Learner Experience Researcher - Initiatives & Opportunities (July 2023 - April 2025)

Status: Initiatives & Opportunities (July 2023 – April 2025)

Hours: Monday to Friday; 35 hours/week

Home Campus: Fennell

Pay Band: J

Rate of Pay: $39.15

Posting Date: July 14th, 2023

Closing Date: August 4th, 2023 at 7:00pm EST

Please be advised that according to Full Time Support Staff Collective Agreement, Article 17.1, preference will be given to qualified employees within the Full Time Support Staff bargaining unit, Appendix D (in the role for 6 consecutive months) and RPT employees who have passed probation at Mohawk College. Should a suitable candidate not be found, external candidates will be considered.

We support and encourage the contributions of our diverse employees. We are committed to nurturing an equitable, diverse and inclusive (EDI) environment for everyone who learns and works at Mohawk College. We believe the rich diversity among our students and the communities we serve should be reflected within our workforce. As educators we believe it is important to act and show leadership in advancing the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in our community.

Learner Experience Researcher

The Learner Experience Researcher conducts various kinds of research studies to understand learner needs, preferences, and behaviours in order to improve the design of our digital interfaces for learning. The primary role for the LX Researcher is to bridge the gap between the learners (students) and the design team by advocating for the learner’s perspectives. Working within the Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, the incumbent will work closely with designers that may include, but not limited to, the Instructional Designers, Digital Media Designer, UX Designer and XR Simulation Designer. This role forms an important part of the Digital Learning experience, linking the design of the technology-enabled learning to actual learner outcomes.

The incumbent in this role will determine appropriate research questions, identify the best research methodology and derive actionable insights from the research data. They will be responsible for getting REB approval, if required, and for conducting the learner research that may include usability testing, persona development, learner research, ethnography studies and journey mapping. Experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies is required, and the successful candidate is responsible for determining the appropriate methodology. Collaboration with colleagues in learner analytics, student success, student services as well as others in both academic and non-academic service areas will be important to the success of the role.

The successful candidate will have earned a Master’s degree in Education, Psychology or similar program with a focus on human-technology interfaces. Research experience with a specialization in educational approaches and technology is required, along with accessibility research. Experience with UX/UI research tools is an asset.

Responsibilities

The duties of this position will include, but are not limited to the following:

Research Design

• Research must incorporate accessibility (such as but not limited to AODA) and usability measures.
• Design both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Develop hypothesis driven research methodologies to gain understanding between the course/material design and learner satisfaction, and learner outcomes.
• Prepare and submit Research Ethics Board applications when applicable.

Conducting Research

• Contact and recruit learners and/or other participants according to the study methodology.
• Ensure empathy-based, bias-free data is collected and stored securely with the utmost attention to participants privacy.
• Incorporate tools from learning experience, user experience, and human interface research.

Analysis, Insights and Recommendations

• Combine, collate, and code data.
• Assist faculty that are conducting Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research in formulating research questions and design methodology.
• Prepare reports, research papers, and presentations to disseminate findings.
• Support in Scholarship in Teaching and Learning.
• Draw insights from the analysis of the combined data that will inform design.
• Present findings to management and stakeholder groups.

Other Duties As Assigned

• Disseminate research at conferences where feasible.
• Keep up to date with current research and applicable methodologies.

Qualifications

The successful applicant must have:

• A minimum of three years of practical experience with conducting research in education, educational technology, learner/customer satisfaction, and learner outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience developing, collecting, and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative research.
• Demonstrated commitment and understanding of human rights, equity, diversity and inclusion with the ability to communicate and work effectively inter-culturally with diverse groups of students, employees and the community.
• UX Research course/certificate.
• Post graduate degree or equivalent professional certification (e.g. Masters) or equivalent in Education, Psychology, Sociology with an emphasis on technology enabled learning.

Mohawk College prioritizes recruiting and retaining diverse employees. With this in mind, the College is committed to fostering inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection processes.

Should you require accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please contact the Human Resources Department at (905) 575 - 2047.

Mohawk College is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons, women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, S2LGBTQIA+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

For more information concerning the Mohawk College strategic plan, please see: strategicplan.mohawkcollege.ca/