Associate Instructional Technologist

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

Grade: Faculty 504Pay Range: $60,600.00 - $90,900.00

Job Description

Working closely with a team of more experienced assessment developers and instructional designers, the associate instructional technologist supports the development of an online learning product which in turn supports the vision and design of WGU courses and learning experiences. The associate instructional technologist works with the development team to explore technologies which address the needs of the curriculum (e.g., simulations, virtual reality, AI scoring, etc.) and collaborates to recommend technologies that best meet the instructional and assessment practices. This role focuses on building skills in troubleshooting, solving technical problems related to delivery of learning and assessment materials, and creating a consistent, beautiful learning experience in the selected platform. The associate instructional technologist also ensures that all aspects of the course work properly (hyperlinks, videos, sandboxes, third-party integrations) and collaborates with the standards and practice teams to ensure accessibility, asset management, content delivery, user experience, and universal design practice standards are met. The person in this role is responsible for supporting the success of simultaneous projects, including assessing risk, reporting progress, and communicating effectively with stakeholders to promote collaboration and accountability. 

What You'll Do:

• Coordinate the build process for new courses and learning experiences and attend to continuous improvement and technology innovations of assigned projects

• Ensure the quality of the visual and functional design of courses and assessments

• Collaborate with development team members to build superior online courses that are supported by research-based best practices in online learning.

• Work with program owners to explore technologies which address the needs of the curriculum (e.g., simulations, virtual reality)

• Serve as consultant, partnering with instructional designers, assessment developers, and other team members to innovatively apply WGU instructional and assessment tools.

• Maintain a complete understanding of all WGU learning and assessment tools and resources.

• Work closely with the accessibility team to ensure that instructional and assessment tools and services are fully accessible to students.

• Work with project managers and other team members to ensure all deadline dates for assigned projects are met throughout the design and development process

• Implement required revisions based on quality assurance reviews

• Assist with identifying and resolving challenges related to technology, to online delivery of content and assessments, and to the student experience

• Appraise capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of existing, new, and emerging and innovative e-learning technologies and tools that support college instructional, assessment, and student engagement goals

• Stay informed about updates, changes, retiring assets, innovations, and opportunities related to WGU’s selected platforms and delivery tools and processes

• Be trained and mentored by experienced team members on assigned WGU technologies, department processes, and instructional technologist best practices.

• Receives objectives, deadlines and specific instructions from supervisor and others regularly. Work is reviewed and employee receives instructions throughout processes.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities You'll Need to Be Successful:

• Current, solid knowledge of instructional design and learning theory

• Current, solid knowledge of instructional technologies or learning platforms

• A drive to build "near perfect" online courses according to project requirements and style guide

• Strong interpersonal skills and history of positive results achieved collaboratively

• Experience with UDL, ADA, or copyright compliance

• Experience with existing quality standards for course design

• Commitment to adding value to the team through efficiency and lean, iterative development

• Commitment to creating beautiful, friction-free learning experiences for students in competency-based programs

• Ability to manage multiple projects at different stages while meeting deadlines and quality standards

• Ability to work independently under supervision

• Planning, organizing, and self-management skills

What You'll Bring (Minimum Qualifications):

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a related field of study or equivalent work experience with online university course design, curriculum development, online learning technologies and pedagogies

Bonus Points For (Preferred Qualifications):

• Strong experience with distance education and distance learning students is preferred.

• HTML coding skills with additional skills in CSS, AWS Cloud, Google Cloud, and Azure

• Background in learner experience design

• Familiarity of competency-based learning

• Knowledge of available open educational resources (OERs)

• Quality assurance training and certification (CBEN, OSCQR, other)

• Post-secondary teaching and learning experience

• Experience in developing courses characterized by innovation in instructional design

• Experience with online assessment and survey tools

• Knowledge of LMS systems and assessment delivery systems such as Blackboard, Canvas, Smart Author, Brightspace, Moodle, etc.

• Competency with educational technology and assessment/testing tools

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Visa Sponsorship:

While we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, WGU is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

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Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.