I head the Applied Cognitive Theory, Usability and Learning (ACTUAL) laboratory at OSU. The goal of the ACTUAL lab is to use the principles of cognitive psychology to effectively design and evaluate learning environments, human-computer interfaces, and the overall design and engineering process. The ACTUAL lab is located in the Oak Creek Building in the southwest corner of the OSU Corvallis campus.

Current projects being conducted within the ACTUAL Lab:

• cognitive abilities and learning science
  how do relevant visuospatial and attentional abilities impact the construction of mental models for science understanding?  Should this change or affect how we instruct these learners?

• understanding workload and safety in UAV systems
  how do the responsibilities of unmanned aerial systems affect human cognition and mental workload?  How can we make these systems safer?

• advanced training of engineering aptitudes
  using cutting edge technology liks virtual reality and augmented reality, how best can we design training systems for a variety of engineering contexts?

• usability of mobile devices and technology
  does being 'on the go' always equal an accurate awareness of a situation? How can technology help us realize enhanced cognitive and perceptual performance?

• creativity and design
  what is creativity and how can we encourage designers to produce novel or impactful solutions?

• perceptual  factors and judgments
  how do perceptual differences like lower resolution or quality impact attitudes and judgments about content?

Current Graduate Students:  Nisha Raghunath, M.S. & Tyler Read, M.S.

ACTUAL Lab alumni: Steven Banas, M.S.; Tegan Garland, M.S., James (Zach) Goolsbee, M.S., Jamie Naylor, M.S.; Jerome Sinocruz, M.S.

Past Undergraduate Research Assistants:

Chelsea Ahart, Zoe Alley, Tyler Ashby, Kan Bassi, Nathan Bauer, Taylor Beecher, Joanna Bikman, Sabrina Blancarte, Adrienne Boggess, Elizabeth Brothers, Russell Clark, Olivia Calvallo, Daniel Cossey, Amanda Crawford, Laura Dawson, Kelly Downes, Amanda Elson, Lexi Gauthier, Madison Gebhardt, Pedro Gutierrez, Samantha Hicks, Lena Hildenbrand, Kristina Hoffman, Issac Nicholas Hong, Gregory Jackson, Alyssa Johnson, Kadie Kakumitsu, Harpreet Kaur, Safia Khan, Jennifer LaFlesch, Shaun Lobsinger, Kyle Lindgard, Yulissa Magana, Jason Mamangon, Michael McDougal, Mason McDowell, Rachel McWilliams, Dakota Millak, Dysia Nieters, Kathleen Nottingham, Chloe Okamoto, Kishan Patel, Hellen Pham, Courtney Powell, Amber Robins, Tyler Read, Alyssa Reid, Zosia Roberts, Sabrina Santarossa, Jennifer Szabo, Lisa Thew, Jessica Voge, Samantha Van Doren, Jude Venti, Elissa Webb, Karah Weber, Taylor Wolgamott, Stacy Yen-Lin Sim