How to Apply

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, in two pages or less, please let us know how you will align with your career aspirations and skills. Submit both a cover letter and resume as one file (because of system limitations).

What You'll Do

The Center for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan is seeking a qualified Learning Experience Designer for Technical Portfolio to support the design and implementation of a growing portfolio of tools utilized across online and hybrid learning initiatives. You will support academic units with the development of both non-credit and for-credit online and hybrid learning experiences, specifically with tools utilized to assess technical skills such as coding. The Learning Experience Designer for Technical Assessment will be a key contributor in expanding the capabilities of the Center for Academic Innovation to achieve our vision of expanding the University of Michigan's offerings in online education.  

With a focus on learner-centered design and pedagogical alignment with the tools in a learning experience, this role will partner with design team colleagues and external partners to apply established practices and learning theories to how we assess technical skills as part of the learning experience. This position will work across teams to implement and maintain technical assessments across CAI's expanding portfolio of instructional experiences, including MOOCs and other types of non-credit courses. The ideal candidate will bring a blend of expertise in both data science and learning design, leveraging this background to support faculty with coding-focused assessments. This technical expertise will also be critical to support CAI's efforts as we continue to explore the evolving landscape of GenAI and other educational technologies. You will report to the Learning Experience Design Lead and also work with the Director of Learning Design. 

Who We Are

About the Center for Academic Innovation 

The Center for Academic Innovation is where creativity and the University of Michigan's aspirations for societal impact combine to reimagine the future of higher education. Through curricular innovation, educational data and research, and educational technology, we position U-M as a global leader in academic innovation to create and inspire change in higher education and to promote an engaged and informed society. 

About Online Learning at CAI 

The Online Learning group within CAI consists of five teams that collaborate with others across the Center and University to design and develop online learning experiences that support the future of education for a global community. We work with faculty and academic unit leaders to envision how they can expand reach and impact, advance innovative teaching, and support greater access and lifelong learning through the design and development of integrated online learning experiences. Our teams focus on the following areas: 

• Strategic sourcing of new opportunities for online learning;
• Developing internal and external partnerships that promote engagement with learning experiences; 
• Providing program management services throughout degree program development and operations; 
• Supporting end-to-end design and development of online learning experiences, including design management, learning experience design, and iteration of learning experiences after they have launched; 
• Supporting learners' success and engagement in live courses and programs. 

For more information, please visit our website: Academic Innovation. 

Responsibilities*

Technical Assessment 

• Implement scalable learning experiences focused on coding, to meet both short-term and long-term needs for an expanding portfolio of technically-focused learning experiences. These may include coding assessments, interactive learning, hands-on learning experiences, or other learning experiences designed to assess learners' technical skills. 
• Stay informed on trends and evolving standards as it relates to hands-on coding activities. 
• Lead, design, test, and implement updates to any coding assessments within a learning experience. 
• Coordinate with both internal and external colleagues to ensure effective implementation and maintenance of technical assessments. 
• Define a scope of work in order to effectively assess learners as it relates to coding skills in a course, taking into account platform requirements and/or licensing constraints. 
• Provide initial consulting and ongoing maintenance support for technical assessments integrated into courses.  

