The Fourth Annual BCC Title III Summer Institute:

Universal Design & Online Accessibility

Led by Dr. Steve Fadden, Director, Landmark College Institute for Research and Training

Berkshire Community College Campus

Aug 23 & 24, 2011   8:00am ‑ 4:00pm

Community college students have many challenges in the quest for success and completion. Whether the cause is family responsibilities, the first generation to college, disabilities, or just plain exhaustion from holding it all together, how can we help our students be successful through the way we think about constructing and leading our courses?

This Institute will use the Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) principles to guide us in developing awareness and skills in course structure and design.  Topics to be covered include hidden and invisible disabilities, guidelines and principles of UDI, readability, navigation, document construction, and delivery. Learning activities will include lecture, demonstrations, examples, group work, and hands‑on work in the computer lab. Special interests may be explored through breakout group exercises.

Dr. Steve Fadden is the Vice President for Research and Institute Operations at Landmark College and Director of the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training. Dr. Fadden received his Ph.D. in Engineering Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he specialized in cognitive psychology, human perception, and applied human factors research. Dr. Fadden’s experience includes conducting research, evaluation, and project management in academic, industrial, and government settings. His basic research interests include cognitive and perceptual aspects of reading, scene perception, and attention, and his applied interests include evaluating the effectiveness of educational methods and assistive technologies, developing systems for optimal learning and task performance, and applying universal design principles for usability.