Instructional Design and Accessibility Specialist

Instructional Design and Accessibility Specialist

Reporting to the Dean of Educational Technology, the Instructional Design and Accessibility Specialist will provide dedicated support to BC3 faculty to encourage the scholarship of teaching and learning and improve student learning outcomes across all instructional formats (traditional, iTV, remote, hybrid, and online). Emphasis on the design and delivery of professional development opportunities and resources for faculty in pedagogically sound and innovative teaching and learning practices, the application of Universal Design for Learning principles in all course delivery formats, the selection and use of open educational resources (OER), and the design of Section 508 compliant, accessible multimedia and digital instructional materials and communications is central to the scope of this position.

The Instructional Design and Accessibility Specialist will partner regularly with faculty, academic Deans, the Division of Educational Technology, the Office of Access and Disability Resources, Library staff, and other stakeholders to develop programming, materials, resources, and processes that support effective, engaging, and innovative teaching practices at Butler County Community College.

Essential Job Functions:

Instructional Design

1. Promote, inform, and support best practices in teaching and learning, to include Universal Design for Learning, open educational resources (OER), and digital accessibility.
2. Provide faculty with formative feedback and suggestions related to course design and delivery to encourage a culture of continuous improvement.
3. Assist faculty in the application of proven instructional design theory and models, such as ADDIE or SAM, in the design and development of new online and distance education courses.
4. Support the use of established processes and proven instructional design frameworks for the review and remediation of the College's existing online and distance education courses.
5. Assist faculty in the design and creation of engaging digital content and multimedia such as audio, video, animations, websites, graphics, etc.
6. Design and deliver professional development workshops for faculty in areas related to teaching and learning and digital accessibility.

Accessibility

1. Encourage, promote, and support digital accessibility across all areas of the institution.
2. Consult with and aid faculty and staff in the design and development of accessible digital and print course materials, documents, and correspondence.
3. Work in close collaboration with the Office of Access & Disability Resources to coordinate accessible instructional materials and course delivery adaptations for students requesting accommodation.
4. Develop and maintain a library of resources that provide best practices, guidelines, checklists, how-to documents and other materials to support and foster a digitally accessible campus that adheres to accreditation, federal and WCAG 2.0 AA standards.
5. Evaluate and report accessibility of instructional software and digital supplemental academic resources to ensure compliance with requirements specified in the appropriate legal standards.
6. Recommend, review, and assist with the implementation of course development and accessibility compliance policies, processes and procedures.

Support Mechanisms

1. Establish a collaborative and supportive relationship with faculty and staff.
2. Maintain the Instructional Design & Accessibility (ID&A) Hub, an internal SharePoint website.
3. Create a collaborative environment for faculty that encourages and facilitates thoughtful and collegial discussion on pedagogical aspects of teaching and learning through the coordination of academic peer group discussions, faculty meet-ups, topic-related discussion boards, etc.

General

1. Remain current with best practices, industry standards, regulatory compliance, emerging technologies, and new opportunities in the field of educational technology, instructional design, and faculty development by participating in professional development opportunities such as workshops, seminars, conferences, and vendor demonstrations.
2. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of current regulations and requirements for distance education, ADA, Sections 504 and 508 and any other relevant regulatory information.
3. Participate in periodic professional development opportunities and conferences to further skills and abilities in the areas of best practices in teaching and learning, instructional design, universal design for learning, and accessibility.
4. Provide monthly reports of accomplishments, activities, statistics, and projects completed and in progress to the Dean of Educational Technology.
5. Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean of Educational Technology.

Marginal Job Functions:

1. Represent the College at functions and other civic activities as required.
2. Participate in the deliberations of college committees as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

An individual must possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that he/she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Good communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong commitment to the philosophy and mission of a comprehensive community college.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse population.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to maintain professionalism, confidentiality, composure, and a student-centered focus and attitude while carrying out all job responsibilities.
• Ability to handle sensitive and difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment with multi-faceted duties.
• Basic English language reading and writing skills to read information, understand and respond to inquiries, and prepare letters and reports.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office and Internet usage for research and communication.
• Sufficient manual dexterity to operate all office equipment.
• Ability to hear and translate normal conversation.
• Ability to follow safe work practices with office equipment and observe fire and safety regulations.
• Ability to stand, walk, sit, reach, bend, stoop, crouch, lift, and continuously perform essential job functions for a normal work day.
• Ability to perform the essential responsibilities/functions of this position.

Qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Instructional Design; Instructional Technology; Education; or related field required. Additional training or certification in the field of instructional design, digital accessibility, educational/instructional technology, faculty development, or another related field preferred.

Experience:

Required:

• Three (3) years' experience working in the field of higher education.
• Demonstrated proficiency with instructional technology and multimedia authoring tools, such as: Microsoft Office 365, Teams, and SharePoint; Blackboard Ultra or another LMS; lecture capture or video recording software; and related digital instructional technology platforms.

Preferred:

• Teaching experience in a variety of modalities (in-person, hybrid, online).
• Experience supporting instructors, staff, or students in the application of instructional design theory, instructional technology integration, multimedia, accessibility, or related concepts.

Work Hours:

25 hours per week, Monday through Friday.