Writing & Speaking
Sharing research insights through articles, talks, and presentations.
Featured
Keynote at UX Research Conference
A talk exploring how to scale mixed-methods research across enterprise organizations, delivered to over 1,000 attendees.
Impact: Influenced best practices in global research teams
Recent Published Reports
Dana C. Gierdowski
In my role as a researcher for EDUCAUSE, I write reports, articles, and blog post that summarize, explain, and contextualize our findings. Below are a few samples. A full list of these publications can be found on my EDUCAUSE
Accessibility Hazards on the Road to College
Gierdowski, Dana C. Accessibility Hazards on the Road to College. EDUCAUSE Review: Data Bytes. Blog post, Louisville, CO: ECAR, November 2020.
ECAR Study of the Technology Needs of Students with Disabilities
Gierdowski, Dana C., and Joseph D. Galanek. ECAR Study of the Technology Needs of Students with Disabilities, 2020. Research report. Louisville, CO: ECAR, May 2020.
Accessible Technology Support for Faculty with Disabilities
Gierdowski, Dana C., Accessible Technology Support for Faculty with Disabilities: Challenges and Barriers to Inclusivity. EDUCAUSE Review. March 20, 2020.
That's the Power of Words
Gierdowski, Dana C., Ben Shulman, and D. Christopher Brooks. That’s the Power of Words: The Effects of Changing Survey Question Language. EDUCAUSE Review: Data Bytes. Blog post, Louisville, CO: ECAR, February 2020.
2019 Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology
Gierdowski, Dana C. ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2019. Research report. Louisville, CO: ECAR, October 2019.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the IT Workforce
Gierdowski, Dana C. and D. Christopher Brooks. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the IT Workforce, 2019. Research report., Louisville, CO: ECAR, August 2019.
ECAR Study of Community College Students and Information Technology
Gierdowski, Dana C. ECAR Study of Community College Students and Information Technology, 2019. Research report. Louisville, CO: ECAR, May 2019.
2018 Students and Technology Research Study
Galanek, Joseph D., Dana C. Gierdowski, and D. Christopher Brooks. ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2018. Research report. Louisville, CO: ECAR, October 2018.
Recent Academic Publications
The Flexible Writing Classroom as a Site for Pedagogical Reflection
Gierdowski, D. and Miller-Cochran, S. (2016). “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Understanding Expectations and Mapping Preferences for Writing Classroom Design.” In J. P. Purdy and D. N. DeVoss (Eds.) Making Space: Writing Instruction, Infrastructure, and Multiliteracies. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press Sweetland.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Gierdowski, D. and Miller-Cochran, S. (2016). “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Understanding Expectations and Mapping Preferences for Writing Classroom Design.” In J. P. Purdy and D. N. DeVoss (Eds.) Making Space: Writing Instruction, Infrastructure, and Multiliteracies. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press Sweetland.
Instructor Perceptions of a Flexible Writing Classroom
Gierdowski, D. (2015). “Instructor Perceptions of a Flexible Writing Classroom.” In R. Carpenter, R. Selfe, S. Apostle, and K. Apostle (Eds.) Sustainable Learning Spaces, Computers & Composition Digital Press, an Imprint of the Utah State University Press.
Geographies of a Writing Space
Gierdowski, D. and Reis, D. (2015) “The MobileMaker: An Experiment with a Mobile Makerspace.” Library Hi Tech 33:4 , 480-496.
Making Peace with the Rising Costs of Writing Technologies
Miller-Cochran, S. and Gierdowski, D. (2013). “Making Peace with the Rising Costs of Writing Technologies: Flexible Classroom Design as a Sustainable Solution.” Computers and Composition Special Issue: Deploying 21st Century Writing on the Economic Frontlines, 30 (1), 50-60.
