Educational Technologist

POSITION TITLE:  Educational Technologist

DEPARTMENT:       INSTITUTE OF LEADERSHIP & EDUCATION ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT (ILEAD)

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE:   EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

LOCATION: Suzhou

SALARY:        21,611 – 23,893 RMB/month (with the opportunity to go to 26,713RMB based on future annual performance and evaluations after being in post)

POSITION OPEN DATE:    25-Nov-19

ADVERTISEMENT CLOSING DATE:        16-Feb-20

JOB ID: 996038

CONTRACT TYPE: Full time       

UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is a unique collaborative institution and the first joint-venture university in China to offer both UK (University of Liverpool) and Chinese (Ministry of Education) accredited undergraduate degrees for all programmes. Formed in 2006, the first cohort of students graduated in August 2010. The University now has almost 15,000 students studying on campus. The language of instruction is English. XJTLU aims to become truly research-led, and has recently committed significant investment into research development and the expansion of PhD student numbers on campus.

XJTLU is located in the Higher Education Town of Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). Suzhou has been ranked the 74th most liveable city in the 2018 Global Liveability Index. Additionally, it is well-connected via nearby airports to cities such as Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei, and via high-speed rail to other major cities in China. SIP is a major growth zone, including operations run by nearly one-fifth of the Fortune 500 top global companies. Greater Suzhou is now the fourth largest concentration of economic activity in China in terms of GDP, and the SIP has a higher GDP per capita than the UK. The broader Suzhou area encompasses the spirit of both old and new in China, with the historic old town’s canals, UNESCO World Heritage Site gardens, and the I.M. Pei-designed Suzhou Museum attracting millions of tourists annually. SIP offers an excellent quality of life with high environmental standards. The nearby Jinji Lake provides attractive views, by day and by night, and there is a variety of shopping facilities, international and local restaurants, entertainment hubs and nightlife. Suzhou is also home to four international schools.

ILEAD is a unique and leading centre for education innovation, development, and education of educators (degree programmes) in education globally. Its key customers include XJTLU students, XJTLU staff, as well as local, regional, national and international educational practitioners and institutions. The main business of ILEAD includes:

• Pedagogical programmes (Postgraduate Taught and PhD degree programmes)
• Support for XJTLU student learning
• Educational and professional development for XJTLU staff
• Global community for education innovation
• Training and development initiatives for external educators and professionals in education sector
• Research on future university (internationalization, learning and teaching, educational leadership, educational management).

The Educational Development Division (EDU) is one of the fundamental academic units within ILEAD. It is committed to exploring new models of higher education, supporting and enhancing best academic practice in all learning, teaching and research activities, both on and off campus using remote technologies, and supporting the University to reach its global goals to combine eastern and western education philosophies. Its core aim is to provide support to academic departments by developing strategies to enhance programme design and assessments, driving innovation in the curriculum, providing instruction and coaching on teaching best practice, and by leading on the deployment of technology in the virtual and campus-based classroom. EDU works with academic departments to tailor such support to their specific needs, as well as provide generic training programmes as its core business. EDU is responsible for the educational and professional development for XJTLU academic staff by running the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education programme (PGCert), which is accredited by the UK Higher Education Academy. EDU is comprised of educational developers and an educational technology team that support the overall educational technological development, as well as the use of technology of staff, in learning and teaching activities.

ROLE OVERVIEW:

The role of Educational Technologist is to contribute to the enhancement of the quality of learning and teaching across the University through the delivery of training, support, and guidance, and the development and implementation of innovative e-Learning tools and solutions. This is achieved through the delivery of workshops and other CPD opportunities, working directly with staff and academic units to provide bespoke or first-line support, providing guidance with respect to online assessment, plagiarism detection tools, sharing of best practices, administration of the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), and implementation of the University’s learning and teaching strategy.

