HEFi Digital Education Developer - Academic Services

Position Details

• Academic Services
• University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
• Full time starting salary is normally in the range £27,924 to £30,497, with potential progression once in post to £34,304
• Grade 6
• Full time
• Permanent
• Closing date - 16th December 2021

Job Role

Reporting to the College Head of HEFi Digital, the postholder will be a member of the college HEFi Digital Team and a member of the wider HEFi Digital community represented in the five main colleges within the university.

The postholder will utilise their passion for learning and teaching working as part of a multidisciplinary digital education team in addressing the university's strategic ambition to expand its portfolio and develop its digital education capability through targeted investment and more effective use of existing resources.

This post will play a lead role in delivering the college's Digital Learning Strategy. This will involve providing expert guidance and collaboration on the design of pedagogically proven blended and online learning. The postholder will collaborate on the design and scripting of high-quality video and other digital material and activities, and to enable the repurposing of this material between courses.

They will provide effective, evidence-based support working closely with academic and professional services colleagues to identify new growth opportunities and diversification of the college's learning resources portfolio.

With a future-facing outlook, the postholder will promote the art of the possible in digital education through contribution to community networks that identify emerging best practice. The role will promote understanding and collaboration between HEFi Digital and the College.

Main Duties

• The role will be working both independently and alongside other members of the HEFi Digital Team in the creation of online courses in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas to include the use of relevant digital education practices, working in conjunction with academics and administrators within the College to make the best use of Canvas and other relevant tools.
• Creation of high quality video resources.
• Creation of learning objects and course content (with input from subject staff).
• Point of contact for 2nd line support for VLE users within the college.
• Work with HEFi Digital to deliver bespoke training programmes and workshops for digital education.
• Participate in and contribute to activities and projects aligned to the broader goals and vision of the wider HEFi Digital team.
• Project support and facilitation for digital education within the college.
• Liaise with content development specialists (internal or 3rd party) to design high quality, innovative learning objects and activities to be used within college courses.
• Digital education research and horizon scanning.
• To undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time to further the work of HEFi.

Person Specification

Essential:

Digital Education (application of technology in pedagogical context)

• Understanding of instructional/learning design in the context of higher education and a broad disciplinary area.
• Knowledge of how Virtual Learning Environments (such as Canvas) and other associated systems can be used to support learning and teaching.
• Experience of engaging in horizon scanning and proactively keeping abreast of sector developments.

Training and Support

• Experience of developing and delivering face to face and remote training, ideally in the use of learning technologies.
• Experience of working with academic staff, ideally in the use of learning technologies in a blended learning environment.

Communication and Ways of Working

• Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to prioritise, negotiate and use own judgement, particularly when responding to queries and requests for advice.
• Ability to work independently, accurately and to deadlines within a team environment.
• Ability to interpret, analyse and present information clearly.

Project Management and Delivery

• Experience supporting projects through from conception to successful completion.

People Management

• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.

Development (media, interactive content, API)

• Understanding of and confidence in working with complex IT systems.
• Experience of HTML, CSS and Javascript within a VLE environment.

Media

• Media skills (able to film & edit using Premier Pro, Final Cut or similar) for professional finish.

Equality and Diversity

• Knowledge of the protected characteristics defined by the Equality Act 2010 and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area of business that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Desirable:

Media

• Advanced media skills (able to film, edit using Premier Pro, Final Cut or similar, use after effects or other post production, create animated videos) for polished professional finish.

Interactive Content

• Content development skills (able to create straightforward content in authoring packages such as Storyline)
• Advanced development skills (able to create sophisticated content in authoring packages such as Storyline)

informal enquiries can be made to Louise Staffell - l.staffell@bham.ac.uk

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working