Assistant Professor of Learning, Design, and Technology
The Learning, Design, and Technology (LDT) program, within the Department of Learning and Performance Systems, in the College of Education at Penn State is excited to add a new member to our community. The position is a 36-week tenure-track appointment at the Assistant Professor level with a start date of Fall 2025.
We seek candidates with expertise in learning technologies, learning sciences, and/or information sciences that would complement our current strengths. We are particularly interested in those conducting research in humanistic, sustainable and/or critical approaches to technology-enhanced learning; play-based/community-based learning; and maker education in and across formal and informal spaces.
As outlined in our college’s strategic plan, our community is committed to transforming educational systems as a part of our endeavor to create more equitable, inclusive, and human/community-centered educational environments and ecologies that center joy, care, curiosity, and well-being. Current departmental faculty are building and strengthening community partnerships, reimagining and revitalizing existing curricula and pedagogies, and engaging in exciting research efforts to move us toward the goals of the strategic plan. We seek a colleague whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to educating for change, as evidenced by their professional portfolio and vision.
The successful candidate will contribute to the ongoing efforts in the Learning, Design, and Technology program toward preparing transformative technologists, designers, and researchers. Their CV should also demonstrate a commitment to challenging traditional systems or pedagogies through the design or application of learning environments or digital technologies.
Position Details:
The position offers opportunities to contribute to residential undergraduate and graduate programs (e.g., general education courses, M.S., Ph.D.), and online graduate programs (e.g., M.Ed. and the newly established College-wide D.Ed.). The successful candidate will also be expected to engage in recruiting and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in LDT.
The university and surrounding community offer opportunities for developing scholarly collaborations, including with schools, informal learning settings, public media, local makerspaces, environmental centers, affinity groups, and entities within the University including the Consortium for Social Movements and Education Research and Practice, the Rock Ethics Institute, the Center for Socially Responsible AI, the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, and other research initiatives.
Responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain a learning/information sciences research program in an area relevant to LDT
- Seek external funding to support the research program and LDT graduate students.
- Contribute to and teach courses in LDT at the undergraduate and graduate level, residentially and online.
- Advise master’s degree students in the completion of their capstone portfolios and/or research theses and supervise doctoral students in their programs and research.
- Provide service, outreach, and leadership to the University, educational and informal learning institutions, agencies, professional organizations, and learned societies.
Required qualifications (commensurate with experience):
- A doctorate in the learning sciences or an equivalent doctoral degree in a related field (e.g., learning technologies, human-computer interaction, education, information sciences) by the appointment start date.
- Demonstrated commitment to researching transformative learning through design, or implementation and evaluation of technologies or technology-enhanced learning spaces.
- Potential to develop and maintain a research agenda in LDT, including a strong potential for scholarly publications.
- Willingness to teach high-quality residential and online courses in LDT at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Desirable qualifications:
- Interest in design, integration, and/or evaluation of emerging technologies/pedagogies (e.g., generative AI, data analytics, play-based learning and making, critical digital/data literacy).
- Interest or experience teaching residential and/or online learning courses.
- Interest or experience advising undergraduate or graduate students in research.
- Commitment to collegiality and collaboration.
- Potential for obtaining external funding, commensurate with experience.
Application Procedure: Applicants must submit a) a 1-2-page cover letter documenting qualifications for the position, b) a current CV, and c) contact information for at least three professional references (including name, title, address, e-mail address, and telephone numbers). Please combine all materials into one PDF and upload as a single file.
Applications received by November 14th are assured full consideration; however, applications will be accepted until the position is filled. We encourage applications from individuals who are members of underrepresented groups.
For questions, please contact: Dr. Marcela Borge (mborge@psu.edu) or Dr. Ty Hollett (tsh164@psu.edu) (Department of Learning and Performance Systems), search co-chairs.
Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applications without regards to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion and belonging that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, and leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity. We value inclusion and belonging as core strengths and essential elements of our public service mission.
If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS: For more about safety at Penn State, and to review the Annual Security Report which contains information about crime statistics and other safety and security matters, please go to http://www.police.psu.edu/clery/, which will also provide you with detail on how to request a hard copy of the Annual Security Report.
Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
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