Work on innovative initiatives that cut across the institute’s schools and centers, including but not limited to collaborating with institute trainers to develop technology-enhanced curriculum and activities, evaluating needs and uses of specific technologies (both hardware and software), supporting technologies, providing consultation and training on technologies, and promoting the use of a wide range of technologies across the School of Professional Area Studies (SPAS) and their divisions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• The contract expert will work on innovative initiatives that cut across SPAS’s components, including but not limited to:

  • Advising FSI components on the selection and implementation of training modalities to increase training effectiveness, relevance, and reach.
  • Utilizing data to inform the use of educational technology for course delivery, and the selection of effective instructional strategies.
  • Promoting the use of appropriate virtual training design, delivery, and evaluation.
  • Aligning relevant, high-quality, differentiated educational technology to organizational goals.
  • Evaluating educational technology-based instruction using appropriate evaluation techniques in line with teaching methods, objectives and technology.
• The contractor will support the use of educational technology, including innovation, staff development, and evaluation of the effectiveness of educational technology at all levels.
• Assist in the identification and development of SPAS wide policies and processes to support the appropriate use of educational technology integration into the curriculum across all FSI subject matter areas and assist in the implementation of new policies and processes associated with the acquisition, integration, and support of educational technology.
• Act as liaison for the SPAS Curriculum Staff Development Office and the SPAS divisions on a variety of issues, topics, and challenges associated with educational technology including innovation, training, and staff development.
• Will support and strengthen partnerships with SPAS divisions; other parts of the Department of State; other U.S. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, and private businesses to ensure SPAS's training and educational technology practices are aligned with industry best practices.
• The contractor will work on SPAS’s Innovation and Technology initiatives to:
  • Evaluate FSI-wide user experience to ensure consistency and coordination.
  • Determine a baseline of technology skills for staff and instructors and propose a learning path for improving foundational technology skills.
  • Provide pedagogical and limited technical support to staff in the appropriate use of educational technologies.
  • Develop, support, guide, promote, and assess the impact of a wide range of educational technologies intended to enhance curriculum development, instructor training, and pilot activities.
  • Research, identify, and implement innovative methods and techniques to assess educational technology needs as innovative practices and technologies evolve.
  • Collaborate to identify high-potential areas for technology training for instructors.
  • Engage instructors and staff in the social practices and adoption of leading-edge technologies.
  • Use quantitative and qualitative skills to evaluate the impact of new technologies over time.
  • Assist in ongoing strategic planning processes and collaboration with colleagues to articulate evolving needs, uses, and growth of the use of educational technologies in FSI training.

• The contractor, in conjunction with others, will support SPAS and seek to enhance the user experience by:
  • Supporting the lab, identify/set up new educational technologies.
  • Experimenting with new technologies.
  • Detailing the evolution of the lab and uses of technologies.
  • Identifying and tracking pilot projects.
  • Providing individual or small group consultations to trainers and/or SPAS leadership.
  • Coordinating technology-related professional development opportunities, training, webinars and virtual instructor-led training in the lab regularly.
  • Holding/conducting open houses, visitor tours, technology demonstrations.
  • Creating sample curricula.
  • Guiding curriculum, design, and activity development for both live and virtual classes.
  • Meeting with instructors and staff to provide guidance and/or supporting when expanding their technical or pedagogical knowledge, designing activities, or developing plans to incorporate a technology-enhanced curriculum.
  • Assisting in identifying ways in which technology (educational, social media, outreach) can be further incorporated into USG foreign affairs training.
  
  

Basic Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Education with focus on Instructional Technology. Academic studies supported by expertise in:
  • Designing digital courses and programs
  • Evaluating educational technology
  • Creating digital learning and communities
  • Digital assessment and instruction
• Minimum of 5 years of experience integrating educational technologies into training curricula, plus MS/MA (or higher) in relevant field.
• Ability to Obtain a Secret Clearance.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Education with focus on Instructional Technology. Academic studies supported by expertise in:
  • Designing digital courses and programs
  • Evaluating educational technology
  • Creating digital learning and communities
  • Digital assessment and instruction
• Experience in leading or supporting technology adoption efforts and/or socialization practices.
• Experience with teaching/developing curriculum for blended and continuous learning (live and virtual classrooms).
• Expertise in design and delivery of train the trainer virtual instructor-led training. Experience resolving the instructional challenges of synchronous and asynchronous virtual classes.
• Experience providing one-on-one and/or small group training and support.
• Basic knowledge of design of evaluation tools and data analysis.
• Experience providing hands-on support for instructors learning new educational technology for integration into their curricula.
• Strong writing skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and customer service skills.
• Ability to deliver presentations successfully to small and large audiences.
• Research, evaluate, and benchmark new and emerging educational technologies.
• Ability to Obtain a Secret Clearance.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• 401k Retirement Savings Plan
• Basic Life Insurance, Long and Short-Term Disability
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Educational Assistance Program
• Employee Recognition Programs
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Flexible work schedule
  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

GAP Solutions provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation to apply for a job us at recruiting@gapsi.com. You will need to reference the requisition number of the position in which you are interested. Your message will be routed to the appropriate recruiter who will assist you. Please note, this email address is only to be used for those individuals who need an accommodation to apply for a job. Emails for any other reason or those that do not include a requisition number will not be returned.