Position Job Title: Educational Technologist
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Reports To: Director, Centre for Teaching Excellence
Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000
Primary Purpose:
The University of Niagara Falls is in search of a versatile and experienced Educational Technologist. The Educational Technologist is a technical position responsible for all aspects of the educational tools used to support learning at UNF such as the Learning Management System (LMS), classroom response technology, AR/VR tools, virtual laboratories, and technological classroom applications. The Educational Technologist is responsible for training, troubleshooting, and developing just-in-time supports for faculty, staff, and students at UNF to support the application and use of educational tools. The Educational Technologist reports to the Director: Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) but will be expected to work collaboratively across the CTE team, and with strategic partners such as IT, Associate Deans, and Student Success.
Specific Responsibilities:
General Duties
-
Work with academic leadership to evaluate and implement Educational Technology solutions.
-
Provide end user support for learning and collaborative technologies, video creation, accessible technology support, and classroom and conferencing technology.
-
Assist faculty with designing and developing education materials by matching learning outcomes and teaching strategies with technology solutions.
-
Review and recommend new technologies; evaluate the scope and resources required for new technology implementation.
-
Work on project-based team initiatives to develop UNF as an e-education institution and to promote the effective use of eLearning collaborative tools.
-
Showcase educational technology initiatives to VIPs and guests.
-
Keep abreast of developments in the field by engaging in professional development activities.
-
Serve as the highest level of problem escalation for educational technology.
-
Work with vendors to resolve complex issues with educational technologies.
-
Provide up-to-date information and recommendations to the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE), faculty, and IT Services to facilitate decision making related to educational technology and appropriate delivery methods to achieve desired outcome.
-
subject matter expertise in educational technologies, make recommendations to the Director, CTE, and IT Services on the educational technologies that UNF should be incorporating to support the virtual educational experience.
-
Work with Programs to identify educational technology needs that may be specific to their discipline and provide technology solutions in collaboration with the CTE and institutional partners to best meet those needs.
-
Collaborate with IT Services to provide support for the identification, roll-out, and implementation of technologies that support faculty and student learning experiences.
-
Assist in piloting new technology with faculty and determining strengths and weaknesses of particular software taking into account student and faculty needs as well as privacy concerns.
-
Assist faculty in evaluating and choosing software, websites, and other tools/resources that are appropriate to their teaching contexts and learning outcomes.
-
Assist faculty in integrating educational technology into their courses, including advising on use and objectives of different software.
Training and Development
-
Plans and implements student support for Cascade (UNF’s LMS) and other educational tools including facilitating student orientation sessions.
-
Develops and implements faculty and staff training, consulting professional development and related support for educational technologies.
-
Prepares and develops training materials for the University’s supported teaching and learning tools.
-
Conducts research to evaluate new technologies, their implementation, use, and impacts on student learning outcomes.
-
Collaborates with faculty, staff, and students to identify, analyse, explore, and meet the University’s teaching and learning technology needs.
-
Maintains a weekly Educational Technology on campus helpdesk to create support accessibility for faculty and staff.
-
Collaborates with and supports the CTE Team to offer workshops and programming to support faculty development and student learning.
-
Onboards and trains faculty, staff, and subject matter experts (SME) in the Cascade environment.
LMS Administration and Management
-
Manage the organizational level of Cascade (UNF’s Brightspace platform LMS).
-
Setting up, maintaining, and archiving course offerings.
-
Setting up gradebooks, surveys, widgets, LTI and external tools, and any other customized tools for all courses within Cascade.
-
Planning and testing Brightspace functionality, tools, and features prior to implementation in both a test and live environment.
-
Full cycle user administration including: setting up business processes for user management; creating new users; coordinating manual and bulk enrolments; managing roles and permissions; verifying and tracking user progress; and auditing, maintaining, and deleting users.
-
Monitoring and troubleshooting single sign-on (SSO) registration in coordination with IT Services and vendors.
-
Managing Brightspace releases and updates.
-
Linking course-level artifacts to organisational-level artifacts via APIs.
