Instructional Designer

The Instructional Designer is a member of the D3 Team at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) and is a key contributor responsible for developing and designing instructional content for delivery in a variety of online and face-to-face environments. The purpose of this position is to work closely with faculty and the design team as they facilitate learners in acquiring knowledge, skills and competencies in an effective and appealing manner. This position ensures quality and consistency of course design, delivery and evaluation. Reporting directly to the Director of Course Development and Instructional Technology, the Instructional Designer works collaboratively with faculty to deliver appropriate content in an interactive fashion meeting Quality Matters rubrics and standards. This will be a collaborative process with faculty to determine instructional strategies, teaching and learning resources, course development and revision, and curricular evaluation.

The Course Development and Instructional Technology unit provides leadership and supervision in implementation and continuous improvement of online/blended courses. The members provide the VUSN instructors with the assistance and resources needed to design, develop, and deliver high quality online instructional materials grounded in good course design principles and our understanding of how people learn. We also offer guidance to educators on the use, exploration, and experimentation of instructional technologies that promote curricular innovation in online learning. Talents range from implementing instructional design strategies, developing content using course management applications, developing interactive instructional elements, and creating audio, video and multimedia features of online/hybrid courses.

Guides the course and curriculum development process to ensure that quality standards are met in compliance with program accreditation standards.

• Assists in the development and/or revisions of course mapping, course level design, and unit level learning objectives.
• Uses database-driven tools to maximize efficiency in course development and evaluation activities.
• Update and maintain course related records and data to ensure accurate reporting for academic leadership.
• Applies visual design elements to online course components, documents, and forms.

Build and create interactive and engaging courses within the Learning Management System to help facilitate effective online learning experiences.

• Provides feedback to instructors regarding instructional strategies and teaching and learning resources.
• Reviews courses for quality, interactivity and consistency.
• Implements the Quality Matters framework for the promotion of excellence.
• Communicates with other D3 staff for the creative deployment of instructional graphics, images, banners, videos, animations and infographics to support learning goals.
• Develop courses, e-learning modules, and blended learning experiences using the learning management system and authoring tools such as Articulate 360, or Rise.

• Contributes to online Knowledgebase those content areas that would provide just-in-time learning for users of the course-based management system.

• This position does not have supervisory responsibility; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Instructional Design Manager.

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• Master's degree in Instructional Design or related fields strongly preferred.
• Previous teaching, training or working experience in instructional design, or an instruction design degree is preferred.

• Proven working experience in instructional design with instructional technology is required.
• Knowledge of learning theories and instructional design models is required.
• Solid knowledge of course development, lesson and curriculum planning skills is required.
• Knowledge of Learning Management Systems is required.
• Ability to write effective instructional text, audio and storyboards is strongly preferred.