Instructional Designer

DEPARTMENT: Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

FLSA STATUS: Full-time, Exempt

WORK LOCATION: Hybrid

REPORTS TO: Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

GENERAL POSITION DESCRIPTION

Notre Dame de Namur University is implementing new online and hybrid programs and expects to redesign some current programs for fully online instruction. NDNU’s model is to pair an instructional designer with a subject matter expert to create each course and to create courses that can be offered in either hybrid or fully online (synchronous) formats.  In addition to developing and improving courses, instructional designers may be involved in faculty development and professional development activities as presenters, workshop leaders, or participants.

The Instructional Designer will work as part of a collaborative team to establish a framework for developing quality hybrid and online learning courses with mechanisms for continuous quality improvement.  The instructional designer will also be adept at using educational software and at evaluating and training others on software, methods, and standards related to instructional design for online learning, hybrid courses, and course supplementation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS include, but are not limited to: 

Online Course Production: Design and Delivery

• Under the direction of the Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the relevant Dean, collaborate with instructors in the assembly and development of synchronous and asynchronous online courses. Help the instructor plan and organize content to ensure a seamless student experience in Canvas.
• Direct instructors teaching face-to-face in-person courses on best practices for Canvas.
• Work with faculty to create a rich and engaging Canvas learning environment and experience for students using instructional design best practices and academic materials provided by instructors.
• Provide a syllabus template, assist with creating a home page, editing pages, publishing modules and organizing multi-media content.
• Review course materials and guide instructors as to how to meet instructional hour, regular and substantive interaction between students and instructors, and ADA requirements.
• Provide guidance for mapping learning outcomes to course project assignments and assessment (i.e., Blooms Taxonomy, Fink’s Taxonomy).
• Provide resources for effective backward design and effective instruction guided by measurable, observable learning outcomes. Support instructors in developing effective formative and summative assessments in Canvas.
• Serve as a resource for educational LMS questions once the course is published (such as help with Canvas tools like SpeedGrader and discussion boards).
• Provide guidance to faculty and staff on course evaluation and program assessment to measure course learning objectives and program learning outcomes and to support the creation of reports for accreditation reviews.

Faculty Training and Professional Development

• Provide direct, informal training to faculty learning to use Canvas and create online courses.
• Provide formal training to faculty through organized group workshops. Work with team members to conduct relevant research and select instructional approach in support of complex training objectives. Conduct needs assessments and assess training efficacy.
• Work with campus partners on projects related to increasing engaged learning and improving learner experience in online courses.
• Contribute to a culture of faculty well-being and belonging through the promotion of an empowering collaborative course design experience.

Project Management: Team Contributions

• Support team projects that vary in audience and scope. Projects may include contributing content to monthly newsletters, reports, presentations and learning assessments.
• Conduct regular reporting on course production progress and accurately track individual course development and faculty progress.
• Utilize data to apply the principle of continuous improvement to special projects related to online learning offerings.

EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities to perform the job may qualify. A typical way to obtain knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 3-5 years of relevant experience.

• Experience in classroom and/or online teaching preferred.
• Master’s degree in instructional design, education, or a similar field, preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated effectiveness in consulting with faculty subject matter experts to assess learning needs and recommend sound solutions.
• Demonstrated proficiency in applying instructional design theory, models, best practices, and adult learning principles and methods to online and hybrid learning.
• Demonstrated proficiency using instructional design and project management approaches such as learning project plans, design documents, learning hierarchies, storyboards, and prototypes.
• Ability to clearly and succinctly convey learning content in a manner that engages learners and improves retention rates.
• Demonstrated proficiency and experience in industry standard tools such as authoring tools, digital, graphics media, audio, animation, and video production tools to create impactful courses.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate the effectiveness of learning materials.
• Proficiency in the Canvas Learning Management System or another LMS.
• Experience developing and maintaining online courses within an LMS.
• Ability to work effectively on multiple projects concurrently in a diverse team environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Exceptional customer service skills, engaging multiple internal and external stakeholders with decorum and tact and communicating technical information to lay audiences using a respectful, client-focused approach.

Application Procedures: 

NDNU is committed to providing an educational environment that supports a diverse student population. The required application materials for this position are (1) a Resume/CV and (2) a cover letter. In your cover letter, please include information about your experiences working in a diverse environment, particularly as they relate to the classroom, and what qualities you would bring to support this commitment to inclusive excellence at NDNU. All finalists will be asked for three work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

** We inspire success by working together to provide meaningful, personalized service in a spirit of excellence. Therefore, NDNU seeks candidates that deliver value-added services in a responsive, collaborative, student-centered, and respectful manner. **

EEOC Policy:

The University is an equal-opportunity employer firmly committed to non-discrimination in hiring and other employment practices and personnel policies. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists, employment decisions will be made irrespective of the staff member's race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (cancer- related or genetic condition), disability and/or any another status protected by law. When necessary, the University will reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities if they are otherwise qualified to perform all essential functions of the position safely and if it will be done without undue hardship to the University.