-
Engaging in continuous improvement of UNF course delivery based on business needs and available Brightspace solutions.
-
Seeking and advocating for LMS accessibility solutions in partnership with D2L.
-
Documenting LMS administrative processes and procedures.
-
Providing technical support and troubleshooting for end users including liaising with learners and D2L end user support.
-
Attending recurring meetings with relevant IT colleagues and D2L, regarding LMS needs and maintenance.
-
Liaising with program development teams to monitor course progress, share analytics, and resolve technical issues as required and in coordination with the CTE Leadership team.
-
Creating step sheets, training resources, and other LMS documentation to support end users.
-
Collaborating with IT Services to troubleshoot and provide technical support to faculty users.
-
Super-user of Brightspace Self-Serve Analytics to generate on-demand and scheduled reports based on CTE reporting needs.
-
Analyzing reports and data to make recommendations for business process improvements and to develop best practices.
-
Troubleshooting and resolving any data reporting issues that may arise.
Position Requirements:
Competencies:
-
Experience with supporting educational technologies application.
-
A high degree of computer literacy and demonstrated ability to integrate technology in the workplace.
-
The ability to demonstrate the use of technology effectively to support teaching and learning.
-
Familiarity with pedagogy principles as applied to teaching in a blended eLearning environment.
-
Ability to deliver skills-based sessions to small groups as well as one-on-one.
-
Professional experience in working with a wide range of Educational Technology applications.
-
Proven programming skills suitable for an online environment including familiarity with web technologies, APIs, data integrations, and learning technology standards (e.g., HTML, LTI, SCORM, xAPI).
-
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
-
The adaptability to work with new technologies and embrace innovation as needed.
-
Ability to conceptualize and understand the “ripple effect” of decision-making within the LMS.
-
Strong organization and prioritization skills, including the ability to manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
-
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and demonstrated competency to interact with diverse stakeholders.
-
Highly developed organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills are required.
-
The ability to work effectively as a team member in a diverse environment.
-
Ability to collaborate and work cooperatively in a team environment.
-
Proven self-starter qualities, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
-
Exceptional interpersonal skills, effective decision-making abilities, and strong communication capabilities.
-
A demonstrated willingness to engage in professional development activities in order to develop and improve new and current skills, and to adapt to the evolving needs of the organization.
-
A background in education or teaching is desirable.
-
Previous experience with educational videos, podcasting, and Web 2.0 tools is desirable.
-
Previous leadership and project management experience with small teams is desirable
Education and Experience:
-
Bachelor’s degree in education (with a focus on education technology), computer science, computer information systems, or a closely related field is required and/or combined education and experience. Master’s degree preferred.
-
Three to five years of experience in structuring educational content, preferably in higher education, and working with educational technology to support instructional approaches. Experience must include providing training and instruction to people with diverse backgrounds and abilities.
-
Experience with D2L Brightspace a strength.
Use of AI Disclosure
University of Niagara Falls Canada (UNF), UNF is committed to a fair and transparent recruitment process. While AI tools assist us in identifying and communicating with candidates, applications are reviewed by our dedicated Talent Acquisition team to ensure a thorough evaluation of all candidates.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility at UNF
The University of Niagara Falls Canada (UNF) is committed to equity, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility within its community and invites applications from all qualified candidates. Racialized persons / persons of color, women, Indigenous People, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas are encouraged to apply.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
We will accommodate the needs of applicants and the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the selection process. Please advise [email protected] to ensure your accommodation or accessibility needs are supported. Information received relating to accommodation will be maintained confidentially.
We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where all individuals have an equal opportunity to succeed. We comply with all relevant laws and regulations in Ontario and adhere to the highest standards of ethical hiring. We are committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring that all data collected during the recruitment process is handled with the highest level of confidentiality.
As part of the recruitment process, selected candidates will be required to successfully complete applicable background and/or credential verifications, or other role-related screenings, in accordance with organizational policy and applicable legislation.
We appreciate all applications received; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
