Senior Instructional Designer

Job no: 522523
Position Type: Staff Full Time
Campus: UMass Boston
Department: IT Ed Tech & Learning Commons
Pay Grade: 32
Date opened: 06 Mar 2024 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: 27 Mar 2024 Eastern Daylight Time

General Summary:

The Senior Instructional Designer supports faculty and subject matter experts teaching face to face, online, blended, and hybrid courses throughout the University. Under the direction of the Director of Learning Design Services, the Senior Instructional Designer provides expert pedagogical and technical guidance in the design or redesign of courses, and the delivery of university courses. The Senior Instructional Designer works with instructors to apply research based best practices in eLearning pedagogies employing new technology tools to aid teaching and learning for students’ success.

Examples of Duties:

Work individually with faculty and subject matter experts to plan, design, build and deliver online courses and student success projects; evaluate best integration models of new and existing technologies for learner centered teaching

• .
Work with other Instructional Designers to develop and implement standards for designing and developing online courses at the university; assist faculty and subject matter experts in meeting those standards
• .
Research and evaluate new pedagogies in eLearning; work with other designers to adapt new practices that would facilitate the improvement of existing online courses and programs
• .
Train faculty and subject matter experts in the use of a variety of learning environments and tools used for teaching online (LMS, etc.)
• .
Provide instructional design expertise on innovative technology pilot programs such the implementation of virtual reality, adaptive learning, and micro-learning
• .
Develops innovative technology pilot programs (i.e., such as the implementation of LinkedIn Learning, etc.). Provides instructional design expertise and project management skills to implement training, consultations, and support models for faculty, staff, students, and numerous departments
• .
Serve as faculty liaison to colleges as assigned and provide cohort-based technological and pedagogical demonstrations and/or training for faculty development in those colleges; provide department chairs and program directors with targeted solutions to resolve teaching pain points for courses. Collaborate with Instructors and Programs to develop and support online courses and programs, assess, research, and advance online learning and advocate for the efficacy of online learning
• .
Serve as a product lead for educational technologies as assigned, (i.e., WordPress, echo360, Voicethread, iClicker, H5P), managing product implementation and upgrades; working directly with vendors to maintain relationships and improve product benefit for students and faculty; developing and maintaining “reach out” campaigns to educate faculty on the use of products across all subject matters. Develop online tutorials, instructor-led training materials, and post-training support aids – selecting the most effective format to meet targeted learning and performance objectives
• .
Assist data collection efforts as needed for various programs, provide training and support for mining the Learning Management system’s student data, program data or other analytics as needed
• .
Conduct research and make recommendations on educational best practices, instructional resources, technologies, and multimedia hardware/software
• .
Provide knowledge and application of emerging technologies and associated software in the teaching and learning processes
• .
Maintain continued professional development and seek out opportunities to grow professionally, Represent the university at professional conferences and events by developing presentations; serve on various committees, as requested
• .
Work with other designers to create knowledge base content for users; observe standards for the design and display of visual resources with emphasis on accessibility and web design best practices
• .
Mentor graduate assistants and other student interns on the Learning Design Services team
• .
Conduct occasional classroom instruction locally and remotely
• .
Translates learning outcomes into appropriate learning activities and assessments
• .
Designs and develops innovative approaches to delivering learning content
• .
Exercises independent judgment in methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for developing training
• .
Works independently or in a team on multiple projects simultaneously as needed
• .
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Master’s Degree, in Instructional Design, Instructional Technology or an education-related discipline and a minimum of five-seven (5-7) years of relevant experience in instructional design and/or course development is required

• .
Demonstrated experience integrating online learning courses/certificate programs with one or more learning management systems
• .
Thorough knowledge and application of skills in instructional design theory in adult learning methods, principles, and practices is required
• .
Strong analytical, verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and strong collaboration and negotiation skills. Demonstrated experience communicating effectively one-on-one and before large and small audiences
• .
Thorough analytical skills to conduct analysis and develop recommendations, demonstrating organization and problem-solving skills. Strong ability to work on multiple projects concurrently
• .
Thorough knowledge of instructional design principles, alternative learning strategies, and methodologies including Instructional Design theory, iterative development processes, and evaluation methods. (i.e., needs analysis, backwards design, learning outcomes, assessment design, etc.). Well versed in the application of Universal Design for Learning and Digital Inclusion principles
• .
Thorough knowledge of the technical tools and platforms required to achieve the delivery of engaging and media-rich online learning content, and of trends in the use and effectiveness of educational technology and learning. Demonstrated experience working with faculty in Higher Ed to design high-quality online courses for university students
• .
Expertise in adult learning and all aspects of instructional design for various formats, including asynchronous, synchronous, blended, and hybrid instruction. Teaching experience preferred
• .
Experience with Learning Management Systems, such as Blackboard Learn or Canvas, is required
• .
Ability to demonstrate the requisite knowledge and skills using a variety of authoring technology tools and new and emerging technologies, i.e., MS Office, Adobe e-Learning Suite, Web 2.0 tools and HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• .
Ability to gain sufficient generalist knowledge to be able to serve across all subject disciplines
• .
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• .
Strong oral and written communication skills and problem-solving skills
• .
Strong interpersonal skills and commitment to customer service.

Application Instructions:

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three professional references.

Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date.

Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.