Laura A. Blackburn, Ph.D

Ph.D. in Deaf Education: Leadership
M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Education
M.Ed. in Instructional Design & Technology

With over 20 years of experience in education, Dr. Blackburn has had the opportunity to work across a wide range of settings, including K–12 schools, special education, and higher education. Her work is guided by a strong belief in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), emphasizing the idea that all students should have access to flexible, engaging, and meaningful ways to learn. This perspective has shaped much of her approach to teaching and learning, from classroom instruction to instructional design. UDI also informs her role as co-founder of The Gloss Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on creating a new reading method for deaf students who use sign language. Dr. Blackburn is passionate about creating learning environments that are inclusive, supportive, and responsive to the diverse needs of all students.

Dedicated and innovative Master Educator, Curriculum Design Specialist, and life-long learner with a proven track record of creating dynamic, learner-centric, and standards-aligned educational materials. I am passionate about transforming complex information into engaging and accessible learning experiences. I am committed to enhancing the learning journey for diverse audiences.

Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA - Adjunct Assistant Professor

Teach adult learners in face-to-face, hybrid, synchronous, and asynchronous learning environments.
Develop curriculum, mentor students, and create formative classroom assessments. Extensive use of Blackboard and Canvas.

MacMurray College, Jacksonville IL - Associate Professor of Education & Interpreting

Designed, developed and revised Deaf Education and ASL/English Interpreting Preparation Program Curriculum.
Represented faculty college-wide to implement Moodle LMS for online coursework.
Led accreditation self-study and wrote Education Division Needs Assessment
Awarded United Methodist Board of Higher Education Award for Teaching Excellence (2007)

The Gloss Institute/Laurent Clerc Elementary School, Tucson AZ - Executive Director

Collaborated with teachers, researchers and community members to design a specialized literacy program for deaf students, grades K-4 using State and National SOLs.
Trained deaf educators in five locations (Ontario, Florida, Arizona, Kansas, Massachusetts) as part of Department of Education dissemination grant: Blazing the Trail: Bridging Between ASL and English.

Gamifying Language Revitalization: A Lenape Learning Experience

Through an interactive, game-based format, this learning experience supports language revitalization efforts requested by the Lenape Tribe of Pennsylvania. For information about the Lenape People of Pennsylvania see: https://www.lenape-nation.org/

Operational Definition of Instructional Design Consulting

Rooted in the belief that effective learning experiences must reflect and respect the diversity of all learners, this definition positions instructional design consulting as a strategic, equity-driven practice.

Tools & Strategies to Support Students on the Autism Spectrum

Features a candid interview with Taylor Sweeting-Trotter, a subject matter expert from Jacksonville, IL, offering educators a human-centered, empathetic perspective on autism beyond textbook definitions.

Course Redesign: ASL and Deaf Culture

This artifact represents a consulting project in higher education focused on redesigning a synchronous ASL and Deaf Culture course into an asynchronous format. The primary objective was to create a comprehensive course shell that could effectively support student learning in an asynchronous environment. The deliverable was intended to guide curriculum committee members in evaluating and approving the proposed course transition by demonstrating alignment with learning outcomes, accessibility standards, and best practices in online pedagogy.

A Case Study on Accessible Reading for Deaf Children

This is a case study on accessible reading with two young deaf children.

Learning How to Read and Bypassing Sound

A review of innovative strategies and technologies aimed at teaching deaf students to read while bypassing sound.

Linguistic & Cultural Interactions Among Deaf/Hearing Family Members: Implications for Family Partnerships in Early Education

This is a dissertation submitted to the Department of Education and the Graduate School of Gallaudet University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (December 1998).