smyth

Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics; Statistics; Integrative Biology; Botany & Plant Pathology

Pacing Online Learning: The Impact of Video Segmentation on Conceptual Development

Extensive education research on the face-to-face classroom has yielded a variety of best practices for in-person pedagogy. In contrast, online education practices remain relatively understudied and thus there are few mutually agreed-upon evidence-based best practices in this context. Many online classrooms utilize a video lecture as a mode to disseminate information. Despite the commonality of this format, it is not clear to what degree video length or the incorporation of active learning elements influences learner success. We seek to investigate the efficacy of segmenting online lecture videos and/or interspersing elements of active learning in an online classroom. Efficacy will be assessed by evaluating student achievement with respect to research-validated conceptual inventories.


Albrect Jander
Albrecht Jander

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Evaluating the Efficacy of At-home Laboratory Exercises in Comparison to On-campus Electrical Engineering Laboratories

This research project will seek to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the efficacy of at-home laboratory practica, using inexpensive “mail-order” laboratory kits, in comparison to traditional electrical engineering practica conducted at on-campus laboratory stations equipped with conventional electronic test equipment. The traditional undergraduate electrical engineering curriculum includes several laboratory practicum courses in which students assemble circuits and perform measurements to verify the operation of the circuits in comparison to the theoretical or designed expectations. In the process of connecting and debugging real circuit elements and making measurements, students develop experimental skills and discover subtleties that do not show up in the abstract world of circuit diagrams. A key component of the laboratory experience is learning to use common test equipment (such as voltmeters, signal generators and oscilloscopes) found in research and development laboratories throughout industry as well as academia. For the online version of ENGR 202, a lab-based introductory electrical engineering class, laboratory exercises were developed to use only instruments and components comprising a “mail-order” laboratory kit. Although these exercises were designed, within budgetary constraints, to mimic the on-campus laboratories as closely as possible, significant differences remain between the on-campus and at-home laboratory practica. The proposed research will test, qualitatively and quantitatively, students’ ability to operate standard test equipment, make basic measurements and construct/debug simple electronic circuits after completion of either the online or traditional on-campus course and practicum. To accomplish this, student volunteers will be given tasks to complete in a laboratory outfitted to mimic an industrial or academic electronics test bench. Additionally, student perception of the lab efficacy will be evaluated qualitatively based on a survey, which will also be used to collect demographic and prior experience data.


Lara Letaw
Lara Letaw
Heather Garcia
Heather Garcia, Instructional Designer Fellow

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Proposal: View as PDF

Impacting the Inclusivity Mindset of Online Computer Science Students

Online learning environments perpetuate gender bias in Computer Science education. Although previous research has identified exacerbating factors (e.g., language and visual design cues that trigger stereotype threat), more can be done to help students of all genders feel more included in their virtual classrooms. To explore this problem and a potential mitigation, I propose to (1) adapt and develop an inclusive software design learning module for online, (2) incorporate the module into existing undergraduate-level online Computer Science courses, (3) measure how completion of the module affects how included students feel in their online classroom, how inclusive they feel toward others, and their overall experience of their major, and (4) analyze results by student demographic and background factors, such as gender. The findings of this study will help inform future research and give faculty guidance on how to create inclusive online Computer Science classrooms.


Jen Myers
Jen Myers
Deanna Lloyd
Deanna Lloyd

Sustainability Double Degree Program

Removing barriers to inclusive pedagogy: Evaluating the impact of Ecampus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training on Online Course Facilitation

It is clear that online pedagogy, like any educational engagement, must be a reflective practice, with faculty continuously examining their positionality and ensuring that online classrooms are inclusive. Oregon State University’s Ecampus program is making concerted efforts to advance best practices for inclusive excellence while acknowledging that, like the rest of OSU, “We have work to do” (Oregon State University, 2018). Recognizing that online education must meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body and teach all students the skills to engage across difference, this research centers the urgent need for faculty training in the facilitation of inclusive online courses. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative research methods, this study will illuminate faculty-identified barriers to inclusive online teaching and evaluate faculty confidence in their skills after engaging in an Ecampus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training course.


Arien Muzacz
Arien Muzacz
April LaGue
April LaGue

College of Education – Counseling

Orienting Master’s-Level Counseling Students to a Hybrid Learning Environment

Hybrid educational programs appeal to non-traditional students because of students’ schedules, geographic location, or current responsibilities (e.g., family, full-time employment). However, flourishing in an online learning environment can be challenging. Lack of knowledge or competence with technology, lack of experience using an online learning management system (LMS), isolation from peers and faculty, and limited information literacy can impact students’ self-efficacy, or assessment of their ability to succeed in the online components of a hybrid program. Faculty can promote opportunities for students to develop self-efficacy in these domains by providing trainings and supports outside of graded course assignments. Masters-level counseling students also need to learn wellness practices in order to prevent burnout and decrease the risk of counseling while impaired, yet research on students’ perceptions of their own wellness is sparse. Faculty created an online Orientation with synchronous and asynchronous components for OSU’s Masters of Counseling program, which serves non-traditional students, to help incoming students how to perform the course activities expected of them (e.g., how to post on a discussion board or to navigate a timed quiz), to reinforce the profession’s emphasis on counselor wellness, and to help students get to know each other before our first in-person class. The proposed project addresses the question, “What impact does an online Orientation have on the computer, technology, and LMS self-efficacy and self-perception of wellness among counseling students entering a hybrid learning environment?”