University of Calgary convocation (November, 2014) - Dr. Cannon mentioned my research during her speech.
Masters Thesis: Factors Affecting Implementation of Educational Media Casting As an Instructional Resource in Distance Education.
Doctoral Dissertation: The Cerebral Hemodynamics of Cognitive Load: Learning Anatomy with Static and Dynamic Digital Images.
Podcasting as tool for blended courses (Continuation of Masters Thesis research and interest)
Podcasting as a means for student engagement in a fully online course
Augmented Reality for physiology and anatomy courses
ePortfolios (Mahara) for medical education and graduate programs
Using assessments to measure competency progression in undergraduate courses: Why baselines are important.
Establishing a standardization criteria for online learning objects: The creation of an independent learning scorecard.
Cerebral hemodynamics of cognitive load
Cognitive efficiency differences in learners with varying spatial ability
The correlation between perceived mental effort and cognitive efficiency: How is performance impacted?
Acquiring increased spatial reasoning
Design standards for complex learning environments
Motivation for learning through games and incentives (i.e. badges)
Loftus, J., Barber, C., Wilson, T. & Jacobsen, M. (2025). Spatial Ability & Time: Implications for Digital Media in Assessments. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 32(1), 127-148.
Loftus, J. J., Jacobsen, M., & Wilson, T. D. (2017). The relationship between spatial ability, cerebral blood flow and learning with dynamic images: A transcranial Doppler ultrasonography study. Medical Teacher, 1-7.http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0142159X.2017.1395401
Loftus, J., Jacobsen, D. M., & Wilson, T. D. (2016). Learning and Assessment with Images: A view of Cognitive Load through the lens of cerebral blood flow. British Journal of Educational Technology – http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.12474/abstract
Hart, Lara, Rashmi Nedadur, Jaime Reardon, Natalie Sirizzotti, C. Poonai, K. Speechley, J. Loftus, M. Miller, M. Salvadori, and N. Poonai. (2015) "156: an interactive web-based module versus website and standard of care for parental fever education: a randomized controlled trial." Paediatrics & Child Health 20, no. 5: e90-e90.
Loftus, J., Stavraky, T., & Urquhart, B. L. (2014). Design it yourself (DIY): in-house instructional design for online pharmacology. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s10459-013-9492-2
Loftus, J., & Wilson, T. D. (2013). Spatial ability and cognitive load demands during visual learning and testing: A transcranial Doppler ultrasound study. The FASEB Journal, 27(1_MeetingAbstracts), 959-14.
Kenny, R.F., Bullen, M. & Loftus, J. (2006, May). Problem Formulation and Resolution in Online Problem-based Learning. Paper presented at the joint annual meeting of the Canadian Association for Distance Education and the Association for Media and Technology in Education in Canada, Montreal, QC.
Campus Technology, Boston 2012
Abstract
Demand for e-learning courses has risen dramatically placing pressure on institutions to offer more online courses. Third party vendors now offer courses that can be embedded directly into learning management systems. When transitioning from in-class to e-learning formats, instructors must decide whether to use commercially available courses or design in-house. The objective of this study was to evaluate our transition from delivering introductory pharmacology via a purchased e-pack to an in-house designed course. A team that included an instructional designer, an education specialist and a content expert created an online course in pharmacology. Merrill’s first principles of instruction were used as a guide for the design of our online course. Where appropriate, multiple forms of media were introduced to reinforce concepts. We compared grades and design strategy from a previous iteration that was delivered using a commercially available e-pack. A cost analysis was conducted to determine the institutional setup and maintenance costs of in-house course design. The mean final grade from the in-house designed course was 81.9 (0.5) % compared to 76.4 (0.5) % for the e-pack course (P < 0.001). Course evaluations were significantly improved for the in-house course compared to the e-pack. Cost-analysis demonstrated that designing a course in-house has a high initial cost ($111,180.57) but can be maintained with minimal institutional cost ($500) in future offerings. Our results demonstrate that effective courses can be designed in-house and this should be a viable option for institutions that have appropriate resources to support instructional design.American Anatomical Association Annual Meeting 2013 (FASEB, Boston)
Abstract
Determining the efficacy of learning technologies is often based solely on learning outcomes or performance of students. Technologies that fail to aid students in these outcomes are often abandoned. The present study examines the relationship between the demands of cognitive processing and the underlying physiological response. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the affects of increased cognitive processing on learner cerebral blood flow. Utilizing learners of high (HSA) and low spatial ability (LSA), we hypothesize is that cognitive processing of visual information will be mitigated by spatial ability. Using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to measure blood flow velocity, it is believed a negative correlation will exist between mean blood flow velocity and spatial ability. Similarly, a negative correlation between mean blood flow velocity and performance will exist. Overall, this suggests cognitive processing will be more efficient and effective in learners with higher spatial abilities.AERA Annual Meeting April, 2016 - Washington, D.C. (Slides)
Abstract
The relationship between cognitive processing and spatial ability offers insight into the effectiveness of complex images for learning. In this study we demonstrate that high and low spatial ability learners process complex images differently for learning. Processing for the present study was determined by changes in cerebral blood velocity and measured using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Our results show that there is a slight increase from baseline values of cerebral blood velocity in individuals with high spatial ability during the learning task for the present study compared to low spatial ability learners. Differences in learner performance were marginal. Future iterations need to include other elements such as auditory information to determine the full extend of cognitive load using multimedia learning objects.AERA Annual Meeting April, 2017 - San Antonio, TX. (Poster)
Abstract
The present research examined the relationship between a learner’s perceived level of mental exertion and the corresponding physiological responses. For the present study we measured physiological responses of cerebral blood velocity in the right middle cerebral artery, as well as respiration changes via measurement of end-tidal CO2 during learning tasks using static and dynamic images. Results suggest that there is an effect occurring between perceived mental effort and physiological response based on spatial ability. Patterns emerging from this research may be indicative of the need for a wider field of measurement in the brain. The results presented within this study serve as a starting point for future research using more advanced neuroimaging techniques.AERA Annual Meeting April, 2019 - Toronto, Ontario (Poster)
Abstract
Testing times of twenty-nine volunteers comparing spatial ability (SPA) and scores during learning tasks using static and dynamic images were examined for this study. Correlation, independent group t-tests, and ANCOVA were used to examine differences in completion times of learning tasks between high and low SPA learners.Loftus, J. & O’Neill, L. (2008, April). Instructional Design Best Practices to effectively implement Media Casting in a public post secondary Institution. Conference proceedings of the First International Conference of the new Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE). 2008(1).
O’Neill, L. & Loftus, J. (2008, October). Best Practices for Mobilizing Educational Media in Higher Education. Conference proceedings of mLearn. 2008(1).