The eCampus Center is proud to host the annual Online Education Research Symposium from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. The event will highlight the innovative work of online education researchers. These faculty members explore the frontiers of artificial intelligence, digital simulations and interactive media to address emerging opportunities and challenges in online pedagogy. Representing a variety of academic disciplines, their collective research examines how to deepen student empathy, elevate critical thinking and optimize knowledge acquisition in online education. Boise State is partnering with Oregon State University to bring in online education researchers from around the country.
Register for the research symposium through Zoom or CampusGroups.
Symposium presenters will include:
- Jayne Josephsen
- Leslie Atkins
- ShaKayla Moran
- Yu-Hui Ching
- Yu-Chang Hsu
- Brett Shelton
- Online education researchers from around the country
Presenters
Jayne Josephsen, College of Health Sciences
- Immersive AI Simulations: This research uses digital simulations such as the Wonda platform to create immersive learning experiences grounded in simulation-based pedagogy. Wonda allows educators to create interactive, scenario-based learning experiences without coding skills or VR hardware. The research deployed in NURS 422 to develop AI-generated experiential learning interventions. The study focuses on the efficacy and student experience with these interventions, exploring how AI-generated impact learning outcomes.
Leslie Atkins and ShaKayla Moran, College of Arts and Sciences
- Cultivating Empathy and Perspective Through AI Personas in Federal Science Funding: This research explores how cultivating and conversing with AI-generated scientific personas over time impacts students’ awareness of and empathy towards key members of the scientific workforce. In STEM-ED 220, students will assume particular personas (such as a recent immigrant graduate student working on carbon capture, a Manhattan Project member who escaped fascism, or a Chief Information Security Officer) and craft plausible biographies for those characters. These personas, built on student input and enhanced by AI, will engage students in meaningful dialog about research goals, challenges, economic implications, and political considerations. This longitudinal assignment threads together various components of the course throughout the semester, compelling student interest in unique perspectives and deepening their understanding of the scientific ecosystem and diverse career pathways.
Yu-Hui Ching and Yu-Chang Hsu, College of Education and Public Service
- Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for AI-Enhanced Instruction: Building Critical Thinking Skills: In collaboration with Dr. Yu-Chang Hsu, this follow-up study aims to help pre-service teachers develop the critical thinking skills required to effectively use AI in their future teaching careers. The research will place pre-service teachers in authentic educator scenarios where they use Amplify AI to generate initial drafts of lesson plans. They will then critically evaluate the AI-generated content using a detailed rubric designed to scaffold the process. This activity helps pre-service teachers understand that while AI can be a powerful tool for content creation, its outputs require thoughtful evaluation and intentional refinement to ensure instructional soundness, contextual appropriateness, and responsiveness to diverse student populations. Data collection will include participant-AI interaction logs, interviews, and reflections, providing insight into how pre-service teachers engage with AI tools and develop their critical thinking skills related to instructional design.
Brett Shelton, College of Education and Public Service
- This research works with OER and H5P to assess learning acquisition among students. eSports students will provide their perspectives and experiences using these tools. Using a survey design to gain student perspectives, Shelton will evaluate which H5P might contribute to positive learning experiences and knowledge acquisition among students.