Studying Learning Spaces
Gierdowski, D. (2012). “Studying Learning Spaces: A Review of Selected Empirical Studies.” In R. Carpenter (Ed.) Cases on Higher Education Spaces. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Conference Presentations
Presentation Pair: Active Learning Classrooms - Sponsored learning space design and furniture provided by Steelcase Education, Gold Partner
Methods for Researching Teaching and Learning Activities within Small Active Learning Classrooms:
There is considerable stakeholder interest in assessing faculty and student use of learning environments and spaces, yet knowing what teachers and learners do within active learning classrooms (ALCs) can be difficult to ascertain beyond self-reported data. This presentation will introduce innovative methods for examining enacted pedagogies within smaller ALCs by pairing video platform technologies with qualitative software analysis. Information will be provided on how to examine the co-occurrences of teacher/learner interactions relative to ALC affordances. Findings from two case studies conducted in spring 2017 will be shared, along with the coding scheme employed. Practical advice on administrative coordination will be detailed.
The 2018 Higher Education IT Workforce Landscape
EDUCAUSE researchers will present the results of the 2018 Higher Education IT Workforce Landscape study. Using data collected from several hundred IT staff, managers, and leaders, we will offer insights and recommendations on a host of topics related to the higher education IT workforce.
2018 ECAR Student Technology Survey
Students are arguably the most important end users of the efforts of IT units to provide effective and reliable technologies. Using data collected from over 64,000 students, we will offer insights and recommendations for data-driven decisions to support the teaching and learning missions of higher education institutions.
2018 Higher Education IT Workforce Landscape
This poster presents survey responses from 1,592 CIOs, managers, and IT staff in higher education, and includes data on demographics, salaries, hiring and retention, the professional pipeline, needed skills, and professional development. We offer suggestions on how to apply these findings to build, strengthen, and retain a skilled IT workforce.
FLEXspace 2.0: An International Community to Elevate Learning Spaces - Learning space design and furniture provided by Steelcase Education, Gold Partner
Experience the new FLEXspace (Flexible Learning Environments eXchange) portal to share, benchmark, and connect with international learning space experts including researchers, faculty, facilities planners, academic technologists, architects, and AV integrators. This hands-on tour will familiarize you (and your campus) with practical toolkits, research, and designs to ideate, plan, catalog, and assess learning spaces. This session will empower you to energize and lead campus-based teams to be more effective when considering learning space attributes and budget priorities.
The Stat Is Right! The Edtech Quiz Show
Join this interactive and participatory quiz show– style session that reports on the most recent findings from ECAR student and faculty survey reports in a fast-paced, high-energy environment! Fun will be had! Learning shall be done! Prizes will be given!
The 2019 ECAR Student and Faculty Technology Surveys
Students and faculty are arguably the most important end users of the efforts of IT units to provide effective and reliable technologies. We will offer insights and recommendations for data-driven decisions to support the teaching and learning missions of higher ed institutions gleaned from data from over 55,000 students and 10,000 faculty.
Special Topics in the 2019 Higher Ed IT Workforce
EDUCAUSE researchers will present the results from four special reports on the higher education IT workforce. Using data collected from nearly 1,600 IT staff, managers, and leaders, we will offer insights and recommendations on several topics related to the higher education IT workforce, including mentoring, DEI, salary, and the CIO.
Co-presenter with Joseph Galanek and D. Christopher Brooks. The 2018 ECAR Student Technology Surveys. EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2018, Denver, CO.
Co-presenter with Meridith Reed. Languaging Our Labor: Studying First-Year Composition Class Size. College Composition and Communication Conference, Kansas City, KS, 2018.
Adventures in a Flexible Writing Classroom: An Ethnographic Study of Instructor Experience and Critical Reflection. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Conference, Calgary, Canada, October 2017.
Co-presenter with Robert Henshaw and Andrea Reubens. “Zoned for Interaction: An Empirical Study of the University of North Carolina’s First Active Learning Hall.” International Forum on Active Learning Classrooms, Minneapolis, MN, August 2017.
Workshops & Webinars
Co-facilitator with Rebecca Frazee and John Augeri. FLEXspace 2.0: An International Community to Elevate Learning Spaces. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Annual Meeting 2019, Anaheim, CA.
Co-presenter with Joseph Galanek, D. Christopher Brooks, and Leah Lang. The 2019 ECAR Student and Faculty Technology Surveys. EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2019, Chicago, IL.
