laurie macdonald, Ph.D.

Instructional Design Coordinator
National Center on Severe and Sensory Disabilities
University of Northern Colorado

OFFICE: McKee Hall 44d
PHONE: 970-351-1878 [voicemail]
E-MAIL: laurie.macdonald@unco.edu

 

Laurie re-joined the NCSSD staff after having worked in other areas of UNC as an instructional designer on a Department of Education Demonstration Project Grant addressing educational quality through universal instruction principles and the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Leaning. Outside of UNC she served as a contractor for various instructional design projects for the Colorado Department of Education – Colorado Reading First Project and several on-line Universities.

She recently completed her Ph.D. in Educational Technology here at UNC with emphasis areas of instructional design, interactive technologies and distance education. In addition, she will graduate in August, 2008 with a Statistical Research Methods minir and Educational Psychology additional coursework. Her dissertation work involved investigating the area of technology enhanced literacy interventions for struggling middle school and older readers. She holds a dual focus Master’s Degree from the University of South Dakota in Human Resource Development & Training and Management Information Systems.

RESEARCH AREAS/INTERESTS: 

  • Development and integration of interactive computer-based instructional materials.
  • Accessible web development.
  • Integration of computers in education.
  • Cognition and instruction.

SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

  • MacDonald, L. J. (2006). What Parents Can Do. – Article in special issue on systems thinking and systemic change for education and training. (2006). TechTrends 50(2).

  • MacDonald, L. J., Lowell, K., Liu, P., Tsai, H., & Lohr, L. (2004). Graduate student perspectives on the development of electronic portfolios. TechTrends, 48(3).

  • Tsai, H., Liu, P., Lowell, K., MacDonald, L. J., & Lohr, L. (2004). Graduate student perspectives on the development of electronic portfolios, Part 2. TechTrends, 48(4).

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

  • Bottenberg, D., Johnson, B., Mercurio, M., & MacDonald, L. J. (2006, August). Applications of Universal Design of Instruction to Help College Students. Paper presented at the 2006 American Psychological Association Conference New Orleans, Louisianna.

  • Cantrell, P., Mercurio, M., & MacDonald, L. J. (2006, June). Unscrambling Blogs, Podcasts and RSS Feeds. Paper presented at the 2006 TIE Conference Copper Mountain, Colorado.

  • Cantrell, P., Mercurio, M., & MacDonald, L. J. (2006, April). Unscrambling Blogs, Podcasts and RSS Feeds. Paper presented at the 2006 Telecoop Conference Estes Park, Colorado.

  • Johnson, B., Dreyer, P., Mercurio, M., MacDonald, L., & Bottenberg, D. (2005, February). Faculty Interaction with Students: Strategies to Help Struggling Student to Succeed. Workshop presented at the University of Northern Colorado Disability Awareness Week, Greeley, Colorado.

  • Ku, H.-Y., Lohr, L., & MacDonald, L. J. (2004, June). Student attitudes toward collaborative learning in on-line environments. Paper presented at the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), New Orleans, Louisiana.

  • Liu, P., MacDonald, L. J., Lowell, K., Tsai, H., & Lohr, L. (2004, March). Using the ADDIE model in creating electronic portfolios. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.

  • MacDonald, L. J., & Adamson, C. (2004, May). Creating interactive computer-based training modules using PowerPoint - an electronic workshop. Paper presented at the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

  • MacDonald, L. J., & Gall, J. (2003, April). Timely research reference management. Paper presented at the University of Northern Colorado Research Day, Greeley, Colorado.

  • MacDonald, L. J., Mercurio, M., Trimble, M., & Bottenberg, D. (2004, April). Course notes and course outlines:  Enhancing educational quality through universal instruction principles. Paper presented at the University of Northern Colorado Research Day, Greeley, Colorado.

  • MacDonald, L. J., Mercurio, M., Trimble, M., & Bottenberg, D. (2004, April). Building an Interactive Syllabus:  Enhancing Educational Quality through Universal Instruction Principles. Paper presented at the University of Northern Colorado Research Day, Greeley, Colorado.

  • Mercurio, M. & MacDonald, L. J. (2004, October). Course Notes and Course Outlines:  Enhancing Educational Quality Through Universal Instruction Principles. Concurrent session presented at the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Annual International Convention, Chicago, Illinois.

  • Mercurio, M., MacDonald, L. J., Bottenberg, D., & Johnson, B. (2005, January) Course notes and course outlines:  Enhancing educational quality through universal instruction principles. Workshop presented at the Mesa State College Staff Development Day, Grand Junction, Colorado.

  • Mercurio, M., MacDonald, L. J., Bottenberg, D., & Johnson, B. (2005, November). What would happen if students asked for something specific and their instructors actually delivered it to them? Accessing Higher Ground Conference, Boulder, Colorado.

  • Mercurio, M., MacDonald, L. J., Johnson, B., & Bottenberg, D. (2005, October). Not just immature or lazy:  recognizing common psychological problems in college students. Association for Educational Communications and Technology International Conference presentation, Orlando, Florida.

  • Roberts, S., Estes, M., MacDonald, L. J. & Reiber, L. (2004, October). Universal design for learning: Exploring possibilities, issues, and application. Workshop presented at the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Annual International Convention, Chicago, Illinois.

  • Tsai, H., Liu, P., Lowell, K., MacDonald, L. J., & Lohr, L. (2003, April). Graduate student perspectives on the development of electronic portfolios. Paper presented at the University of Northern Colorado Research Day, Greeley, Colorado.