Higher Education

Finn, D.E., Getzel, E.E., Asselin, S.B., & Reilly, V. (2008). Implementing universal design: Collaborations across the campus in S. Burgstahler & R. Cory (Eds.), Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice (pp 255-265). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education. 

Higher education institutions are continuously faced with meeting the needs of diverse student populations. In particular, the growing numbers of students with disabilities has led to faculty leaders’ examination of effective instructional approaches to effectively teach these learners. This chapter outlines the efforts to train university faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) on the methods and approaches for best instructing students with disabilities. The success of the VCU efforts led to a replication project at Virginia Tech in southwestern Virginia. This chapter describes these efforts and their success in impacting the practices of university faculty

Getzel, E.E., & Finn, D.E. (2005). Training university faculty. In Wehman, P. H. & Getzel, E.E. (Eds.), Going to College (pp. 199-214).  Baltimore: Brookes.

This chapter outlines effective professional development approaches for college and university faculty to help them to better understand the challenges of students with disabilities and approaches to aid student success in courses.

Finn, D.E. (2005, April). Measuring the effectiveness of online faculty development: Exploring factors related to the integration of universal design concepts by community college professors. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Commonwealth University.

Adult Education

Finn, D.E. (2011). Opening doors: Lessons from "the king's speech." The keynote address delivered at the 2011 Virginia Literacy Fair, Southside Virginia Community College, Keysville, VA

Finn, D.E. (2008, Winter).  Trouble retaining adults? Consider the team approach. Progress, 20 (2), 13.

This brief article outlines the TEAM approach to student retention developed by Dr. Don Finn to boost student retention in adult education programs.

Finn, D.E. (2007, Winter).  Integrating assistive technology into the adult education classroom. Progress, 19 (2), 6-7

A brief overview of different families of devices (Computer-based, Electronic, and Low tech) to help learners of varying levels to better process and understand information.

Universal Design

Finn, D.E., & Klein, J.W. (2009). Universal design for transition and postsecondary education in C. Thoma, C., Bartholomew, & L. Scott (Eds.), Universal design for transition: A roadmap for planning and instruction (p.p. 125-137). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Written for high school classroom teachers, this chapter provides the reader with an overview of supports and approaches that help facilitate a successful transition for students with disabilities from high school to postsecondary education.

Terpstra, J.E., Tamura, R., Finn, D.E., & Unger, D.D. (2009). Using Technology to put it all together in C. Thoma, C., Bartholomew, & L. Scott (Eds.), Universal design for transition: A roadmap for planning and instruction (p.p. 175-201). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Written for high school classroom teachers, this chapter provides the reader with practical information about different families of instructional technology designed to aid students in their academic pursuits, particularly once they enter into postsecondary educational settings where they will be expected to work independently.

Finn, D.E. (2007, April 23). An introduction to universal design. eNews: An electronic publication of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Regent University, 7, 9.

The challenges of working with a diverse student population often causes faculty members to reevaluate their instructional approaches to ensure that student comprehension is fostered and course goals are met. One approach for effectively reaching diverse students is integrating universal design (UD) principles into the instructional setting.

Finn, D.E., & Thoma, C.A. (2006, January). What is a universal design approach to learning?  The Professor’s Assistant: An Informational Publication for University Instructors at Virginia Tech.

This piece was written to introduce the Virginia Tech faculty to the foundational principles of Universal Design.

Teacher Education

Finn, D.E. (2011). The Law of Responsibility in A. Arroyo & H. Jordan (Eds.), The secret kingdom for educators (p.p. 145-155). New York: Pearson. (Secret Kingdom for Educators Presentation--presented at the CCCU Center for Research in Adult Learning Annual conference, May 2011, Indianapolis, IN).

Swezey, J.A., Finn, D.E. (2010) A Preliminary Investigation of Faculty Perceptions of Teacher Professionalism in Christian Schools. Private School Monitor, 31(3), 1‐10.

Finn, D.E., Swezey, J.A., & Warren, D.P. (2010). An investigation of the perceived professional development needs of teachers and administrators in ps-12 Christian schools.  Journal of Research on Christian Education 19, (1).

Students with Disabilities

Finn, D.E., Getzel, E.E., & McManus, S. (2008). Adapting the self-determined learning model of instruction for college students with disabilities.  Career Development for Exceptional Individuals 31, (2).

As the number of students with disabilities who are entering post secondary education continues to rise, the need for their adequate preparation to successfully complete programs of study is a critical concern. A common characteristic of students who successfully enter and complete programs of study in post secondary settings is that of having self-determination skills. This article discusses the results of a pilot study that implemented the self-determined learning model of instruction, modified for use in post secondary education settings. Evaluation results are discussed with implications for further research.

Select Conference & Workshop Handouts

Finn, D.E. & Swezey, J.A. (2009, July). Best practices for effective professional development. A presentation at the Association of Christian Schools International Southeast Region Administrator/Board Conference: Virginia Beach, VA.

An overview of best practices for delivering PD to teachers in Christian Schools.

Swezey, J.A. & Finn, D.E. (2009, July). Perceived professional needs of Christian school educators. A presentation at the Association of Christian Schools International Southeast Region Administrator/Board Conference: Virginia Beach, VA.

A presentation about findings from a study conducted through the Regent University School of Education.

Finn, D.E., (2009, February). Planning instruction for 21^st century students: Differentiated and universally designed instruction. An interactive workshop for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers of Chesterfield County Public Schools: Chesterfield, VA.

This workshop handout provides an introduction and overview of Differentiated Instruction and Universal Design and provides suggestions and strategies for integrating these techniques into the instructional environment, particularly in Career and Technical (CTE) settings.

Finn, D.E., (2008, June). The utility of the tablet pc: Lessons from a faculty study. A workshop delivered at the 2008 No Educator Left Behind conference: Indianapolis, IN.

Provides an overview of the Tablet PC and the ongoing study of integrating the Tablet PC into university level instruction, especially into online instruction.

Finn, D.E., (2008, May). Exploring universal design for instruction and assessment. An interactive half-day workshop for faculty at Danville Community College: Danville, VA.

Provides an outline for the workshop on infusing universal design (UD) principles into the college instructional environment.

Finn, D.E., (2007, October). An Introduction to universal design techniques to better reach all learners.  A presentation delivered at the 56th annual American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) Conference: Norfolk, VA.

This session provided a brief overview of universal design (UD) principles for instructors of adult in colleges, universities, and traditional adult education settings.