Matthew Schmidt, a professor in the learning, design, and technology program at the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s department of workforce education and instructional technology, described on Mar. 27 his journey into instructional design and his focus on creating inclusive technologies for various groups.
Schmidt said that instructional design is often an unexpected career path. “This is a field that we kind of jokingly refer to as the best career that you’ve never heard of,” Schmidt said. “I’ve never met someone who says, ‘Gosh, I knew from a very young age that when I grew up, I wanted to be an instructional designer.’ It’s one of those fields where people fall into it from other areas,” he said.
Before joining the University of Georgia in 2023, Schmidt held tenured positions at the University of Florida and the University of Cincinnati. He is affiliated with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and directs the Participatory, Interdisciplinary eXperience, and Learning Lab (PIXL Lab). Initially trained in German language and literature, Schmidt transitioned to educational technology after developing virtual reality tools for language immersion. His early work included creating social skills practice tools using VR for youth on the autism spectrum. “We decided to take a similar approach working with youth on the autism spectrum so that they would be able to practice social skills with many of the same benefits from the technology,” Schmidt said.
His research expanded to include technologies supporting individuals experiencing executive dysfunction such as ADHD, dyslexia, epilepsy, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and Type 1 diabetes. Notable projects include Virtuoso—a VR tool helping autistic adults navigate public transportation; Gaming 4 Good—using Nintendo Switch consoles to engage neurodiverse middle schoolers in game design; and Epilepsy Journey 2.0—a tool aiding TBI patients in medication management.
Schmidt emphasizes participatory co-design: working alongside target populations as well as their support networks including caregivers and health care providers. Projects like Epilepsy Journey were co-designed with adolescents living with epilepsy while Electronic Problem Solving Training was developed directly with members of the TBI community.
In his lab at UGA, students learn both how to create new educational technologies and how important it is to involve users throughout development. “Many of my students do not have a background in disability… They can really put themselves in those shoes of the people they’re designing for,” Schmidt said.
For Schmidt, innovation begins by valuing input from communities served by these technologies: “We’re not designing for, we’re designing with,” he said.
