Bruning Teaching Academy

The Bruning Teaching Academy (BTA) provides a developmental, peer-to-peer approach for continuous improvement and implementation of evidence-based best practices. The program matches non-tenured professors with tenured professors known for their excellence in teaching, with the goal of stimulating inspired teaching dedicated to students’ academic success. Participants come together throughout the academic year to discuss instructional strategies, provide constructive feedback and work toward one common goal — improving teaching.

BTA participants set goals they hope to accomplish each semester, following a backward design model for instruction that emphasizes the importance of planning the desired outcomes before deciding the teaching and assessment methods to use.

Bruning Teaching Academy Goals

Write clear learning goals that are student-centered, use active verbs, and are measurable.
Align learning activities with the learning goals.
Create assessment tools that are aligned with the learning activities and accurately assess achievement of the learning goal.
Employ techniques that encourage student participation in the learning activities and engagement with the learning goals.
Share ideas and garner feedback related to teaching and learning with a network of colleagues across campus.
Observe a colleague teach, review his/her materials, and provide feedback that would help improve his/her teaching.

Current Leaders

Raymond Frost

Raymond Frost is a professor of analytics and information systems in the College of Business, and he is the Director of Studies for College of Business students in the Honors Tutorial College. Frost has received multiple teaching honors from Ohio University, including the Presidential Teaching Award, University Professor Teaching Award, Honors Tutorial College Distinguished Mentor Award, Honors Tutorial College Outstanding Tutor Award, College of Business Senior Class Teaching Award, and the College of Business Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award.

Lynn Harter

Lynn Harter is a professor of health communication in the School of Communication Studies and co-director of the Barbara Geralds Institute for Storytelling and Social Impact in the Scripps College of Communication. Harter has received numerous teaching awards at Ohio University, including the University Professor Award, Honors Tutorial College Distinguished Mentor Award, and the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Teacher at Ohio University.

Linda Rice

Linda J. Rice is the James S. Reid/Standard Products Company Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Charles J. Ping Institute for the Teaching of the Humanities. Rice is also Professor of English and Director of the Master of Arts in English (MAE) Online program. She has received multiple awards from Ohio University, including the Presidential Teacher Award, University Professor Teaching Award, College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Teaching Award, and the Excellence in Higher Education Award from Ohio Magazine.