A Preview of the Study of Community College Students and Information Technology. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Webinar, April 2019.
Co-presenter with Joseph Galanek and D. Christopher Brooks. The 2018 Higher Education IT Workforce Landscape. EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2018, Denver, CO.
Writing Effective Assignments in Any Discipline, Office of Faculty Development, North Carolina State University, February 2018.
Co-facilitator with Laura Giovanelli. Writing to Learn in the Active Learning Classroom, International Forum on Active Learning Classrooms, University of Minnesota, August 2017.
ELI Webinar | The IT Experiences of Undergraduate Students: 2018 ECAR Findings
EDUCAUSE researchers will present the results of the 2018 ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology. Using data collected from over 60,000 students, we will offer insights into and recommendations for data-driven decisions to support learning and student success of higher education institutions. Topics will include student device access and ownership, device use and importance, student technology experiences, LMS use and satisfaction, learning environment preferences, experiences with instructors and technology, home internet access, a day in the online life of a student, accessibility, and student success tools.
The 2018 ECAR Student Technology Surveys
EDUCAUSE researchers present the results of the 2018 ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology. Using data collected from over 60,000 students, we will offer insights and recommendations for data-driven decisions to support learning and student success of higher education institutions.
EDUCAUSE Live! Webinar Today's Higher Ed IT Workforce, 2018
Nearly 1,600 members of the higher education IT community recently participated in an EDUCAUSE Research survey about the IT workforce. This ELive! is our opportunity to share the most compelling results of that research back with the higher ed IT community. Learn about how the composition of today's IT workforce looks different (or the same) as it did a few years ago. Hear about the professional experiences that drive career trajectories for managers and CIOs. See the factors that have a positive impact on IT salaries and better understand work environments that help retain qualified staff.
FLEXspace 2.0: An International Community to Elevate Learning Spaces
Experience the new FLEXspace (Flexible Learning Environments eXchange) portal to share, benchmark and connect with international learning space experts including researchers, faculty, facilities planners, academic technologists, architects, and AV integrators. This hands-on tour will familiarize you (and your campus) with practical toolkits, research, and designs to ideate, plan, catalog, and assess learning spaces. This session empowers participants to energize and lead campus-based teams to be more effective when considering learning space attributes and budget priorities.
ELI Webinar | A Preview of the Study of Community College Students and Information Technology
For the first time since 2007, ECAR is giving special attention to the technology experiences of students at US community colleges. This session will preview our forthcoming report that covers topics related to community college student device access and use, and the importance they place on tech devices for their academic success. Findings about this population's perceptions of online student success tool and their learning environment preferences will be shared. We will also highlight results related to issues of accessible and adaptive technologies for students with disabilities at community colleges.
ELI Webinar | The IT Experiences of Faculty and Undergraduate Students: 2019 ECAR Findings
Students and faculty are arguably the most important end users of the efforts of IT units to provide effective and reliable technologies. We will offer insights and recommendations for data-driven decisions to support the teaching and learning missions of higher ed institutions gleaned from data from over 55,000 students and 10,000 faculty.
Webinar | Assessing the User Experience: What Do Your Students Think?
If you're like most, you're probably focusing on initiatives related to accessibility, student success, and/or data privacy. Before you take action on implementing solutions and changing your culture, wouldn't you want to understand more about what your students and faculty think about these issues? In this webinar, you'll learn about how hundreds of institutions have gained insight from thousands of their constituents to understand more about their experiences with technology's top issues.
Improving Access and Universal Design for Learning
We will offer insights on the technology experiences of students with disabilities, gleaned from data from nearly 2,000 open-ended responses, and share examples of how the integration of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles can expand academic access for all students to account for learner variability, choice, and agency.
EDUCAUSE 2020 Student Technology Surveys: Supporting the Whole Student
The digital transformation of the student experience has been hastened and disrupted by pandemic-related upheavals. Through the lens of accessibility, online harassment, data privacy, and other topics, we use data from more than 16,000 students to explore how institutions can support the whole student during the current crisis and beyond.
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