Educational Technologist
Summary
Description of the Position
The Educational
Technologist leads in the design, development, and management of
technology-mediated teaching and learning, especially pertaining to learning management
systems (LMS) and associated educational technologies. This individual also provides
instruction, training, and assistance on the effective use of various educational
technologies that facilitate learning and improve student performance by
creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.
The position will be based in an AMIDEAST field office in the MENA region, however
remote work from another MENA location may be considered.
As a member of AMIDEAST’s Program Department, the Educational
Technologist manages the delivery of AMIDEAST’s e-learning resources and provides
guidance and support to management, instructional, and administrative staff at
country offices in the use of educational technologies for teaching, learning
and collaboration. Close coordination and communication with IT staff is
essential. This is an opportunity for an enthusiastic individual with a
background in education and expertise in the use of technology to facilitate
education and training by leveraging the latest web-based innovations to enhance
teaching and improve student learning outcomes.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Overall, the Educational Technologist
provides technical support and assistance to LMS users with various LMS levels
of administrator rights, including course managers, teachers, and customer
service staff. These users include field office English language and training managers,
CSR staff, and instructors as well as program staff at AMIDEAST Headquarters who
use AMIDEAST’s Moodle learning management system (LMS) and BigBlueButton (BBB) virtual
classroom platform.
In addition, this individual works
in a collaborative support role with headquarters, regional and local IT staff
to maintain the AMIDEAST educational technology infrastructure, including modifications,
adjustments, and customizations required to optimize the delivery of online
instruction and training. This role includes researching, identifying, and
testing extensions, plugins, and other enhancements available for the Moodle
LMS, testing the LMS following server and platform version upgrades, and
problem-solving related to LMS effectiveness in close coordination with IT
staff members who are responsible for the installation, management and
maintenance of AMIDEAST’s educational server and platform infrastructure.
Specific duties of the educational
technologist are listed below.
·
Manage
the instruction-related operational features of AMIDEAST’s Moodle LMS and BBB
virtual classroom. Tasks include, but are not limited to, the following.
o
Design/create
new and modify existing LMS courses to address training needs and circumstances;
set course-level user permissions
o
Select
and/or prepare formats, menus, page layout, text, graphics, etc. for individual
courses on the LMS
o
Create
new user accounts, both manually and via bulk uploads, and manage course
enrollment keys.
o
Enroll
and unenroll users and classes of students in courses.
o
Select,
configure, and prepare course resources and activities.
o
Set
up and configure class gradebooks and attendance.
o
Design,
develop and modify program, course and student reports.
o
Backup,
archive, restore, and reset courses
·
Develop
and deliver training to AMIDEAST staff and instructors via web-based training
sessions, workshops and consultations for the above-bulleted tasks and other related
e-learning tools and resources.
·
Prepare
training documentation in the form of demonstration videos and instructional manuals
that show how to effectively maintain and use LMS/BBB features and associated
functions.
·
Provide
oversight and ongoing assistance to staff in launching, managing and
maintaining courses on AMIDEAST’s LMS/BBB.
·
Undertake
needs assessments to identify improvements for curriculum resources, learning
objectives, delivery techniques or learning activities relevant to online
delivery.
·
Conduct
consultations to understand instructional opportunities, constraints, and concerns
for using the LMS and BBB and to determine the best learning practices and
instructional tools for promoting and enabling online training.
·
Troubleshoot
LMS programming bugs and support IT staff in the installation and integration
of various technology solutions to resolve problems in a timely manner
·
Research,
identify, and test third-party applications (add-ons, plugins), for the LMS
that improve and enhance the quality and effectiveness of online learning.
·
Provide guidance and advice on the
appropriate integration of educational technology into existing or new training
programs, including participation in program/proposal development.
·
Assist local field staff and
instructors with identifying and using LMS features most appropriate for their
online courses and blended components of AMIDEAST’s face-to-face, flipped and
hybrid courses.
·
Assess, recommend, and test
courseware packages and related tools to fulfil AMIDEAST’s educational goals.
·
Provide user support and serve as second-level
responder for customer service inquiries directly related to online training
and learning.
Qualifications, Skills and
Experience
Required
qualifications
·
Bachelor’s degree in educational technology, computer
science or another relevant field
·
A minimum of two years of demonstrated experience as
an LMS administrator
·
A minimum of three years of classroom teaching
experience
·
Practical experience as a student or instructor
using typical resources available on an LMS
·
Steadfast commitment to providing friendly and
timely customer service to internal and external clients
·
Hands-on experience providing training to diverse
communities of people using web-based resources
·
Responsible and reliable, with self-directed
motivation and a positive can-do attitude; collaborative and flexible in a
fast-paced dynamic digital work environment
Preferred
Qualifications
·
Master’s degree in educational technology
·
Experience as a Moodle LMS administrator
·
Classroom experience in ES/FL or other foreign language
teaching
·
Experience mentoring instructors and staff in using
technology for teaching and learning
·
Basic working knowledge of HTML, HTML5, CSS coding and
SQL queries
·
Familiarity with and experience using the following technologies:
o Web conferencing
systems such as Blackboard Collaborate, BigBlueButton, Skype, Jitsi or
Microsoft Teams
o Audio/video
cataloguing and streaming services such as YouTube, Vimeo and Kaltura
o Content
development software such as the Adobe Creative Suite, Articulate, Camtasia and
iSpring; Microsoft Office
o
Social media tools such as Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter and Blogs
o Google
G-Suite for education or non-profits
Please
provide a cover letter, resume and salary requirements to http://jobs.amideast.org
AMIDEAST
is an Equal Opportunity Employer-Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disability/Gender
Identity/Sexual Orientation