Science Education Specialist

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
M&P - AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Educational Programming, Level B

Job Title
Science Education Specialist

Department
Educational Programming | Department of Mathematics | Faculty of Science

Compensation Range
$6,068.92 - $8,724.25 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date
May 3, 2024

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

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 position is a Faculty of Science-funded education specialist embedded in the
Mathematics Department. The person will have disciplinary expertise in Mathematics
(preferably a graduate degree in Mathematics or closely related discipline), and will
bring expertise in pedagogy and evidence-based practices from their own background
and bolstered with Skylight-coordinated professional development workshops and
ongoing mentoring from Skylight leadership and peers. They will work with faculty
instructors with a focus on creating and maintaining systems for teaching computation.
The incumbent may, from time to time, participate in the instruction of undergraduates
to advance the pedagogy of the way a course is delivered.
The SES will be a resource, guide and support within the department. They will lead
scholarship of teaching and learning projects, advise the faculty on teaching and
learning practices, and work with them on course and curriculum revisions, evaluations
and pedagogical improvement projects.
In particular, we seek candidates with knowledge and experience in mathematical
computation who can develop material, maintain courses, and consult with instructors.
Organizational Status
Appointed in the Mathematics Department in the Faculty of Science. Reports jointly to a
supervisor in the Mathematics department and to the Director of Skylight or
designate. Works closely with faculty members and other members of instructional
teams (e.g., teaching assistants) and students who may be hired to help with projects.
Interacts with peer members of Skylight in other departments and the central unit. May
supervise teaching assistants and/or research assistants.
Work Performed
Instructional guidance:
o Advise and support faculty in developing and implementing new courses and new
course materials (including WeBWorK, MATLAB, Python), transforming and
improving existing courses (including integrating and implementing mathematical
computation), and revising and coordinating revision of curriculum at a course and/or
program level
o Advise and support faculty teaching activities and teaching and learning
development projects
o Collect and analyze data to support curriculum development, delivery,
and assessment (e.g., longitudinal student tracking, diagnostic tests,
concept questions, surveys, focus group questions, attitude/perception surveys etc.)
o Advise/collaborate with faculty on teaching and learning project proposal
development (e.g., large and small TLEFs, development grants)
o Liaise with Skylight and CTLT to coordinate relevant educational
technology support and administrative assistance
o Prepare departmental reports on pedagogical projects and/or initiatives
o Coordinate departmental activities in articulating the departmental vision
around teaching and learning

Faculty and Teaching Assistant development:
o Coach and consult with faculty on evidence-based practices, and how best
to incorporate computational mathematics in their courses
o Serve as a resource for evidence-based practice and teaching computational mathematics
o Provide formative, informal expert feedback to instructors on their teaching
o Develop and deliver professional development workshops (including
training on new learning technologies) for faculty and teaching assistants
o Provide expertise and support in the planning, designing, and implementing of
teaching initiatives, and by measuring the effectiveness of such interventions

Discipline-based education research (DBER):
o Design educational research experiments and collect relevant data for
course projects and publish newly developed instruments or
implementation of novel methods
o Consult and collaborate on scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)
and DBER efforts undertaken by faculty
o Disseminate scholarly work in collaboration with faculty through
presenting at national and international conferences and publishing in
peer-reviewed journals

Community building:
o Facilitate faculty members' communication and consensus building
around teaching and learning in their department
o Liaise across Science departments and with colleagues at other
institutions in the same discipline
o Serve on committees related to departmental teaching and learning
activities
o Organize and participate in department activities related to instructional
practice such as discussion series, science education seminars, reading
groups, etc.
o Participate 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, Skylight teaching series, and the
Science Education Open House each April, serving on committees as needed.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
Participates in the assessment of program offerings and evaluations of teaching that will
impact the success of the teaching programs and improve the teaching ability of faculty
members.
Supervision Received
The role reports jointly to both Skylight Director and Department Head, or their
designates. The incumbent will work under general guidelines. Work is reviewed in term
of achievement and effectiveness in advancing the department's educational goals
Supervision Given
This role provides guidance and advice to faculty members and other instructors on
pedagogical skills, teaching practices and curriculum. May supervise TAs, 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 one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

A graduate degree in mathematics or related discipline is preferred so that
the incumbent will have sufficient knowledge of the subject to provide relevant pedagogical guidance in the courses taught.
Minimum of four years experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Must have knowledge of
current pedagogical research and best practices in teaching. Experience working in an instructional capacity (instructor or
teaching assistant) with undergraduates. Experience in curriculum development. Experience in evaluation. Experience with
learning management systems (e.g., WeBWorK, Canvas) and other educational technologies would be an asset. Ability
to lead change by helping to implement a vision and taking appropriate action to ensure acceptance and support. Ability to
instruct and provide training in pedagogical best practices. Ability to initiate and conduct research projects. Ability to
analyze and interpret data, determine implications, and provide recommendations. Good assessment and evaluation skills
Ability to deliver effective presentations. Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Good management and
organization skills. Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision. Ability to deal with a diversity of people in a calm,
courteous, and effective manner. Experience and facility with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.
Experience with statistical software (R, Pandas) and typesetting (LaTeX) is an asset as is experience teaching mathematical
computation (MATLAB, Python)