Workshop Leader: Dr. Richard L. Bowman, director
Academic Computing, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA, USA 22812

Home
Overview
Registration
Leader
Contact Info
Resources
- Templates,
- Tutorials, etc.

FREE
Web Site Evaluation

Workshop Leader

Richard L. Bowman Professor of Physics and Director of Academic Computing at Bridgewater College. In academic computing works with faculty to enhance their courses effectively with web-based components. Author of various web sites at Bridgewater College. Ordained minister and an overseer in Virginia Mennonite Conference of the Mennonite Church. Author of church web sites. Visit his homepage for links to his web sites: http://www.bridgewater.edu/~rbowman/

Ever since Bridgewater College connected to the Internet in 1991, I have been designing and constructing web pages. From those early days, I have been concerned about making web pages that are viewable and usable by as many persona as possible--those with a variety of computer monitors, operating systems and Internet connections, in addition to those with physical handicaps. These issues are collectively called accessibility issues.

In 1996, I began to give one-quarter of my time at Bridgewater to assisting faculty in web-enhancing their courses and in being a liaison between the Information Technology Center and the faculty. Through workshops, newsletters (more recently a weblog) and an extensive academic computing web site, I have introduced faculty to and supported them in writing web pages and using other web-based resources in their classes.

As the web developed, my interest in having churches avail themselves of its potential also grew. I have had the opportunity to implement a web site for our congregation, Mount Clinton Mennonite Church, and to implement a broader church site. Today there are many good church web sites, but there also many in-effective web sites from a usability and accessibility viewpoint.

I have also been concerned about how effective web sites are at carrying out their mission. If a site is primarily designed to share information but is slow because of a fancy graphic, then the graphic is not conducive to the mission of the web site. Poorly designed and unattractive web sites, also, do not contribute to an effective carrying out of their mission.

When designing web sites for church and school, I have been concerned about creating effective web sites. So whether you are a novice or an experienced web-designer, please join me in this workshop as we explore these issues and how to practically work at their solutions.

Richard L. Bowman
23 April 2004