Instructional Designer

The University of Texas at Arlington; Arlington (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Arlington seeks an instructional designer to partner with faculty and subject matter experts to design, develop, and revise online courses aligned with learning outcomes. The role guides faculty through project plans, timelines, and feedback, applying evidence-based design and quality standards to ensure accessible, engaging online learning experiences.

Responsibilities include advising on online teaching practices, creating instructional content, and supporting

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Instructional Design (or Technology), Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or related field.
• Two (2) years of experience designing, developing, or revising online courses, preferably in higher education or eight (8) years of an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

• Partner with faculty and subject matter experts to design, develop, and revise online courses that are pedagogically sound and aligned with learning outcomes.
• Guide faculty through course design process with clear project plans, timelines, and expectations.
• Apply instructional design principles to align outcomes, assessments, activities, materials, and tools.
• Advise faculty on online teaching practices, including assessment design and student engagement.

Education

Master's degree in Instructional Design (or Technology) or related field

Two years of experience designing online courses

Job description

Purpose of Position

The instructional designer is responsible for assisting subject matter experts, faculty and program directors in the design of curriculum and instruction, development of learning resources, and revision of in-person courses to online/hybrid modalities via the Learning Management System (LMS), such as Canvas, and virtual meeting tools, such as Microsoft Teams meetings.

Essential Functions

• Partner with faculty and subject matter experts from across disciplines to design, develop, and revise online courses that are pedagogically sound, student-centered, and aligned with stated learning outcomes.
• Guide faculty through each phase of the course design process by establishing clear project plans, timelines, and expectations, and by providing feedback and support.
• Apply evidence-based instructional design principles and quality standards to support alignment among learning outcomes, assessments, instructional activities, course materials, and tools.
• Advise faculty on effective teaching practices for online environments, including assessment design, student engagement, feedback strategies, and workload management.
• Use document authoring, multimedia, and web design tools to produce high-quality instructional content and learning activities.
• Create accessible and usable documents, media, assessments, and learning activities in accordance with institutional and legal requirements.
• Evaluate and remedy accessibility issues in existing course content.
• Conduct course reviews using quality standards such as the Quality Matters Rubric and provide feedback to support continuous improvement.
• Design and deliver faculty development trainings, workshops, and resources that support instructional practices and course design.
• Contribute to and maintain a shared knowledge repository to support online teaching, course design, and learning tools.
• Evaluate emerging educational technologies and software for their potential to enhance course development and delivery.
• Research and advise departments and academic leaders on tools and processes that support effective online course development and delivery.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Instructional Design (or Technology), Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or related field.
• Two (2) years of experience designing, developing, or revising online courses, preferably in higher education or eight (8) years of an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using a learning management system (e.g., Canvas) or authoring tool (e.g., Articulate Rise) to build and organize course content.
• Certified in quality standards (e.g., Quality Matters).
• While all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, preference may be given to applicants located near the Dallas-Fort Worth area to attend occasional in-person events.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of instructional design principles and theories in online learning.
• Knowledge of course quality standards used in higher education (e.g., Quality Matters or comparable frameworks).
• Knowledge of current technology developments and trends.
• Skills in written, verbal, and interpersonal communication to maintain professionalism, respect, and trust in faculty and team relationships.
• Skills in providing clear, constructive feedback during course design, course reviews and consultations.
• Skills in planning, implementing, testing, and troubleshooting educational technology.
• Ability to apply instructional design principles consistently across diverse disciplines and course formats.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to make course content (e.g., images, documents, PowerPoint presentations, PDF files, videos, podcast) that follows current accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and inclusive design practices for online learning.
• Ability to author technical documentation in online and video formats for the use of educational technology.
• Ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively as part of a team.

Work Schedule

• Monday through Friday; 8:00am through 5:00pm.
• 10% Travel.
• Remote work environment in Texas.

Benefits Information

• Position is benefit eligible: Yes
• We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to our employees at the University.
• https://www.uta.edu/hr/employee-benefits