OXFORD, Miss. – Lydia Lytal of Pontotoc, became the first University of Mississippi faculty member to teach a laboratory science class completely online in 2024. Her innovative course was well-received by UM students, so much so that she was named the winner of this year’s Paragon Award for Excellence in Distance Teaching, presented by the UM Academic Outreach Office, home of Ole Miss Online.
Lytal, an instructional assistant professor of biology, crafted an online learning experience for BISC 103 “An Inquiry into Life.” This lab 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,” Lytal said.
Lytal worked to foster teachable moments that were interactive and engaging to help facilitate 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,” Lytal 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.”
Wan Petchroon, an instructional designer and training specialist with UM Academic Outreach, said that Lytal’s online course stood out due to the nature of a lab course.
“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.”
Lytal said that one of the elements that is vital to an online course for the instructor and the student is communication.
“I start off with an introduction video to help reduce anxiety for students who may have never taken a lab course online,” Lytal 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 Lytal’s class commented on how the structure of this online course was helpful for keeping on track with assignments.
“I really enjoyed how organized each assignment was. 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.”
Lytal said that each week when the new class module is available for students to view, she sends out an email with an introduction to that week’s assignments along with encouraging words for students.
“I don’t want students to see a module without instructions from me verbally. 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.”
Lytal said she often follows up with students mid-week to see if everyone is understanding the assignments.
“I want to check in and ask students if they need any help or have questions about that week’s module. Is there anything you are not able to do? Do you need any additional explanations? I simply want students to know they are not alone in this course, and I am willing to help them if they feel they need it.”
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 has been sharing her award-winning teaching techniques with fellow UM faculty this year as one of Ole Miss Online’s WOW! Faculty Fellows. She held Zoom sessions to share ways for making courses more visually appealing in Blackboard Ultra.
In another session, she shared her experience in humanizing online learning by enhancing teacher presence to meet the goal of 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.” Lytal said.
Lytal received her award this month during the annual Ole Miss Online faculty luncheon along side Paragon Award honorable mention winners Darren Grem, associate professor of U.S. History and Lee Ingram, adjunct instruction in management and entrepreneurship.