Biology Faculty Member Honored as Online Instructor of the Year

Lytal, an instructional assistant professor of biology, crafted an online learning experience for BISC 103: An Inquiry Into Life, the first online lab course offered at Ole Miss. This course accompanies the BISC 102: Human Biology lecture course.

"One of the best ways to teach science is to do science, and that can be challenging in an online environment," she said.

Lytal worked to create teachable moments that were interactive and engaging by providing hands-on learning opportunities for students, even in an online course format.

"Traditionally, labs at UM have not been offered online, so I knew I had to think outside of the box," she said. "I wanted to make sure that students could complete the labs outside of a traditional laboratory space, supplies didn't cost very much, and that students could learn with each assignment."

Lytal's online course stood out due to the nature of a lab course, said Wan Petchroon, an instructional designer and training specialist with the Office of Academic Outreach.

"The material is inherently more difficult to adapt to an online setting, yet Dr. Lytal did an exceptional job," Petchroon said. "She is passionate about teaching and providing outstanding online student experiences as shown through her course design, assignment variety and the interactivity of her course."

One vital element for a successful online course is good communication between the instructor and students, Lytal said.

"I start off with an introduction video to help reduce anxiety for students who may have never taken a lab course online," she said. "It lets the students know that they can be successful in this course and gives them the opportunity to learn about my personality and teaching style."

Each module is listed by week with a clear title, a description, and a visual cue.

"One of the challenges of online teaching is getting a student through the work independently," Lytal said. "I want to give students a shot at being successful and giving them the right tools and the right direction at the start of each module is so important in an online class."

One student in the class said the course's structure was helpful for keeping on track with assignments.

"I really enjoyed how organized each assignment was," the student said. "Our teacher provided step-by-step instructions that were simple to understand.

"Sometimes online courses can be set aside or confusing if the Blackboard page is unorganized, but I did not feel like that was the case in this class."

When the new weekly class module is available for students to view, Lytal sends an email with an introduction to the week's assignments along with encouraging words for students.

"I don't want students to see a module without instructions from me verbally," she said. "I know this course can be difficult for some students, so I use announcements on Blackboard Ultra and various visual cues to help alleviate any anxiety that students may have when taking a science course."

The Paragon Award criteria include successful online course design, innovative use of technology, and a commitment to the student experience.

"In science especially, sometimes we discuss more complicated subjects, like DNA," Lytal said. "You can't see the molecules of DNA without a microscope, and online students may not have one on hand, so I found virtual labs where students could still view magnified specimens, manipulate an experiment and analyze data.

"Some students told me that these are their favorite labs of the week because they're so interactive. And interactive assignments are some of the most successful practices you can offer for students in online courses."

Lytal shared her award-winning teaching techniques with fellow faculty this year as one of Ole Miss Online's WOW! Faculty Fellows. She has shared ways to make courses more visually appealing in Blackboard Ultra and discussed humanizing online learning by enhancing teacher presence to achieve better student engagement.

"I believe that all students can learn and even come to love science if they are given a correct experience in a classroom of safety and creativity," she said.

Top: Biology professor Lydia Lytal (standing) teaches a class in the Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation. Lytal created and led the university's first online lab course, and the Office of Academic Outreach has recognized her efforts with this year's Paragon Award for Excellence in Distance Teaching. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services