Instructional Learning Lead

In addition to submitting an electronic application via the UM employ system (www.umich.edu/~jobs), please send the following to the LRC Hiring Committee (email address at lrc.hiring@umich.edu): 1) cover letter, 2) resume, 3) portfolio and/or samples of your work (urls, cds, dvd, lesson plans, etc) as well as explanation of your role and contribution to project, 4) a short written personal statement (not more than one page) on the role of technology in foreign language teaching and learning.

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The UM Language Resource Center seeks a talented and passionate instructional technology expert who is able to lead instructional technology projects and IT initiatives to support over 40 language programs in the College of Literature Science and Arts. The person in this position will work with IT and Academic Technology colleagues in the LRC and in LSA to construct and foster productive and collaborative teams in multiple technology areas and initiatives across the LRC constituent departments to build comprehensive strategies for applying technology in teaching and learning in LSA’s many foreign language and culture programs. The person in this position will be responsible for the following areas:

40% Instructional Technology Project Management and Application Development

25% Information Systems and Information Technology Management and Support

25% Pedagogical Leadership and Consultation, Faculty Training in Instructional Technology Initiatives, GSI Mentorship

10% Communication, Information Dissemination, Campus Technology Initiatives, and Administrative Duties

Instructional Technology Project Management and Application Development may include activities such as: conducting exploratory and design sessions, map instructional objectives to appropriate technology tools, develop project objectives and timelines; identify technology needs, establish quality specifications, outline personnel and skill needs in different foreign language environments; recommend evaluation schema and measures; devising or identifying multiple strategies for curricular focus to accommodate differences in learning and teaching styles; studying and constructing evaluation and assessment measures and implement appropriate formative and summative measures to determine efficacy through observation, focus groups, interviews, surveys and questionnaires, including online and traditional approaches; analyzing and reporting results; developing models and templates to serve project needs; designing and developing instructional technology resources, software and web-based learning modules (such as searchable online image databases or multimedia exercise sets) within the foreign language instruction environment; training and supervising project personnel through development process for relevant instructional technology projects; supervising project personnel including prioritize and delegate project tasks, establish quality specifications, and resolve conflicting priority demands on undergraduate and graduate personnel as they balance work and study issues; identifying grant seeking options; consulting, advising and collaborating with LRC staff and language faculty on project proposals targeting national, university and department level funding, participate in grant authoring and review; execute grants as indicated.

Information Systems and Information Technology Management and Support activities may include: analyze and identify wide range of technology needs for faculty and student patrons as well as LRC staff in order to support language and culture instruction. Coordinate with LRC colleagues and College IT staff on technical support issues assisting patrons and systems support, interacting with patrons in LRC and assisting/troubleshooting where appropriate; assist and guide LRC staff and College IT staff to plan and purchase equipment to meet current and future departmental and instructional needs; research and evaluate emerging technologies, assess potential for effective use of resources in instructional and foreign language environment, evaluate cost benefits and implement as appropriate (such as streaming audio and video media, project development, digital media storage, file management and backups, backup systems for staff computing); coordinate LRC’s exploration of new technologies and work with College and University support units to transfer support/delivery to new units; advise and guide faculty, instructional staff, and LRC staff regarding capacity to accept, deliver and complete instructional technology projects/new services/new applications/etc; guide LRC in managing faculty and student expectations regarding exploration, development, acquisition, deployment of new technologies; review, conduct feature analysis and acquire web-based and stand-alone multimedia tools and applications (such as media processing software, multimedia authoring software, exercise creation tools) to support varied curricular needs; investigate functionality in various foreign languages, particularly those that employ non-Roman character sets and bi-directional orientation such as Arabic and Hebrew; develop and implement priorities, policies and procedures to ensure equitable and appropriate distribution of resources; manage acquisition budget; evaluate practices and revise as indicated to accommodate changing needs of patrons.

Pedagogical Leadership and Consultation, Faculty Training in Instructional Technology Initiatives, GSI Mentorship activities may include: research and analyze curricular trends, instructional technology innovations (such as new forms of asynchronous communication, student response systems or web-delivered motion media), evaluation techniques and learning theory; follow trends regarding multilingual and multicultural content/topics in UM courses and providing choices in resources and/or technologies faculty might want to consider; assess training needs of faculty and GSI’s based on trends, developments, meetings, surveys and observation and construct a progressive and evolving training calendar based on need; consider the spectrum of pedagogical methods, research needs, preferred platform, skill range and comfort levels of potential participants to design appropriate learning scenarios; develop instructional technology and productivity training sessions and workshops (both single session and series) for faculty, graduate students and staff: design curriculum, create training materials, documentation and models; deliver instruction, conduct follow-up with participants; assess efficacy; provide specific training to project development staff and conduct regular follow-up as needed; train and mentor staff in LRC and colleagues in partner departments; guest lecture in graduate and undergraduate second language instruction methods classes on issues of computer assisted and technology enhanced language instruction and the curricular integration of technology; guest lecture in undergraduate classes on the use technology applications in foreign language instruction (e.g. technology in support of peer review and process writing, the creation of multimedia presentations or in the context of synchronous and asynchronous student collaborations); provide individualized instructional technology instruction for faculty;

Communication, Information Dissemination, Campus Technology Initiatives, and Administrative Duties may include: actively participate in all staff and team meetings and function as a collaborating member of project teams; document and disseminate patterns in technology use, project developments and services; project future use and application; collaborate with university colleagues on project development and to maximize training and service options for students and faculty.

REQUIRED SKILLS: MA or BA/BS with significant work experience in instructional technology, instructional design, information science, or related field; must have a passion for teaching and learning; be intrigued by languages and cultures of the world – preferably with personal experience in foreign language learning and/or in foreign language teaching; be able to show significant dedication to the foreign language community; have prior experience working with faculty and undergraduate clientele; be committed to teamwork/a team approach in project development and committed to the good of the greater community; demonstrate ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities; be extremely well organized and pay close attention to detail with high standards; have knowledge of industry standards following latest developments in technology in the education environment; demonstrate ability to learn, adapt, and evolve with technology and pedagogy; demonstrate fluency and comfort with content management tools, experience and comfort with delivering training, general knowledge and recognition of copyright/intellectual property issues in the higher ed environment; have a history of excellent customer service skills; demonstrate ability to think creatively and express those ideas clearly--excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills; demonstrated experience working with, delegating tasks to and directing the activities of team members, faculty, graduate and undergraduate students and temporary workers; and have ability to motivate others, working equally well with IT experts and novices with tact and grace.

REQUIRED TECHNICAL and TECHNOLOGY SKILLS: Bring and use a full repertoire of technologies which LRC staff apply on a daily basis; demonstrate understanding of the larger context/issues regarding the University’s managed computing environment including security issues; technologies skills may include: social software, collaborative technologies, Flash, productivity tools, course management tools, and incorporating audio and video into instructional applications; IT skills may include server support, database design/management/support, instructional website design and development ( html, xml), flash, human-user interface, and desktop and high-end video conferencing options; experience troubleshooting and desktop support and demonstrate enthusiastic willingness to interact with students and other patrons in the LRC Main Center – assisting where appropriate; be willing to participate in data collection and analysis, as well as grant writing; demonstrate skilled application of design principles for outstanding webpages; and demonstrated experience in the integration of multiple media into instructional applications.