Science Education Specialist (SES), Skylight

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Job Profile

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Department

Compensation Range

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Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research innovation and learning for all faculty staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
The UBC Faculty of Science offers a wide range of undergraduate BSc Degree programs including majors honours and combined specializations. It also administers programs including Cognitive Science Neuroscience Integrated Sciences Combined Major in Science and first-year programs including First-Year Seminar in Science (SCIE 113) and Science One. The Science Centre for Learning and Teaching (Skylight) in the Faculty of Science is seeking a Science Education Specialist (SES) to support faculty and teaching assistant development and promote teaching excellence in the Faculty-administered programs with a particular focus on the first-year programs.

The SES in this role will serve as a resource guide and support within related programs. Their expertise will be bolstered with Skylight-coordinated professional development workshops and ongoing mentoring from Skylight leadership and peers.

The SES will work closely with Program Directors faculty and teaching assistants to advise on evidence-informed teaching practices curriculum and assessment design and the evaluation of student learning and educational initiatives. A central and initial priority of this role is to support Indigenization and inclusive approaches in science teaching and to support evaluating the impact of these curricular and pedagogical efforts on student learning.

Organizational Status

Appointment will be in Skylight Faculty of Science. The incumbent will report to the Director of Skylight or designate and will take direction from Program Directors. The person will work closely with faculty members and other members of instructional teams (e.g. teaching assistants) in the First-Year Science Programs and students who may be hired to help with projects. They will interact with peer members of Skylight and the central units such as Centre for Teaching Learning and Technology (CTLT) and Learning Technology Innovation Centre (LTIC). May supervise teaching assistants and/or research assistants.

Work Performed
Instructional guidance

Advise and collaborate with faculty on curriculum review and course design including aligning learning outcomes identifying gaps and refining learning activities and assessments across courses and/or programs

Support the weaving of Indigenous perspectives knowledges and pedagogies in science curriculum in collaboration with Indigenous partners and campus units in ways that are respectful relational and context-appropriate

Design and support curriculum and program evaluation activities (e.g. method development surveys focus groups interviews review of student work) to assess teaching effectiveness and student learning experiences

Analyze and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data to inform faculty decision making program improvement and reporting

Collaborate with faculty on teaching and learning improvement proposal development (e.g. large and small TLEFs development grants)

Liaise with Skylight and CTLT to coordinate relevant educational technology support and administrative assistance

Prepare reports presentations and internal knowledge sharing related to teaching and learning initiatives within the Faculty of Science

Coordinate relevant program efforts towards the achievement of the vision around teaching and learning

Faculty and Teaching Assistant development

Support faculty and teaching assistant development through coaching consultations collaborative course planning and contributions to professional development activities and teaching resources

Provide guidance to Graduate Academic Assistants or student staff supporting evaluation data analysis or educational research activities

Provide formative informal expert feedback to instructors on their teaching

Facilitate the professional development of faculty in the area of teaching and learning through workshops and one-on-one consultations providing expertise and support in the planning designing and implementing of evidence-based teaching practices and resources and by measuring the effectiveness of such interventions

Discipline-based education research (DBER)

Design educational research experiments and collect relevant data for course projects and publish newly developed instruments or implementation of novel methods in both laboratory and lecture courses

Consult and collaborate on scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and Discipline Based Education Research (DBER) efforts undertaken by faculty

Disseminate scholarly work in collaboration with faculty through presenting at national and international conferences and publishing in peer-reviewed journals

Community building

Facilitate faculty members communication and consensus building around teaching and learning in the First-Year Science programs.

Liaise across Science departments and with colleagues at other institutions in the same discipline

Serve on committees related to departmental teaching and learning activities

Organize and participate in activities related to instructional practice such as discussion series science education seminars reading groups etc.

Participates in centrally-organized work and activities including collaborating on FoS-wide projects actively participating in the community of their peers across departments attending/contributing to Skylight meetings Science Teaching Series and the Science Education Open House serving on committees as needed.

Performs other duties related to the qualifications and requirements of the position.

As part of the larger teaching improvement mission may be asked occasionally to instruct in courses that are under development/study and have been identified as in need of pedagogical advancement (this would be less than one (up to three credits) course a year at most twice (up to six credits) in a three-year time span and would be done under an Honorary Lecturer appointment).

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Participates in the assessment of program offerings and teaching practices that will impact the success of the programs and improve the teaching ability of faculty members and teaching assistants. Poor planning organization and errors in judgment analysis or when advising on or implementing changes to procedures context or projects could result in failure to meet project objectives could adversely impact students teaching assistants and faculty. Repercussions would involve failing to meet project goals and would adversely impact the quality of the student addition errors could also compromise the integrity and reputation of the University and the Faculty of Science.

Supervision Received

The role reports to the Skylight Director or designate and takes direction from Program Directors. The incumbent will work under general guidelines. Work is reviewed in term of achievement and effectiveness of the departments educational goals.

Supervision Given

This role provides guidance and advice to faculty members and other instructors on pedagogical skills teaching practices and curriculum. This role also provides operational supervision for Graduate Academic Assistants hired to assist with survey data analysis and overall evaluation of the developed curriculum and may supervise UTAs GRAs URAs who may be hired to support DBER and SoTL projects.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of four years of related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives including perspectives in conflict with ones own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing ones own awareness knowledge and skills related to equity diversity and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

An interdisciplinary science background; a graduate degree in a science discipline or in science education or an equivalent combination of disciplinary and pedagogical expertise is preferred so that the incumbent will have sufficient knowledge of the subject to better provide relevant pedagogical guidance in the courses taught.

Expertise in current pedagogical research and best practices in inclusive and evidence-based teaching in Science context

Demonstrated commitment to enhancing ones own awareness knowledge and

skills related to equity diversity inclusion and decolonization

Demonstrated commitment to deepening their understanding of Indigenous issues particularly as they relate to STEM fields and an appreciation of the complexity and range of Indigenous peoples and communities

Highly proficient in assessment and evaluation skills; written and verbal communication and presentation skills; project management and organization skills

Experience in curriculum development

Experience in managing change by helping to implement a vision and taking appropriate action to ensure acceptance and support

Experience in providing training to faculty and teaching assistants in pedagogical best practices

Ability to conduct respectful consultation and collaboration with communities including Musqueam

Ability to initiate and conduct education research projects

Ability to analyze and interpret data determine implications and provide recommendations

Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision

Ability to deal with a diversity of people in a calm courteous and effective manner

Proficiency with Microsoft Word Excel PowerPoint MS Teams Zoom

Experience with learning management systems e.g. Canvas and other educational technologies