Learning Analytics and User Experience Specialist

Staff – Non Union

Job Category
M&P – AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried – Information Systems and Technology, Level C

Job Title
Learning Analytics and User Experience Specialist

Department
Instructional Design MedIT Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range
$5,906.25 – $8,508.42 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date
September 26, 2022

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

This position has the option of a hybrid work arrangement.

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

Job Summary
The Digital Solutions: Educational Technology (EdTech) portfolio is responsible for supporting the design, development and maintenance of online learning artifacts including e-modules, virtual patients, simulations, facilitated learning sessions, blended learning opportunities and other educational outputs as required for all programs and schools across the Faculty of Medicine.
Organizational Status

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC’s entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The Faculty—comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members—is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, 3 schools, and 25 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

The Learning Analytics and User Experience Specialist reports to the Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager, Educational Technology, Faculty of Medicine. Works with academic and clinical faculty, external clients and UBC teams. The selected candidate will work closely with the other members of the Educational Technology team, faculty and staff.

  

The UBC Vancouver Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The City of Vancouver is located on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations territory.

Work Performed

The Learning Analytics and User Experience Specialist consults with user groups to determine business needs and to identify the appropriate technology solution for the application of learning analytics and usability.

The individual in this role will work with and support selected learning analytics and user experience projects through exploration, analysis, interpretation and reporting of data relevant to the teaching and learning questions identified. Data sources may include but not limited to clickstream and engagement data from learning management systems (LMS), other learning technologies or feedback and communication platforms. In addition, they will evaluate the impact of these analytics on learner performance and support models that will inform decisions on how to integrate learning analytics as a component of ongoing curricular quality improvement activities.

Main Responsibilities

• Advises academic colleagues and professional staff to make the best use of learning analytics tools and services and where required, support and make recommendations for service change.
• Document use cases and share good practice and innovative solutions to improve the user experience for all supported teaching and learning contexts.
• Designs digital learning artefacts optimized for learning analytics platforms. Custom programming on artefacts following best practices for the collection of data on various supported platforms. Work with the user community and project partners in order to continually improve the user experience, learning analytics and data services and range of tools on offer.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of the broader e-learning/learning analytics landscape in order to influence strategic direction and to develop innovative and appropriate use cases for change.
• To participate and lead user and partner engagement events, in order to promote collaboration, knowledge sharing and greater awareness of services. To organize testing, training and workshops to support users.
• Maintains the user experience research process, including facilitation, analysis and summary documentation with recommendations.
• Provides guidance to process improvement within Educational Technology and the wider Digital Solutions.

Planning and Organizing

• Plan and prioritize user support activity.
• Capture feedback and develop procedures for service, section and department process improvements.
• Analyze the needs of target groups and plan activities accordingly.
• Act with guidance to identify opportunities where learning analytics services could usefully be adopted, and seek to identify synergies with other services.
• Input to service and project reports to Educational Technology and Digital Solutions leadership.
• Plan, organize and lead user forums that extend to the whole Faculty community such that knowledge is disseminated, presentations are professional and feedback is managed.

Problem Solving

• Resolve conflicts of prioritization and task scheduling both independently and with managers in order to maximize efficiency and meet/exceed user expectations.
• Facilitate problem resolution through collaboration with other Digital Solutions and UBC resources as appropriate.
• Resolve problems that include complexity and that often require legislative conformity e.g. accessibility, copyright, equality, data protection and freedom of information.
• Identify service trends and usage patterns that require interpretation and presentation to leadership in order to promote service adoption, target improved awareness sessions and help avoid service failures.
• Support users in their ethical and informed adoption of learning analytics services.
• Analyze potential problems and make recommendations on solution options which are appropriate both technically and contextually.

Decision Making

• Advise, guide and lead in planning user analysis and research that informs service improvement to meet business objectives.
• Propose the optimal mix of service solutions through knowledge of technology enhanced learning services to best meet the needs of users. These may include recommending direction to Educational Technology leadership and stakeholders.
• The post will involve practical decision making where the post-holder is working without immediate support. Appropriate communication and documentation should be used to support the decision process and rationale.
• Perform other related duties as required.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position may be required to work some evenings or weekends. The position is part of the team responsible for the day-to-day operational readiness of instructional technology. Due to the distributed nature of Faculty of Medicine educational programs, occasional travel to affiliated sites (Vancouver Island, Northern and Interior of British Columbia) should be expected.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors may result in inappropriate selection or modification of advanced learning technologies and systems as utilized in the Faculty of Medicine. Provision of inaccurate learning analytics data or aligned recommendations may lead to inappropriate decision making and miscommunications between learners, faculty and staff members and/or negative consequences to the quality of teaching and learning, to the reputation of the unit, the Faculty of Medicine and UBC.
Supervision Received
The Learning Analytics and User Experience Specialist will report to the Senior Instructional Designer and Program Manager, Digital Solutions: Education. Work will be reviewed in terms of sound management practice and achievement of specific objectives.
Supervision Given
May manage projects and co-op learners. This position is expected to operate with wide latitude.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred Qualifications

Experience

• Experience with higher education and/or learning analytics and user experience is required.
• Knowledge of learning design theory and practice essential.
• Experience in working with instructors to evaluate teaching and learning innovations is desired.
• Familiarity with the context and goals of higher education would be an asset.
• Knowledge of Faculty of Medicine and university policies and procedures related to learning analytics is essential.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates a strong work ethic with excellent interpersonal and time management skills.
• Demonstrates a high level of professional work standards.
• Demonstrates extensive experience in needs assessment/requirements analysis, and liaising with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and comfort in working with technology and technological teams, as well as a diverse set of stakeholders of variable technical competencies.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to exercise initiative, diplomacy and judgment.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously to meet deadlines.
• Ability to effectively manage changing and competing priorities.
• Ability to work both independently and within a team cultivating a highly collaborative environment.

• Ability to proactively and creatively solve problems.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. We especially welcome applications from members of visible minority groups, women, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities. Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.