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Looking Forward: Exploring Learning Engineering Careers and Support Structures

Mary Ellen Wiltrout, PhD

Lecturer in Digital Learning

Director of Online and

Blended Learning Initiatives

Biology, MIT

mew27@mit.edu

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How does someone find out about learning engineering careers, obtain a job that does learning engineering, and thrive in an environment that supports learning engineering?

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MIT Digital Learning Lab

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The Digital Learning Lab Connects

This diverse, multidisciplinary community of practitioners focus on supporting the educational experience of MIT students, creating high quality open online courses with Open edX, and conducting research in digital pedagogy.

We interweave these efforts to create connections and relationships between MIT students, faculty, Open Learning, the broader education community, and learners around the world.

Image by Meghan Perdue

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Example of a MOOC Team

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Application of the Learning Sciences

More detail and interactive:

Gordon, D. G., & Wiltrout, M. E. (2021). A Framework for Applying the Learning Sciences to MOOC Design. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 5, p. 301). Frontiers.

http://bit.ly/LSinMOOCs

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Process

MIT Course

MOOC

Both

Image by Darcy Gordon

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Iteration

C. M. Friend, M. Avello, M. E. Wiltrout and D. G. Gordon, "A Framework for Revision of MOOC Formative Assessments," 2022 IEEE Learning with MOOCS (LWMOOCS), Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala, 2022, pp. 151-154, doi: 10.1109/LWMOOCS53067.2022.9927973.

https://bit.ly/3YnTLJn

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Digital Learning Lab Member: Competencies

Digital Learning Lab Member: Learning Engineer

Prior Expertise

Strengthening Expertise

Attitudes

discipline

technology

change agency

teaching

management

people skills

application of the learning sciences

growth mindset

data analytics

design

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Appointment Titles for the Digital Learning Lab

  • Postdoc
  • Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow
  • Technical Instructor
  • Instructor
  • Lecturer
  • Senior Lecturer
  • Principal Lecturer
  • Research Scientist
  • Assistant Director of Education, IDSS MicroMasters
  • Lecturer in Digital Learning; Director of Blended and Online Learning Initiatives

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What is Your Learning Engineering Title?

Do you have a job that applies learning engineering or work with colleagues that do? What is the title of the position that involves learning engineering?

How would someone exploring careers know that this title applies learning engineering? Do all people with that title take a learning engineering approach?

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Share Your Resource

What online resources do you know about to provide background, examples of the work, or job postings for careers that apply learning engineering? Where could someone interested start?

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Reflect and Discuss

How can this community (you) improve resources and support for careers going forward? What struggle can the resource address for these careers? If already existing, is that work shareable or visible?

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Thank you!

Contact me to discuss more: mew27@mit.edu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-ellen-wiltrout

Iā€™m hiring (and so are others)! https://bit.ly/450hEIV

At MIT on October 11, 12, and 13

https://2023.lwmoocs-conference.org/