Instructional Designer, Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies

Fort Hays State University•Hays, KS

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies (TILT) at Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is seeking an Instructional Designer to focus on creating human connection in digital spaces. This role is central to FHSU's Digital Master Plan and involves partnering with faculty to design online, hybrid, and in-person courses and learning experiences that prioritize instructor presence, peer interaction, and student agency. The position requires expertise in instructional design, educational technology, and faculty development, supporting FHSU's commitment to student success, the evaluation of learning technologies, and informed decision-making regarding AI and other tools in education.

Requirements

Master's degree in education, instructional design, educational technology, or a related field or six years of experience in lieu of degree
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain design and technology choices to non-technical audiences
Expertise with course quality assurance frameworks, such as SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric (OSCQR), Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Scorecard, Quality Matters
Working familiarity with a learning management system (FHSU uses Blackboard Learn)
Strong technical aptitude and a demonstrated ability to learn new tools and concepts quickly

Nice To Haves

Two or more years of experience in instructional design or educational technology in higher education
Demonstrated experience with project management and the ability to coordinate communication with several faculty at once and meet deadlines
Online or hybrid teaching experience in higher education
Familiarity with presence-based frameworks for course design, such as the Community of Inquiry model, and the ability to apply them in consultation with faculty
Experience helping faculty use generative AI in ways that preserve instructor–student and peer interaction rather than replace it
Experience interpreting course-level data (engagement, activity, outcomes) in partnership with instructors
Working knowledge of accessibility standards for digital learning (WCAG, Universal Design for Learning) and of regular and substantive interaction expectations for online courses
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty and colleagues across disciplines and backgrounds
Experience designing or facilitating faculty professional development
Background and experience with open educational resources (OERs) adoption and development

Responsibilities

Partner with faculty to design and redesign courses, modules, activities, and assessments that incorporate Regular and Substantive Interaction across online, hybrid, and face-to-face formats
Guide faculty through course development from concept to delivery, including alignment of outcomes, activities, and assessment
Apply quality course assurance frameworks that treat connection and presence as design outcomes, not by-products
Design and deliver workshops, consultations, and resources that help faculty grow as course designers, in collaboration with TILT's faculty development team
Support faculty in making informed, principled decisions about AI in their courses: where it extends what students can do, and where it substitutes for the thinking and interaction in the course
Contribute to TILT's programming and communities for faculty as they are developed
Help evaluate and make recommendations for learning tools and platforms to meet pedagogical criteria
Support faculty adoption of approved tools, including the LMS, with attention to accessibility and student engagement
Help faculty read and design based their own course data
Contribute to ongoing quality improvement in online and blended learning, including regular and substantive interaction standards
Document design decisions and outcomes so TILT's work is visible and can inform institutional priorities