VR2GO Lab
Dr. Don McMahon- Director ATR&D Lab, Pullman Campus
Don.mcmahon@wsu.edu
Dr. McMahon is the Founder and Director of the Assistive Technology Research & Development Lab at the Washington State University’s College of Education and an Assistant Professor of Special Education Technology at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. His research involves increasing the use of Universal Design for Learning principles in education, using mobile devices increase achievement for students with disabilities, and exploring the impact of augmented reality, virtual reality, and wearable devices as an assistive technology for students with disabilities. Dr. McMahon is also an affiliate member of the SIMIAN lab at Washington State University Tri Cities campus.
Dr. McMahon received his Doctorate in the Special Education Ph.D. program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In addition to his doctoral work, he was selected to attend the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Universal Design for Learning Summer Institute in 2010. Don was a special education teacher for 7 years and then became an Co-teaching instructional coach for general education and special education teachers. As as graduate student Dr. McMahon worked an instructor for a postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities and autism where he created courses on digital literacy skills for students with disabilities. Don is a national presenter providing professional development sessions for both general educators and special educators on using mobile devices in education.
Dr. Jonah Firestone- Director SIMIAN Lab, Tri Cities Campus
Jonah.firestone@tricity.wsu.edu
Jonah B. Firestone holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction — Science Education with a specialization in Geology Education (2011) from Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. His research concerns Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM) schools, neurocognition and learning in education, and the impact of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) on education and learning.
Jonah is currently the Director of the Simulation and Integrated Media for Instruction, Assessment, and Neurocognition (SIMIAN) Laboratory on the WSU Tri-Cities Campus and the Associate Director of the Neurocognition Science Laboratory (NCSL) on the WSU Pullman Campus.
Dr. Firestone currently teaches classes in assessment for elementary and secondary schools, secondary science teaching methods, educational technology, and multicultural approaches to teaching science. In the past, he has taught classes on the history of education in the United States, diversity in education, theories of teaching and learning, and geology.