Boise State University’s eCampus Center announced on Mar. 18 the recipients of the 2026 eCampus Research and Impact Fellowship, recognizing faculty members for their research into innovative practices to improve online teaching and learning.
The fellowship supports projects that address current challenges in online education, including artificial intelligence, student engagement, digital simulations, and open educational resources. The aim is to generate insights that enhance the quality of online instruction, promote student participation, and increase equitable access to learning opportunities.
Among the recipients is Leslie Atkins, Professor of Teaching, Learning, and Community Engagement. Atkins’ project will use AI-generated personas to help students better understand diverse roles in scientific fields by simulating professional narratives and decision-making scenarios. Michelle Bennett, Associate Teaching Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, will focus on using AI-driven experiential simulations through the Wonda platform to improve students’ conflict-resolution skills.
Professors Yu-Hui Ching and Yu-Chang Hsu from Educational Leadership are continuing a study guiding pre-service teachers in using AI tools for lesson planning while critically evaluating their work. Jayne Josephsen from the School of Nursing will develop AI-based simulations aimed at building emotional intelligence among nursing students. Darci McCall’s project will integrate digital video with custom avatars to create immersive patient encounters for remote nursing programs.
Other fellows include Gemma Morawski from World Languages, who is embedding interactive elements into open textbooks to streamline course activities; Margaret Sass from the College of Arts & Sciences, who is examining how generative AI affects teamwork skills; Brett E. Shelton from Educational Leadership researching H5P interactives in open textbooks; and Hetal Vig from Genetic Counseling developing AI-driven standardized patient simulations tailored to clinical scenarios.
These projects reflect Boise State’s ongoing commitment to advancing online education through evidence-based research. The results are expected to inform future teaching strategies and resource development across disciplines.
