Ecampus Research Fellows

The study of human anatomy and physiology typically involves a laboratory component where students explore various anatomical structures through physical models and dissection. Previously, students were only able to access these models in the anatomy laboratory or would have to purchase costly models to access at home. Advances in technology have enabled the development of three-dimensional (3D) models which can be observed and manipulated through a web browser. There are now a wide variety of models available both within applications and web-based programs. With web-based platforms, the ability to create and share open-source 3D models is improving access to low-cost materials for students which are available on-demand anywhere there is Internet. Web-based technologies have already been shown to assist students in learning anatomy and physiology (Pringle & Rea, 2018). Oregon State University Ecampus created virtual tools for our online Anatomy and Physiology course to help students learn the bones and features of the human skeleton. Our questions are: can students translate their knowledge of bones and features from the 3D rendering to a physical model? And, how does physical bone and bone feature identification proficiency compare in students who learned online using 3D models to students who learned in-person with physical models in the laboratory. As such, the goal of this project is to assess the ability of students who study with 3D models to identify the same object in its physical form.

Creative writing students are being flooded with online advice for how to use generative AI, such as ChatGPT, to improve their fiction. However, the effects of ChatGPT on the creative process are not well understood, especially in the context of online creative writing courses. Using a within-subjects design, this study will investigate how ChatGPT impacts the creativity of students enrolled in online creative writing courses, and whether additional support from the instructor can alter the impact. Students will participate in three experimental conditions in which they will perform the same creative exercise three times: (1) no ChatGPT assistance (baseline control condition); (2) with ChatGPT but no instructor support; and (3) with both ChatGPT and instructor support on its usage. All three writing assignments produced by students will be coded for creativity using Teresa Amabile’s Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT), a widely used method for measuring creativity based on the judgments of expert raters. The coded results from each condition will be compared to gain insights into the impact of ChatGPT on students’ creativity, as well as the role of instructor support in the use of ChatGPT on students’ creative writing outputs. These results are expected to shed light on how the use of ChatGPT impacts student creativity, especially in online creative writing courses, and how online instructors can support students’ use of this technology to maximize learning outcomes. Such findings could also impact other disciplines that involve writing, or even instructional practices in general, as schools everywhere confront the educational disruptions presented by this new technology.

One of the five goals of the psychology undergraduate major is for students to learn skills in scientific inquiry and critical thinking (APA, 2023). At OSU, this is largely assessed by successful completion of a series of courses in critical thinking, data analysis, and research methodology. However, research demonstrates that these kinds of courses are met with anxiety and performance is generally lower than other courses (e.g., Hedges, 2017; DeVaney, 2010). This is particularly true for online learners. While the content of these classes cannot be changed to reduce anxiety and increase performance, there are facets of the online learner that can improve those outcomes. The aim of this project is to demonstrate that participation in a co-curricular book club can improve students’ sense of academic belonging and identity, scientific self-efficacy and identity, and critical thinking skills, variables which are known to be linked with academic achievement, persistence, and retention. Preliminary data from a similar program at the University of Wisconsin Platteville has already demonstrated positive findings (Zucker, 2023). If successful, this would encourage faculty and student organizations to develop opportunities for online students to engage with one another over domain specific books and other media with the intent to promote individual growth within their field.

In the realm of online university science education, student submission of diverse data types for laboratory assignments within learning management systems (LMS) remains a challenge. To address student and instructor struggles with time-consuming and frustrating Word document submissions to the Canvas LMS, we developed an in-house Lab Notebook platform for an online general education Soil Science laboratory course. The Notebook was developed with the aim to create an intuitive, secure, and free tool tailored to student needs, improving both accessibility and ease of use for instructors and students. This study explores the impact of this custom tool in comparison to conventional methods by employing a qualitative approach involving surveys, interviews, and data analysis. By gauging student experiences and instructor perspectives, this research aims to identify the benefits and drawbacks of this Lab Notebook tool. The outcomes will not only inform improvements to the current Notebook but also serve as a foundation for developing and testing similar custom tools for online science courses. This study seeks to cast light on the path of user-centered, just design of online learning tools for general science education, aligning with the mission and goals of expanded, learner-centric online education opportunities at Oregon State University.

The capabilities and proficiencies of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) are improving at an alarming rate. Simultaneously, university students are rapidly increasing their access and use of this technology for assistance with coursework. Understanding the motivation behind student use of GenAI would be an asset to universities as faculty attempt to keep pace with GenAI progress and how it will affect classroom learning objectives and critical thinking. The aim of this study is to determine if GenAI is a hinderance or catalyst for student success. Our goal is to survey Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences (FWCS) undergraduate Ecampus students to evaluate their perceptions and motivations to use GenAI and the prevalence of its use for coursework. In addition, we will compare these findings to faculty perceptions of student use. The results of the surveys will allow us to identify key demographic differences about GenAI use across Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences (FWCS) Ecampus students and where undergraduates and faculty may have misalignments in their perceptions. Based on our results, we will create guidelines for FWCS faculty and more broadly could inform other departments and the Center for Teaching and Learning at OSU about current student experience with GenAI. Understanding the motivation of students to use GenAI will help guide faculty and course designers on how to tailor assignments, assess performance, and enhance engagement of students to maximize student learning and critical thinking in this ever-changing technological landscape.