Research Symposium

BIO

Xavier Garcia is a second-year student majoring in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, with a goal of becoming a physician. Xavier has received academic recognition throughout his journey at FSU for attaining strong GPAs. Since the Fall 2025 semester, Xavier, under the mentorship of Jaesung Hur, has been researching the impacts that video conferencing environments, utilizing webcams, can have on students and instructors in educational contexts. Xavier strives to learn more about factors that can improve mental wellness, especially when it comes to self-esteem, and understanding the perceptions that instructors and students have towards webcams can provide insight into possible solutions for improving distant learning, potentially enhancing the mental well-being of those who are a part of distant learning education. Additionally, Xavier has gained hands-on experience in a laboratory setting in the Dominican Republic, where he helped a Bioanalyst process blood samples and deliver the results to patients. As a Cell and Molecular Neuroscience major, Xavier has a passion for understanding the important mechanisms of the brain and applying this knowledge to handle mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Xavier’s long-term goal is to help future patients boost their self-esteem so that they can live a healthy lifestyle. Xavier hopes to continue participating in research through his undergraduate and future career to gain the skills and enrichment needed to reach his goals.

Systematic Literature Review on Webcams

Abstract

This study aims to examine the perceptions and experiences of students and educators regarding webcam usage in virtual learning contexts. Over the years, online learning has become increasingly popular, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated its growth. Prior research has found mixed opinions regarding webcam usage. Some studies highlight that videoconferencing allows students and instructors to engage in real-time discussions, eliminating the need for in-person contact. Other studies indicate that many students and educators have also felt overwhelmed and hesitant about using their webcams. Based on these findings, it is important to review additional literature to gain further insight into the role webcams play from both a learner’s and instructor’s perspective to provide data for future research designed to improve webcam usage in teaching and learning environments. To conduct this study, our team located articles from three different education-focused databases that discussed the different teaching approaches taken in virtual environments. We then screened articles and only included articles that specified the use of video-conferencing tools or webcams in teaching and learning environments and summarized key themes. Based on our current articles, there was a common trend: many students and instructors believed webcams promoted engagement and social presence, while others reported exhaustion and expressed privacy concerns related to revealing personal spaces, background environments, and noise. These results suggest that webcams may be useful in online learning, but additional data is needed to help future researchers develop instructional strategies that instructors can use to improve webcam experiences in online classes.

Keywords: Webcam Environments, Virtual Learning, Social Presence, Video Conferencing, Education