Faculty Profile – Lysandra Perez-Strumolo: Embracing the Online Teaching Experience

Lysandra Perez-Strumolo, Associate Professor of Psychology, once thought of technology purely as a distraction and impediment to student engagement. Yet as she began to incorporate some technological tools she discovered some unexpected ways in which technology could bolster her instruction. Now Professor Perez-Strumolo incorporates a range of technologies. She relies on Moodle discussion forums to present problem-based questions that students answer both individually and in teams. She uses Qualtrics, a survey building tool, to help students evaluate each other’s presentations; the students use their mobile phones to provide the presenter with immediate feedback. Another important technology for her is Adobe Connect, which she uses to conduct online office hours. “I use technology in a very intentional way and only if it furthers the students’ learning,” says Professor Perez-Strumolo.

As with technology in general, Professor Perez-Strumolo has experienced a dramatic change in opinion related to online courses. She once viewed online education as far inferior to the traditional classroom experience. Now she recognizes that they are different modalities of education, each presenting advantages and disadvantages. She says, “There are certain things you can do better in the online environment, and there are certain things you lose.”  The opportunity for more comprehensive feedback is one of the gains that Professor Perez-Strumolo sees in online courses. However, she feels that we lose the interpersonal connections that we so value in face-to-face settings, a factor that she is aiming to mitigate through collaborative assignments, peer feedback, and discussion forums.

Professor Perez-Strumolo has some excellent advice for those beginning to teach online and integrate technology into their instruction. “Talk to other instructors and look at other course designs as much as possible.” She also recommends reading up on instructional methods and strategies. Here are some of her recommendations:

Engaging Ideas:  The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom by John C. Bean (2011)

Student Engagement Techniques:  A Handbook for College Faculty by Elizabeth Barkley (2009)

Building Online Learning Communities:  Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt (2007)

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