Learning Experience Design 

• Lead complex course design projects with a focus on pedagogical approaches in technical or coding courses that result in engaging online learning experiences. Advocate for learner-centered instructional strategies, and aligning learning outcomes with activities and technical assessments to ensure continuity between outcomes, course content, and design goals. 
• Collaborate with faculty, program leaders, Learning Experience Designers, Design Managers, and Media Designers at the Center for Academic Innovation (CAI) to design high-quality instructional experiences for Michigan Online. 
• Apply a range of instructional design methods and learning theories to learner-centered course design.  
• Utilize inclusive design approaches, considering varied audiences of learners, and foregrounding issues of equity and accessibility throughout the design process. 
• Operate within parameters established by different types of internal and external partners, meeting the individual expectations of each varied stakeholders. 
• Oversee the development of learner personas for primary and secondary audiences, ensuring that courses are developed to meet the needs of a diverse group of learners. 
• Provide course teams and faculty collaborators with examples and proofs-of-concept to spark ideas and promote creative solutions. 
• Develop and integrate practices that follow regulatory and compliance norms for credit-bearing and non-credit bearing education offerings, including practices related to credit hour guidance, regular and substantive interaction, and accessibility.  
• Work with academic unit support staff and CAI team members to develop or retrofit course materials including media and assessments to make them more accessible for all students. 
• Apply templates, checklists, and guidelines to assist faculty in the development and iteration of online and hybrid learning experiences. 
• Propose technical solutions to pedagogical design challenges through the thoughtful integration of educational technologies  
• Review course designs to ensure that activities, media, and resources are aligned with targeted learning goals and specified course and program outcomes 
• Provide feedback on assessment creation, including multiple-choice quizzes, rubrics,  peer-graded assignments, technical assessments, any other forms of learner evaluation. 
• Document course design decisions and support hand-off of course development notes to ensure seamless support and iteration of projects 
• Provide formal mentorship and professional modeling for student fellows and student residents through guidance on internal and external projects. 
• Contribute to the discipline of learning experience design and educational technology through diverse formats and outlets (e.g., conference proceedings, journals, blogs, and webinars) 

Data-Driven Decision Making 

• Gather data about the effectiveness of technical assessments and implementation of technical solutions into learning experiences. 
• Leverage data where available to inform course enhancements, iterations, and technical assessments. 
• Support research planning and protocols that collect data necessary to help academic unit partners understand instructor and learner needs in online and hybrid learning, specifically as it relates to technical implementation 
• Evaluate the efficacy of course design to make research- and evidence-based recommendations for iteration and improvement. 

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree in education, curriculum and instruction, learning sciences, instructional design, educational technology, Computer Science, Information Systems,  or a closely related field. 
• 3-5 years of experience (or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience) in instructional computing, educational technology or instructional design 
• Ability to write, troubleshoot, and implement code. 
  • Desired coding languages include: Python 3, R, SQL, HTML5, CSS3, and/or Javascript. 
  • Familiarity with platforms which can be used to assess coding, such as 
    Vocareum, CodeSignal, CodeGrade, GitHub or Gradescope 
• Demonstrated vision and experience creating learning experiences that place a high value on a broad range of learners
• Working knowledge of standards for online non-credit and for-credit course design, including copyright and accessibility 
• Understanding of integrating learning theories, instructional design methods, and learner-centered design principles into online learning experiences 
• Demonstrated expertise in applying a learner-centered approach to online course design 
• Demonstrated expertise in assessing project outcomes and making recommendations for improvement and iteration 
• Experience working in learning experience design teams in higher education settings 
• Experience using online education platforms (e.g., Canvas, Coursera, and edX) 
• Demonstrated experience working in a highly collaborative team environment 
• Demonstrated initiative and customer service-oriented attitude, with the ability to problem solve both as part of a team and when acting independently. 
• Demonstrated organizational, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills. 
• Ability to manage workload and competing priorities. 

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Underfill Statement

This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.

Additional Information

Please Note: This is a 5 year term limited position with the possibility of renewal depending on funding. 

Must have authorization to work in the United States. 

The mode of work for this position is Hybrid. The work requirements for this position allow both onsite and offsite work and you will have an expected regular and recurring onsite presence. On occasion, you may be required and must be available to work onsite more frequently if necessitated by our center's policy and domain leadership or by your job requirements. 

The salary for this position will be based on your education and experience. 

Excellent benefits are available, for details, see http://benefits.umich.edu/ 

Salary Information

The general salary range for this position is $63,000-$80,000. You can expect to be paid a great compensation package. Factors used to determine salary include education level and experience for the position and internal equity within the unit. You are encouraged to discuss salary questions to honor agreement and transparency throughout the recruiting process. 

Organizational Statement on Harassment 

We believe all individuals deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and have the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes mutual respect and a safe space for collaboration. Any concerns shared with Individuals with Reporting Obligations in the Center for Academic Innovation will be reported to the Equity, Civil Rights, & Title IX Office to be reviewed and addressed, and the Center for Academic Innovation encourages reporting of any forms of harassment including sexual and gender-based harassment. 

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

Decision Making Process

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled. 

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.