The Ecampus Research Unit (ECRU) prioritizes research on educational systems including quality, access, and learner outcomes at multiple levels from students to administrators.
Current projects
Online Student Perceptions of Generative AI
This study examined online students’ understanding and use of generative AI tools. The results include student perceptions, emotions, and concerns about these tools and their impact on their educational experiences and careers.
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Exploring the Experiences of Online Instructors
Oregon State University Ecampus is fortunate to partner with nearly 1,000 Oregon State faculty. This interview-based study helps us to better understand the experiences and needs of these online instructors. We interviewed 105 online instructors about their professional development histories, teaching and course development practices and attitudes and beliefs about online learning.
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Online Learner Readiness
As online courses have become common on college campuses, higher education personnel have been interested in factors that prepare students for online coursework. This collaborative project seeks to develop and validate an online learning readiness instrument that can be used by students, advisors, faculty and administrators.
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Course Outcomes Modality Comparisons
When conducting research on student outcomes in online education, access to student data is not always available. In some cases, course-level data is more easily accessed. We designed a research study using course-level data to answer questions about the outcomes of students in online versus face-to-face courses at Oregon State University. This research project accounts for factors such as the instructor, instructor experience, term taught and class size.
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Distance Education Research Methods White Paper Series
Based on the experiences of participants in the Ecampus Research Fellows program, the Ecampus Research Unit is launching a white paper series on distance education research methods.
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Online Teaching and Learning Research Seminars
The Online Teaching and Learning Research Seminars program supports multi-institutional research on topics related to college-level online and blended/hybrid teaching and learning. Each year, individual researchers at higher education institutions around the world apply for one of eight participant spots and accepted participants collaborate on research over two academic years including week-long, in-person meetings each summer in Corvallis, OR.
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Online Learning Efficacy Research Database
To help serve the distance education community, the Ecampus Research Unit has created a searchable database that houses efficacy research studies that compare the modalities of online, hybrid/blended, and face-to-face classrooms. This database is searchable by a range of variables including teaching modality, discipline, and sample size, among others.
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The Collaborative Higher Education Research Group
The Collaborative Higher Education Research (CHEdR) Group aims to connect researchers who are interested in topics related to online teaching and learning.
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Undergraduate Research Program
This program provides an opportunity for online undergraduate students to gain experience in conducting educational research under the mentorship of researchers in the Ecampus Research Unit. This program provides high-impact experiences for online students that have typically only been available to campus-based students. See also: Online Undergraduate Research Guide
Completed projects
Closed Captioning Studies
Student Uses and Perceptions of Closed Captions and Transcripts: Results from a National Study
This national study was designed to investigate institutional solutions for closed captions. ECRU collaborated with 3Play Media to conduct a national online survey with college students.
Implementation of & Solutions for Closed Captioning in U.S. Institutions of Higher Education: Results from a National Study
This national study was designed to investigate institutional solutions for closed captions. ECRU collaborated with 3Play Media to conduct a national online survey with higher education administrators at institutions implementing closed captioning.
Student Use and Perceptions of Closed Captions in the Fully Online Classroom
The survey study was designed to explore how students in online courses use captions and whether students perceive captions as helpful to their learning. The study was conducted with students of Oregon State University Ecampus. The project was partially funded by the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA).
The Impact of Closed Caption Use on Learning Outcomes in Fully Online Classes
This experimental study was designed to determine the impact of captioning use on student learning in a college-level fully online environment. The study was conducted in an online Biology course at Oregon State University. The project was partially funded by the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA).
Student Device Preferences
Student Device Preferences for Online Course Access and Multimedia Learning
As multimedia development efforts continue to become more important in online learning, gathering data regarding student device preferences helps us better inform the focus of course design efforts. This report is based on a survey of more than 2,000 students who took online courses at Oregon State University through Oregon State Ecampus. The results provide insight into students’ device preferences for accessing their online courses and interacting with multimedia, such as videos and simulations. The study highlights some of the reasons why students who take courses online may prefer different devices for different educational purposes.
Report Reader Checklist
As online education continues to grow and develop as a field, the literature of online teaching and learning is also increasing. Each year, research study reports are published from vendors, distance education organizations, and researchers who hope to contribute to our understanding of the online education landscape. The ECRU is creating a free Report Reader Checklist as a resource to help report readers to assess the quality of what they are reading along six key areas: (1) content, (2) methodology, (3) sample, (4) reporting results, (5) transparency, and (6) reader experience.
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Research Preparation and Engagement of Instructional Designers in U.S. Higher Education
Research Preparation and Engagement of Instructional Designers in U.S. Higher Education
This national study explores the research engagement and training of instructional designers in institutions of higher education. This study targeted institutional designers with a range of experience levels and training backgrounds in order to better understand how they use and engage in research on teaching and learning in their current roles, what previous training they have received in research methods and design, and whether they feel prepared to conduct research on teaching and learning in their current roles.
“High-Impact Practices in Online Education: Research and Best Practices” edited collection
With chapters from a diverse set of authors representing a range of disciplines and institutional contexts, “High-Impact Practices in Online Education” fulfills a need for a research-based, comprehensive volume that provides faculty members and administrators with the current best practice literature on how high-impact practices are being implemented online to improve student retention and completion. This volume offers guidance about translating high-impact practices to online environments that takes into account the differences between online and traditional on-campus students.
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“The Business of Innovating Online: Practical Tips and Advice from e-Learning Leaders” edited collection
Through specific examples and practical suggestions from experiencede-learning leaders, “The Business of Innovating Online” introduces concrete strategies for how to create a climate of creativity and innovation that can lead to more successful and scalable online programs and initiatives. This volume will offer guidance that takes into account the idea that there is no “formula” for innovation, but that there are ways to nurture an innovative distance education organization. “The Business of Innovating Online” will be the first volume to focus specifically on the practices, cultures, and climates that foster creativity and innovation in distance education administrative units.
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“Research in Action” Podcast
Active from 2016-2020, “Research in Action” (RIA) was a podcast about topics and issues related to research in higher education featuring experts across a range of disciplines. Guests were from a range of higher education institutions and shared their expertise on qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods as well as their personal experiences as researchers, research and writing practices, organizational and productivity strategies, and much more.
