Instructional Designer for Traditional Curriculum

The Instructional Designer is a professional position in the office of Academic Affairs at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. This position provides faculty development opportunities for the creation of teaching and learning content to support instruction in online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses. The person hired for this position will help guide the curriculum development process from analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation, and assessment.  The Instructional Designer will work with faculty to create student-centered learning environments across multiple platforms.

The Instructional Designer will support faculty using best practices of teaching and learning in higher education.  The Instructional Designer is responsible for helping faculty implement academic pedagogical principles and technology-enhanced learning into courses.  This position is responsible for remaining abreast of educational practices and trends and working with faculty to develop implementation strategies that help all students succeed.

The Instructional Designer needs a strong background in education, technology, and pedagogy, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. This person needs to be organized, flexible, self-motivated, and able to maintain integrity and a good work ethic.

Supervision Given/Received

The Instructional Designer reports to and works under the immediate supervision of the Assistant Dean for Faculty Development.

Qualifications Required

• A personal and vital Christian faith;
• Master’s Degree in Education or related field, preferably in Instructional Design and Technology;
• A minimum of two years’ experience in curriculum development, teaching, or a closely-related field, in an Internet/intranet environment;
• Ability to create faculty development experiences for faculty and students, including development and delivery of training in a virtual environment;
• Proficiency with learning management software systems;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, course authoring software, learning management systems, content management, graphic editing software, storyboarding, multimedia, and other appropriate teaching/learning technologies;
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills;
• Ability to effectively manage projects received from the Academic Affairs team;
• Self-motivation, along with the ability to sustain high levels of productivity while functioning well on a team
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks and projects, and schedule ongoing work appropriately;
• Ability to meet regular deadlines and handle stressful situations with flexibility and good humor;
• Excellent customer service skills, and
• Excellent problem-solving skills.

Essential Functions

• Provide instructional design leadership and faculty development to faculty members as they prepare to teach online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses;
• Consult with and provide individualized support to faculty in the integration of instructional technologies and the application of the appropriate pedagogy for the specific learning environment, whether classroom, online, or hybrid.

A successful candidate should be able to:

• Develop measurable learning objectives and determine how to align those objectives with appropriate instructional and assessment strategies;
• Research effective and efficient ways of motivating and engaging students in learning activities;
• Utilize existing and new multimedia software for instructional purposes;
• Increase student collaboration through the use of online communications tools and group activities;
• Become familiar with the technology tools currently available for digital teaching and learning;
• Work with faculty to adapt instructional materials created for one format to another, such as converting a classroom-based course to an online format;
• Provide LMS instructional support to faculty and staff;
• Remain current with new developments in pedagogy and technology- mediated learning;
• Aid in the review of quality standards pertaining to course development and delivery;
• Work closely with the Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and the Academic Affairs team to develop and evaluate faculty support procedures and the use of technology in the teaching and learning environment.