Instructional Design & Curriculum

Adult Learning Designer

Program Specialist II (3437)

General

Organization: K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal

Reports to: Instructional Design and Curriculum Coordinator

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt/Exempt (dependent on salary)

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, daytime hours

Salary Range: Based upon experience ($40,000-$55,000 | 1 position; 25% GEAR UP OKC [#105498300], 35% GEAR UP for MY SUCCESS [#10598900], and 40% GEAR UP for the FUTURE [#105497700]

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Supervision of Others: May serve as lead for others doing similar instructional design development duties.

Position

Basic Purpose/Job Function: Design, develop, and publish high-quality curricula, learning activities, and programs for students, teachers, and parents.  Educational curricula will be learner-centered and standards-aligned.  Professional learning activities will help educators use student-centered instructional practices to improve student academic readiness. Programs will promote college and career readiness among students, families, and schools.

Job Summary: The Adult Learning Designer will use evidence-based practices to craft, deliver, and support standards-based curriculum for students, professional learning experiences for educators, and college and career readiness activities for all stakeholders. This professional will collaborate with subject matter experts, K20 Center staff, and school partners to identify meaningful learning outcomes and select the most appropriate instructional approach to fully realize those objectives using learner-centered instructional practices that foster higher-order thinking through real-world connections and substantive conversations that increase the depth of knowledge. This incumbent’s job tasks will include: Evidence Based Practice, Instructional Design, eLearning Design Research, Editor, Research, Project Management, Participant Management, Professional Learning Facilitation.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities

The K20 Center is committed to providing the professional learning required for the incumbent to successfully fulfill his/her job duties.

Evidence-Based Practice [10%].  The incumbent will conduct literature reviews of theory and evidence-based practices: (1) Determining the nature and extent of the information needed, selecting the most appropriate investigative methods or information retrieval systems, and evaluating information and its sources critically; (2) Preparing an annotated bibliography of selected sources that summarizes the central theme and scope of a book or article; and (3) Producing a summary and explanation of the complete and current state of knowledge on a selected topic (e.g. instructional approach) as found in academic books and journal articles.

Instructional Design [50%].  The incumbent will engage in instructional design by: (1) Conducting needs assessments that identify partnering schools’ specific requirements and desired learning outcomes; (2) Designing learning solutions that reflect evidence-based learning theories in order to address the needs of the learners and the school; (3) Using a collaborative approach with stakeholders to plan and design learning experiences that use instructional content that meets the diversity of the learners to realize the measurable learning objectives; (4) Employing a variety of learning methods and emerging technologies to reach learning outcomes; (5) Identifying appropriate evaluation techniques and applying them to measure the impact of the learning experience; and (6) Publishing high-quality resources to K20’s LEARN repository.

eLearning Design [10%].  The incumbent will design, develop, and maintain online learning resources by: (1) Applying the components of effective eLearning instructional design and learner motivation; (2) Understanding how interactivity affects online learning; (3) Leveraging eLearning tools and trends to engage the remote learner; (3) Ensuring that instructional experiences are learner-centered to foster higher-order thinking through real-world connections and substantive communications that result in an increase in the depth of knowledge; (4) Applying the principles of effective eLearning design and navigation; and (5) Evaluating eLearning programs and making recommendations for improvements.

Project Management [10%].  The incumbent will manage projects by: (1) Using a logic model approach to identify, plan, and implement activities that address an identified need; (2) Coordinating with K20 Center stakeholders (e.g. project director and budget coordinator) to manage the acquisition of resources required to facilitate the activity; (3) Processing the reimbursement of partnering schools or educators for the resources or time invested in projects; and (4) Reporting on activity outcomes and using feedback to drive future improvements.

Editor [10%].  The incumbent will support the publication of only the highest-quality resources by serving as a peer editor for adult learning activities and: (1) Reviewing instructional approach, content, and activities to ensure that they align with K20’s theoretical framework and practices; (2) Collaborating with curriculum writers to ensure that the included resources are easy to understand and use by the intended audience; and (3) Approving final versions submitted by contributors to be published in the K20 LEARN repository.

Research [5%]. The incumbent will support K20 Center research initiatives through: (1) Completing the CITI certification program to ensure proper facilitation of social-behavioral educational research with a focus on the protection of human subjects; (2) Participating in research team meetings and assisting in implementing a research protocol with school partners; (3) Facilitating documentation (surveys, assessments, and observations) of selected activities, behaviors, or outcomes and (4) Collaborating as a member of the writing team to disseminate research findings through scholarly publications or presentations.

Participant Management [2.5%].  To support communication with project sponsors, the incumbent will document participant management using a sponsored research participant management system (TREK).

Professional Learning Facilitation [2.5%].  The incumbent will facilitate professional learning experiences by: (1) Conducting/reviewing needs assessments to better understand partner schools and what school stakeholders hope to accomplish from the proposed learning experience; (2) Collaborating with instructional designers to fully understand the learning approach of the selected curriculum as well as the targeted learning objectives; (3) Establishing an environment conducive to learning that provides diverse opportunities for participants to connect with the content through the use of professional learning techniques; (4) Practicing learner-centered instructional methods and alternatives to lectures that accommodate the different learning styles of adults; and (5) Identifying challenges in the facilitation of professional learning experiences and demonstrating an ability to select and apply the most effective solutions.

As Needed.  The incumbent will perform various additional duties as needed to successfully fulfill the function of the position.

Qualifications

Education (Required): Master’s Degree in an instructional design-related field.

Experience (Required): Three or more years working in an instructional design position

Preferred: 5 or more years of instructional design experience; Experience developing curriculum for secondary students, professional learning for educators, or learning activities for an array of learners (students, professionals, families); Experience or training in the development of eLearning resources.

Knowledge & Skills

Ability to Demonstrate: Attention to Detail, Passion for Learning, Understanding of How People Learn, Strong Visualization Skills, Effective Writing Skills, Creative & Analytic Problem-Solving Skills, Organization Skills, Active Listening Skills, Technology Skills, Innovation & Creativity, People Skills, Willingness to Drive to any Oklahoma School.

Knowledge of: Instructional Design Processes, Instructional Theories, Learning Principles, How to Organize Information for the Learner, Assessment of Learning.

Other

Special Requirements: Frequent exposure to pressure caused by deadlines and busy periods; will be required to travel to school sites to facilitate professional learning; and background check required as a condition of employment.

Risk Management: Uses established safety practices to protect the health and safety of personnel and property.

Applicants must submit an ONLINE application at http://jobs.ou.edu for Job Requisition # 191942. Computers and personal assistance are available at the Office of Human Resources, 905 Asp, Room 205, Norman, OK 73069. Include job requisition number on all correspondence. Deadlines subject to change with or without notice. For further information on this or other University of Oklahoma job opportunities, please call (405) 325-1826 or access our website at www.hr.ou.edu.

The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.