The Educational Technologist reports to the Manager, Educational Technologies and is line-managed by the Head, Education Development Division, and will work within a team comprising Educational Technologists, E-learning Officers and Instructional Designers, based in the EDU and in academic departments.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

• Design and deliver workshops and other face-to-face CPD opportunities.
• Provide expert and specialist advice and guidance to a broad range of stakeholders in developing technology-assisted resources to support learning and teaching.
• Make recommendations regarding the effective sharing of good practice in assessments and other student evaluation.
• Provide advice and guidance to faculty relating to the deployment of anti-plagiarism software and in their support to students in avoiding academic malpractice.
• Act as a consultation point (first and second line support) for academic staff seeking to incorporate e-learning components into their modules/degree programmes.
• Collaborate across ILEAD to promote best practice in e-learning and blended learning, both within and beyond the University.
• Develop collaborative networks to identify and disseminate good practices in teaching and learning and evaluates their effectiveness, e.g. ICE Users group.
• Support the implementation of the University’s Learning and Teaching Strategy, particularly the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Framework.
• Contribute to the effective implementation of new learning technologies and other web-based technologies across campus, using both on-line and blended learning approaches.
• Assist with tasks relating to the development and administration of the University’s VLE (MOODLE) and other related systems.
• Work with the Manager and other team members in providing project oversight, technology recommendations and workflow development in relation to team projects.
• Reflect on their own professional practice and keeps abreast of current developments in TEL through engagement with the wider community via subject associations, attendance and presentations at conferences, colloquiums and professional development activities.
• Carry out any other duties as required, commensurate with the role position and as required to develop the role in line with changes to ongoing University strategy.
• Willing to engage in development and training activities to adapt the focus of the role, where appropriate, to meet the changing needs of the University.
• Evaluate the development and impact of TEL across campus for the purpose of developing the University’s capacity in this regard.
• Contribute to the coordination of the annual XJTLU Learning and Teaching Colloquium, as well as other ILEAD-related conference activities.
• Engage with relevant committees, working groups and forums to raise awareness of service offerings, relevant pedagogic principles, share examples of best practice and highlight developments in the field.
• Work collaboratively within ILEAD, and in particular the Education Development Unit, to contribute to achieving the strategic ambitions of the University in relation to academic enhancement and excellence in learning, teaching and research, and to contribute to achieving ILEAD’s ongoing operational objectives.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• A flexible approach to working.
• Proactive and ability to work independently and also as part of a team.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE:

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• A high degree of facility with institutional educational technology systems, such virtual learning environments, e-portfolios, video streaming platforms, assessment tools, data reporting and analytics platforms, some knowledge of server architecture, networking, Linux, and MySQL.
• Excellent knowledge of current theories and practices with regard to the use of educational technology.
• The ability to create and deliver programming (informal and formal stand-alone or embedded activities) for teaching development.
• Collegiality and a willingness to work with others.
• The ability to effectively collaborate on cross-functional and multi-disciplinary teams, multi-tasking and establishing priorities and meeting deadlines with minimal direction.
• A Masters in Educational technology or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years' experience in post-secondary education, and 3 years’ experience in educational technology.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE:

• Membership of and engagement with a relevant professional body, such as ALT (Association for Learning Technologists).
• Fellowship or Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy is preferred, though not essential.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE:

Members of Academic Staff are entitled to subsidies for accommodation, travel, and children’s educational, medical insurance, and a one-time relocation allowance is provided. Overseas staff may receive a tax “holiday,” depending on nationality and personal circumstances.

CITIZENSHIP AND VISA REGULATIONS:

Employment at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is regulated by Chinese Labour Laws, and must comply with the regulations of the provincial government. These regulations stipulate who is eligible for legal employment with regard to obtaining work permits and visas.  Please be advised candidates over 65 may be not eligible for PRC work visa.

TO APPLY:

Please send your application to AcademicPositions@xjtlu.edu.cn. In the subject line write the position you are applying for and quote the job ID number for reference.

Applications must be submitted in a single pdf file that includes 3 parts in the order of:

• A cover letter
• A current CV, including date of birth, country of citizenship, and highest degree level
• Contact details for three references

Applications should be received by the closing date stated above.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to the Staff Management Team at AcademicPositions@xjtlu.edu.cn or the Head of Education Development, Jennifer Howard (Jennifer.Howard@xjtlu.edu.cn). Please quote the position and job ID in your enquiry.