Research Work & Case Studies
These projects highlight how Dana’s research translates into measurable outcomes — influencing design, improving adoption, and aligning executives with user needs.
Innovating for individuals who are blind/have low vision
After three years of research, development, and implementation, Lenovo was the first laptop manufacturer to integrate additional tactile cues in its keyboards to increase accessibility. As a senior researcher, I led the discovery research for this project to learn more about the tech experiences of individuals who are blind/have low vision and the barriers they face.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:
Understanding Expectations and Mapping Preferences for Writing Classroom Design
Gierdowski and Miller-Cochran describe the evolution of their approaches toward computer writing classrooms at North Carolina State University, particularly given the increasing costs of maintaining these spaces.
ECAR Study of the Technology Needs of Students with Disabilities, 2020
Technology in higher education can be both an aid and a challenge for students with disabilities. Institutions and instructors can take steps to ensure that these students have equitable access, and those same measures can help all students, particularly during the era of emergency remote teaching.
Flexibility Adds Function to First-Year Writing Program
In instruction, technology is waxing as budgets are waning — especially in writing programs. Dr. Susan K Miller-Cochran, an associate professor and director in the first-year writing program at NC State, worked with doctoral candidate Dana Gierdowski to embrace technology, cut costs and craft a sustainable classroom model. Collaborating with the college IT group and the College of Design, Miller-Cochran and Gierdowski’s research produced a classroom model that not only balanced technology and budgetary constraint, but also added necessary flexibility to writing instruction.
Instructor Perceptions of a Flexible Writing Classroom
The design of the “flexible” classroom at this institution evolved over the course of several years. During this time, writing program administrators worked to move all first-year courses to computer classrooms so both instructors and students had access to writing technologies for each class meeting. First-year writing courses at this institution today are held in several different kinds of classrooms, including desktop computer rooms, laptop computer rooms, and “bring-your-own-technology” (BYOT) rooms. The desktop computer rooms (figure 1) are arranged in a traditional computer lab layout, with computer stations arranged in rows. Laptop classrooms (figure 2) are arranged in group tables that each seat between four and six students, and each seat is outfitted with a university-supplied laptop computer that is tethered to the table.
Peer Recommendations
Insights from industry leaders
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