Online Curriculum Production Specialist II

JOB DESCRIPTION                                                                                  

TITLE:  Online Curriculum Production Specialist II                                             

DEPARTMENT: Education
                                                                                   
DATE: 7/15/2010                                                                                                         

FLSA STATUS: Exempt
 

JOB PURPOSE AND REPORTING FUNCTION:

 
The role of the online Curriculum Production Specialist II is to provide administrative, supervisory and technical support for the online campus faculty course authors producing satisfactory outcomes in online course and program development. Production Specialist positions will report directly to the Director Academic Services Online Campus. 
 
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
 
Production Specialist positions are academic/administrative positions within the organization of the campus.  The duties of a Production Specialist are both administrative and supervisory in nature and embody the development of all courses and programs within the online curriculum.  The duties of the Production Specialist fall into six major areas: supervisory, administrative, training, curriculum, course author and program chair satisfaction, and professionalism.  The specific duties of these areas are as follows:
 

A.  Instructional Design:
 

1. Subject matter expert on instructional design techniques to enhance the students online classroom experience
2. Apply instructional design principals during course development to meet the course learning objectives established by Herzing University
3. Define and implement assessment strategies that help to measure students learning outcomes
4. Conduct continuous audits to ensure the effectiveness of assessments used in courses
5. Provide support to course authors and staff on curriculum design as it relates to assessment strategies

 
B.  SUPERVISORY:

1. Provides direct supervision, where applicable, to the faculty course authors assigned to the development of courses within the curriculum of online programs.
2. Establishes and monitors course author performance standards and goals for course development and design.
3. Conducts ongoing and course development reviews of courses assigned to faculty course authors as outlined in the course author contracts and Curriculum Management Department Standard Operating Procedures.
    

C.  ADMINISTRATIVE:
 

1. Assists the Program Chairs in establishment of development procedures, curriculum updates, textbook changes and course and program requirements.
2. Responsible for generating and distributing contracts and pay authorization forms for course authors and peer reviewers and assuring that they are submitted accurately and promptly to the Director Academic Services in accordance with the University’s and Education Department’s policy and procedure.
3. Assists the Director Academic Services in the enforcement of the University’s rules as published in the Herzing University Catalog, Faculty Handbook and Corporate Bulletins.
4. Assists the Director Academic Services in determining the need for curriculum resources, information technologies, and other materials that are to be used for online curriculum purposes.
5. Makes recommendations to the Director Academic Services with respect to replacing, upgrading or discarding equipment, programs or software related to online course development or faculty course author and student training support mechanisms.
6. Ensures faculty course author and program chair personnel files are maintained and organized according to University and department policies.
7. Is responsible for the implementation, testing, quality assurance and security of all programs used in online course and program development.
8. Regularly monitors quality of course development by hired faculty course authors through online course audits.
9. Assists the Director Academic Services in the assignment of faculty course author development functions in accordance with established workload norms, and program content expertise.
10. Encourages a high level of faculty course author morale by being readily available to discuss with assigned authors their needs, questions and frustrations, and by promoting positive attitudes.
11. Establishes faculty course author accounts to courses within the University operating system platform.
12. Confirm faculty course authors and peer reviewers have access and all operational functions to their course(s)
13. Creating program management tools to assess course development, workload of faculty course authors and timelines for course offerings.

 

D.  TRAINING:
 

1. Assists the Director Academic Services in the administration and supervision of faculty course author training and continued development.
2. Acts as the Resource Person for faculty course authors and program chairs working on the development modules or other development materials.
3. Assists the Director Academic Services in the administration of online faculty course author satisfaction surveys including course development and structural platform critiques, as well as those associated with student training modules such as the online student tutorial.
4. Holds regular meetings with assigned course authors to keep them educated of online curriculum changes and suggestions that may have an effect on the development of courses
5. Works with faculty course authors and program chairs to share and search for solutions to common problems that arise from time to time.

E.  CURRICULUM:
 

Assures high curriculum standards through the establishment of appropriate course development evaluation mechanisms for assigned courses/programs such as focus groups and training modules.

Initiates course development activities in accordance with the University’s curriculum development policy for assigned courses/programs.

Serves as liaison to the campus’ University-wide curriculum committee(s) and is responsible for all changes associated with online curriculum. 

Supports the Director Academic Services in keeping programs and courses aligned with current with state/accreditation reporting requirements as related to content and development and assists the Director Academic Services to ensure appropriate materials are available to support any change approval.

 

F.  COURSE AUTHOR AND PROGRAM CHAIR SATISFACTION:
 

1. Monitors faculty course author and program chair satisfaction in the development of assigned courses/programs.
2. Assists in developing action plans for improving satisfaction.
3. Interacts in a fair and impartial way with faculty course authors and program chairs.
4. Listens to and evaluates problems and concerns from faculty course authors and program chairs in regard to courses/programs development, counsels them within University expectation and policy norms.
5. Mediates conflicts in a professional manner.
 

G.  PROFESSIONALISM:
 

1. Portrays a positive, professional image of and for the University at all times.
2. Completes professional development activities as established through consultation with the campus Director Academic Services.
3. Cooperates with all members of the campus faculty and management team.
4. Assists the Director Academic Services with other curricular and/or administrative duties as required.

 

H.  OTHER DUTIES:

Performs other duties as assigned by the campus Director Academic Services.
 
Requirements:

1. Must have a minimum of a master’s degree in curriculum design, assessment, or related field
2.  Expertise in the subject matter of online course development and educational practice.
3. Must be capable of providing leadership and inspiration to faculty and program chairs.
4. Must be highly structured and organized.
5. Must be sufficiently technically oriented to understand the technical objectives of assigned duties related to online education.
6. Must be capable of writing in clear and communicative manner and delivering organized, informative presentations.
7. Must have some experience supervising staff.
8. Candidate must be able to work collaboratively with both the Curriculum Management and Education Department’s staff and members as well with those of the University community.  
9. Must be able to assist in the monitoring and assessing of internal research projects, and capable of providing input regarding the overall impact of the online course platform in relation to course development and implementation success.
10. Must have outstanding writing and communication skills, strong computer skills, and some experience in program development.

Other Requirements:
Qualified candidate must have  Master’s Degree in curriculum design, assessment, or related field.   Knowledge of rich media systems and familiarity with programs such as Captivate, Impatica or other instructional technologies such as podcasting, Audacity, or Wimba is a plus. Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment is a must.

 
PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS:
 
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, grasp, handle or touch objects. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, reach above shoulders, and lift files and file boxes