Instructional technology professor recognized for teaching excellence

Rob Branch, professor and head of the department of career and information studies, has been inducted into the UGA Teaching Academy as a member of the Class of 2017. The goal of the Academy is to provide a campus forum for leadership in teaching and learning.

The Teaching Academy consists of faculty who are considered excellent or highly interested in teaching and engage in advocacy, service, or advising on teaching matters. The service-oriented collective also has a significant impact on the university's pursuit of teaching excellence.

Branch-whose areas of expertise include instructional design, visual literacy, project management and strategic planning-emphasizes instructional strategies in his teaching philosophy to help students become independent learners.

"My instructional goals always attempt to teach in ways that have meaning for the students after they leave my classroom," he said. "I take every opportunity to use educational technologies that facilitate the variety of relationships found in spaces dedicated to intentional learning spaces."

In addition to his work in the classroom, Branch edits the Educational Media and Technology Yearbook and is the author of "Survey of Instructional Development Models and Instructional Design: The ADDIE Approach." Branch's published research focuses on diagramming complex conceptual relationships and other complicated flow processes.

The Teaching Academy Campus Program was established by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Association for Higher Education to discuss, celebrate and promote teaching excellence.