Hey there! I’m Ryan Baltrip, and I’m passionate about helping leaders and organizations discover and deliver value. Currently, I’m an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Old Dominion University, where I get to share my love for marketing and AI with students. I also have the opportunity to contribute to the Loyalty Science Lab as its Associate Director.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of leading teams and institutions through periods of exciting growth and transformation. Whether it was developing strategic plans that boosted academic quality or spearheading the creation of new academic programs, I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of finding innovative ways to create value. In fact, I’ve been fortunate enough to help create over 50 new academic programs that now generate over $50 million in revenue annually and serve over 40,000 online students through various digital learning initiatives.
Before joining ODU, I was the Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Carson-Newman University. I oversee a wide range of academic programs and enrollment activities. My team and I worked hard to establish a new college, create a strategic plan focused on growth, and develop exciting new graduate and undergraduate online degrees.
I also had the amazing privilege of helping shape the strategic direction of digital learning initiatives at Miami University. Serving out of the Provost Office as the chief online learning officer for the main campus, we launched a variety of successful online, hybrid, and professional development programs while enhancing academic excellence and extending learning innovation. And earlier in my career, I was part of another incredible team at William & Mary where, out of the Provost Office, we cast a vision for and fostered learning innovation and helped expand a variety of online, hybrid, and distance education offerings across the university.
Overall, it’s been a fulfilling journey filled with opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact. From my seminary days, I came across a quote from the missionary William Carey that said, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things from God.” It kind of captures the essence of my outlook on creativity, business, education, innovation, and life as a whole. Let’s keep moving forward with hope and great expectations!
The Bridge Bible
Many people read the Bible, but how many do not understand it? The Bridge Bible was created to help address this problem. In clear and straightforward language, the Bridge faithfully translates the original biblical texts into an innovative, user-friendly, and easy to understand Bible. The Bridge Bible is a Bible for the 21st Century. It is the most dynamic Bible translation available and will help you fill the gap between the biblical and contemporary world.
Click any of the covers below to see the books of the bible that are available now or visit www.bridgebible.net to learn more.
The Data-Driven Blueprint for Successful Online Programs
Launching and sustaining a successful online program takes more than just a great idea. It requires careful planning, a solid understanding of the numbers, and a clear vision for the student experience. Three essential tools – the pro forma, enrollment cascades, and course sequence cascades – offer institutions a multi-faceted lens through which to plan, analyze, and make data-powered decisions when establishing and scaling online programs.
1. The Pro Forma: Your Financial Roadmap
Think of a pro forma as the financial blueprint for your online program. It’s a model that projects your expected multi-year revenue, expenses, and profitability. A well-crafted pro forma helps answer these critical questions:
- Feasibility: Can this program sustain itself financially? When will it break even?
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Inside the World of a Chief Online Learning Officer: 3 Days of Innovation, Collaboration, and Strategic Leadership
Over the past 30+ years, online learning leadership has been growing and evolving. But what does it look like to serve a large, entrepreneurial institution as the Chief Online Learning Officer (COLO)? What does life actually look like on the ground for this role? To offer a transparent, behind-the-scenes glimpse, this post draws from three days in the life of a university’s COLO. While some elements may be specific to this institution, the overarching themes reflect the fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and strategic nature of effectively leading online learning initiatives.
Day 1: Balancing Pricing Strategy, Professional Development, and Cross-University Collaboration
The first day highlights a blend of high-level strategic thinking and hands-on problem-solving. These were/are all things worked on during one actual day […]
Flipped Community: Decentralizing Online Learning
Several years ago, I was working on a draft paper that discusses decentralizing online learning by flipping our concept of a learning community. The notes below summarize the draft paper, which, at the moment, remains still incomplete and unfinished.
The concept of “flipping” is popular in education. It implies a change for the better, whether in course design (“flipped classroom”) or, as proposed in this article, the underlying concept of “learning community.”
Flipping Community: A New Approach
The authors argue that the traditional notion of “learning community” in higher education is problematic for several reasons:
- Lack of Theoretical Grounding: They critique the field for its fragmented approach and lack of a unifying theory of learning community and social presence […]
Building a Culture of Instructional Innovation: Opportunities and Challenges (Presentation)
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, fostering a culture of continuous innovation – embracing new ways to enhance the learning experience – is a top priority for many institutions. However, motivating faculty to explore and implement new teaching approaches can be a significant challenge. In 2017, while at William & Mary, I presented at the Online Learning Consortium (OLC). My presentation titled “Building a Culture of Instructional Innovation: Opportunities and Challenges” aimed to ignite a conversation on how institutions can best support and inspire faculty to embrace innovation in their teaching.
Presentation Summary
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The Context of Innovation: My presentation explored the interplay between an institution’s mission focused on high-quality teaching and a broader culture embracing innovation. It highlighted […]
Student Perspectives on Online Instructional Strategies
Convenience is often a major draw for online learning, but are students truly satisfied with the way their online courses are designed? Understanding how students perceive different instructional strategies is key to improving the quality of online education. At the Lilly Teaching Conference in Anaheim, I presented research aimed at uncovering online students’ perspectives and offering faculty and instructional designers actionable insights.
Presentation Summary: What Do Students Really Think?
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The Central Question: My presentation explored whether online students are satisfied with online courses simply because of the flexibility, or whether they are genuinely satisfied with the instructional strategies used within them.
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Background and Data: The research involved undergraduate online courses with primarily traditional-aged students (19-21). While […]
Building a Faculty Development Culture of Instructional Innovation: Opportunities and Challenges
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, fostering a culture of continuous innovation is crucial. Encouraging faculty to explore and adopt new instructional approaches is key to enhancing student learning experiences. Yet, institutions often face challenges in successfully engaging faculty in this process.
In 2017, while at William & Mary, I presented with Instructional Design Specialist Josh Chung at the Online Learning Consortium (OLC). Our presentation, titled “Building a Faculty Development Culture for Instructional Innovation: Opportunities and Challenges” delved into the complexities surrounding innovation in higher education. We explored motivations, barriers, and strategies for institutions seeking to cultivate a dynamic environment where innovation thrives.
Presentation Summary
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Defining Instructional Innovation: The presentation clarified that instructional innovation encompasses any new or […]