We are looking for a postdoc researcher learning analytics for the I-learn project
I-LEARN SENIOR RESEARCHER LEARNING ANALYTICS
INTRODUCTION
The research group ITEC at the KU Leuven, campus Kulak in Kortrijk is looking for a postdoc researcher in the research on learning analytics for the i-Learn project. This project is financed by the Flemish government and aims to embed digital and personalized learning more structurally in Flemish education.
ITEC is a research group of KU Leuven and imec, Flanders’ high-tech research and innovation centre for nanoelectronics and digital technologies. On the Kortrijk campus of KU Leuven, ITEC brings together researchers from three different faculties (Psychology & Educational Sciences, Arts and Medicine) and five disciplines (educational psychology, statistics, applied linguistics, data science and computer science) to work together on research themes in educational technology, such as instructional design and the effectiveness of online learning environments (e.g. e-learning, serious games), statistical modelling, adaptive learning algorithms and natural language processing.
ITEC is a structural part of imec and is responsible for managing the imec Smart Education research programme, in which a broader inter-university team of research groups interacts (including from the UGent and the VUB), including imec Academy. The imec Smart Education research programme focuses on research lines relating to the use of technologies such as wearables, artificial intelligence or learning analytics.
As a senior researcher learning analytics you will get every opportunity to develop yourself further in your professional career and you will have every opportunity to expand the network of partners in the flourishing market of educational technology.
PROJECT AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As a postdoc learning analytics, you are responsible for the content management of the i-Learn project. Flemish Minister of Innovation Philippe Muyters invests in the i-Learn project. The aim of this project is to make specific technology for personalised learning available to our primary and secondary schools through an open portal so that they can offer their pupils personalised learning material. In this way, they can respond more adequately to the specificities of each pupil: further challenge stronger pupils and support vulnerable pupils in a more targeted way. Together with colleagues, you will contribute to determining the effective needs of the schools, teachers and pupils to determine personalized learning, and to the continuous benchmarking and monitoring of the effectiveness of the program.
In concrete terms, this means that you are co-responsible for:
- mapping out the typology for personalised digital learning;
- mapping out the specific needs in terms of personalised learning of Flemish education in general and for specific target groups in particular;
- the development of the necessary specifications for the technological rollout in the schools;
- the continuous monitoring of the effectiveness of the entire programme;
- continuous international benchmarking of the programme;
- actively considering how this project can be rolled out as widely as possible and how the solutions can be used in a sustainable manner.
Your specific perspective in this assignment will be that of learning analytics. This means that in this assignment you will focus on what kind of data (can) be collected, which tools (can) be used for this purpose, which information this data can provide, which concrete data-analytical techniques can help to expose this information, how we can use this information concretely to support and personalize learning.
You will work in a multidisciplinary team consisting of 35 researchers and you will report to the 4 Principal Investigators. In your daily job you will work closely with the other colleagues of the project team within ITEC, and more broadly within imec and KU Leuven.
PROFILE
- You obtained the degree of doctor (e.g. in pedagogical sciences, psychology, statistics, or computer science) with a topic related to this project (e.g. on learning analytics, educational technology, educational measurement, or psychometrics).
- You are interested in ITEC’s research projects.
- You have a very good command of English and preferably also of Dutch (both in oral communication and in the field of reading and writing).
- You are a team player, you have leadership skills and you can motivate employees.
- You are flexible, convincing and have a sense of initiative.
- You are stress resistant and can easily deal with deadlines.
We kindly ask candidates to include a short motivation letter in addition to their more detailed CV in which they express their interest in this vacancy.
OFFER
In this role, you represent a prestigious research institute that focuses on excellence in research and tries to bring about positive societal effects. You will have the opportunity to develop yourself by learning about the EdTech landscape, the (international) network in which we operate (typically the triple helix; social and economic players, the academic world and education) and to influence developments in education and learning. This position offers flexibility, the opportunity to work with an enthusiastic team in a stimulating multicultural and multidisciplinary environment and to learn continuously. Your workplace is located at the KU Leuven campus Kulak in Kortrijk.
We offer full-time employment as a postdoc researcher for one year (extendable to three years subject to a positive evaluation).
In addition to a competitive salary, KU Leuven also offers a number of additional advantages, such as the possibility of flexible working, hospitalisation insurance, eco-vouchers, reimbursement for commuting by public transport, inexpensive meals, a KU Leuven bicycle, etc.
CONTACT
For more information, please contact Prof. Wim Van den Noortgate (wim.vandennoortgate@kuleuven.be) or Ine Windey (ine.windey@kuleuven.be).