Educational Technologist

Alan Turing Institute London United Kingdom HR & Operations
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Company Description

The Alan Turing Institute is the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. The Institute is named in honour of the scientist Alan Turing and its mission is to make great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence research in order to change the world for the better.

Position

The Institute is currently expanding its resources and commitment to professional development and academic training. This growth will include our directly employed members of the business team and academic researchers as well as the provision we offer nationally in our convening role as a national institute. The roles of online resources and blended learning were already part of this expansion strategy but have been prioritised to take the opportunity of a more distributed model of engagement driven by recent global events. We are looking to recruit an Educational Technologist to ensure that our virtual learning environment infrastructure and resources are designed, deployed and evaluated at the highest quality to support the Turing’s contribution to developing data skills within the UK and internationally.

ROLE PURPOSE

Working within the Professional and Academic Development team, the role holder will be responsible for guiding the decision making and implementation required to build the organisational identity in the online learning space. They will also provide ongoing expert advice and support in the creation and evaluation of resources for our professional and academic programmes. This role will provide a chance for a motivated individual to harness both technical and creative skills in a truly cross-cutting research environment.

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

  • Design and develop e-learning materials (online and blended) on the VLE platform;
  • Work with, and provide mentoring, for members of the Institute on adapting face-to-face materials for blended / online learning;
  • Working to establish best practice across varied uses of the VLE;
  • Manage the evaluation of existing materials to help assess quality and capture impact;
  • Establish a maintenance timetable for existing courses and resources;
  • Manage multiple projects relating to online / blended course delivery;
  • Establish a mechanism for handling enquiries about the use of the VLE and technical issues;
  • Work with the IT department on the specifications required for the Turing’s VLE and its ongoing maintenance;
  • Lead on the ongoing development of the VLE by providing guidance on necessary updates from an educational and user standpoint;
  • Working with the IT and Comms team at the Institute on the embedding of the VLE as part of the Turing’s core systems;
  • Manage relationships with third-party providers and ensure they are compliant with all IT and business requirements at the Turing;
  • Grow the Educational Technology team if needed in response to Institute priorities;
  • Contribute to other projects as required by the Institute or in collaboration with the Professional and Academic Development team.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL

  • In-depth working knowledge of Moodle or similar learning platforms
  • In-depth working knowledge of usual educational tools
  • Experience in implementing a strategy for e-learning
  • Experience in supporting the development and delivery of online / blended training resources
  • Experience gained in a comparable work environment, ideally within Higher Education
  • Awareness of accessibility requirements of online / blended materials and courses
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with internal and external stakeholders that is well structured, clear and concise
  • Ability to occasionally explain more complicated non-routine matters/policies/procedures clearly by clarifying technical/specialist terms and adapts the style of communication to the audience and ensures understanding.
  • Ability to use judgement to analyse and solve problems and takes action to prevent recurrence of problems.
  • Consider possible solutions to identify those which offer wider benefits. Obtains evidence to support thinking.
  • Ability to adapt services to meet stakeholders’ needs and identifies ways of improving standards. Collates feedback and views from stakeholders and keeps up-to-date with market trends to inform service development and make changes.
  • Undertakes regular monitoring and review to ensure that standards are being met.
  • Aware and deals with internal and external factors that may impact on service levels. Ensures adequate resources are in place to support team managers in providing a quality service.
  • Ability to collaborate with others to meet deadlines and joint objectives by ensuring dissemination of information in the right format to the right people at the right time.
  • Participate in networks within the organisation or externally to share knowledge and information in order develop practice or help others learn.
  • Lead and develop internal networks, such as working groups or committees in order to deliver collaborative and cross functional projects or initiatives.
  • Commitment to meeting deadlines
  • Commitment to EDI principles and to the Organisation values

DESIRABLE

  • Teaching experience in a Higher Education context
  • Evidence of professional development relating to e-learning applications and desire to keep up to date with latest trends
  • Relevant degree / higher degree in area related to activities of the Institute or in higher education teaching practice
  • Understanding of the cultural learning environment Higher Education research
  • Broad experience of software / packages required for creation of engaging content

Other information

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

If you are interested in this opportunity, please click the apply button below. You will need to register on the applicant portal and complete the application form including your CV, covering letter and contact details for your referees. If you have questions about the role or would like to apply using a different format, please contact them on 020 3862 3575, or email [email protected].

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 28 April 2021 at 23:59

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This full-time post is offered on a fixed-term basis for two years. This role can also be offered on a part-time basis (at least 0.8 FTE). The annual salary is £36,000-£42,000, pro-rata to part-time hours, plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The Alan Turing Institute is committed to creating an environment where diversity is valued and everyone is treated fairly. In accordance with the Equality Act, we welcome applications from anyone who meets the specific criteria of the post regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Reasonable adjustments to the interview process can also be made for any candidates with a disability.

Please note all offers of employment are subject to continuous eligibility to work in the UK and satisfactory pre-employment security screening which includes a DBS Check.

Full details on the pre-employment screening process can be requested from [email protected].