Learning Designer
UNITY ENVIRONMENTAL UNIVERSITY · Pineland Campus - New Gloucester, ME 04260 ·
- Category
- Technical writing
Learning Designer at Unity Environmental University's Distance Education unit (Pineland Campus, New Gloucester, ME), managing development and maintenance of asynchronous online courses and micro-credentials. Day to day: building content in the Canvas LMS, partnering with faculty and SMEs, improving courses from student data, and ensuring ADA-accessible design.
About Unity:
At Unity Environmental University we are on a mission to make environmental education accessible and affordable to all. Our unique model combines a functional hierarchy and project-based structure through our four Sustainable Education Business Units (SEBUs) to promote collaboration and innovation (Distance Education, Sustainable Ventures, and Unity @ Pineland). We prioritize our students' needs above all else, offering a variety of modalities, including hybrid, in-person, hyflex, and online. Our innovative and inclusive culture prepares students to tackle real-world challenges and cultivate the next generation of environmental professionals and leaders who can make a positive impact on our world.
Our Mission:
We are dedicated to delivering quality education and experiences that produce outstanding environmentally competent professionals and inspire individuals from all walks of life to steward sustainable ecosystems.
About Distance Education:
Distance Education provides an entirely asynchronous, online learning experience that adapts to the unique circumstances of each student. Our fully accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs, as well as non-degree credits, empower learners to shape their own educational journey. With 8 five-week terms for undergraduates and 5 eight-week terms for graduate students, our model offers unparalleled flexibility. You can learn at your own pace, and take breaks as needed. By using your everyday environment as your laboratory, you'll integrate your studies into your daily life. This makes our education ideal for busy professionals who seek to advance their careers while still honoring their commitments. We are committed to empowering our students to become the changemakers our world needs, wherever they are.
The Opportunity:
The Learning Designers primary responsibility is to manage projects involving online courses and micro-credential development and maintenance for Unity Environmental University Distance Education. To accomplish this, they will: Synthesize technical and pedagogical literacy and apply that expertise, in collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs) and institution administrators, to design engaging, experiential learning activities; Iteratively improve upon student-learning experiences through the collection and analysis of student data, as well as feedback from course instructors and SMEs, to follow the evolving needs of the professional spheres for which the students are being prepared; Continuously evaluate the performance of the courses and micro-credentials they design, and the efficacy of established learning design practices, using student performance data; and, ensure the accessibility of the content and activities they build using universal design principles and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance standards.
Day to day responsibilities:
- Work collaboratively with Distance Education (DE) faculty and staff to design and develop high quality, innovative, experiential online courses, and micro-credentials.
- Act as an expert resource for our Canvas learning management system (LMS) and related tools.
- Apply the appropriate learning and instructional theories for excellent online course and micro-credential designs and implementations.
- Design online content for the Canvas LMS.
- Integrate current educational technologies to promote effective teaching strategies and to improve student-learning experiences.
- Develop and lead trainings on online instructor and student support materials, including tutorials, orientations, help sessions, and workshops, as needed.
- Facilitate and coordinate administrative aspects of course and micro-credential development, delivery, and support.
- Act as a consultant to Distance Education faculty and leadership on the process of learning design in teaching, research, and creative works.
- Provide learning design services, consultation and assistance to help plan, coordinate, support, evaluate and improve course, micro-credential and program designs.
- Identify and provide corrective action when needed in alignment with the Quality Matters program and rubric.
- Develop and manage course and micro-credential development and implementation schedules.
- Assist faculty and other subject matter experts in navigating the Canvas LMS, in coordination with Learning Technology staff.
- Oversee all phases of the design process, aligning instructional content to learning outcomes, while creating instructionally sound and engaging learning opportunities, and developing quality assessment tools.
- Oversee design revisions and outcomes-based improvements of existing products.
- Remain current and maintain a thorough understanding of the latest industry technology tools and trends in online education.
- Other duties as assigned.