August 31, 2021
matt fuller headshot
Matt Fuller

Careers in Learning Design - Matt Fuller

Matt Fuller is a USU alumnus with a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences. Fuller is currently serving as head of the Automated Manufacturing (AM) department at Bridgerland Technical College, where he teaches industrial robotics and vision systems. He also spearheaded the development of the AM STEM Academy for high school students.

At the beginning of his employment at Bridgerland, Fuller was asked to create two entirely new sections of the Automated Manufacturing program: advanced composites and industrial robotics. He has also helped successfully write and obtain numerous state and federal grants.

Fuller’s career provides insight on professional instructional design work in the world of academia. “My academic career may be different from the experiences of those who are full-time instructional designers,” he stated. “I apply what I learned in the program in everyday instruction, in the curriculum we build, and in the overall program decisions we regularly make. I use Canvas every day and am constantly making improvements.”

His Story

In 2015, Fuller was put in charge of a new initiative his school called the Bridgerland AM STEM Academy, with the primary objective of delivering hands-on curriculum to every high school in northern Utah. Fuller desired a greater sense of confidence in his decisions as he began to blaze this new curriculum trail for Bridgerland. After some encouragement by some former ITLS students, he decided to enroll in the ITLS program. Despite Fuller’s extremely busy schedule, he knew that he would be able to complete the program due to its online nature.

“The ITLS program has helped give me the confidence I needed to transition from being a capable business owner to an educator,” he said. “I’m sure I would have made more mistakes and perhaps become frustrated enough to leave education altogether had I not finished the program.

“For students currently in the program, all I have to say is keep chipping away at it. Take classes every semester, and you will get it done in a relatively short period of time. If you’re already working in education, take advantage of class project opportunities to improve what you’re already doing on the job. It will make the coursework more meaningful.”

If you are interested in pursuing a degree in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, or if you have any questions about opportunities in the field of ITLS, feel free to contact department advisor Janet Blad for more information.