Post-Doctoral Researcher in Learning Analytics

LEARN, the Learning Analytics Research Network, is a new university-wide research center at New York University hosted by the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Directed by Dr. Alyssa Wise, LEARN research combines advanced data science methods with the careful design and implementation of novel learning approaches in order to research how new advances in technology can promote equitable and effective education for all. Research covers the full learning lifespan and bridges the study of higher and lower levels and formal and informal types of education systems through the common lens of leveraging data traces to understand and improve learning processes. LEARN is a supportive community of researchers working to both conduct interdisciplinary data-intensive research and development and act as an intellectual hub for design and analytic innovation. It is a place where radical new ideas about digital education, data, and analytics arise, germinate, and inspire new action & research in scholarly fields.

LEARN is looking for a talented learning analytics and/or educational data science researcher to join our highly innovative and productive team of faculty and graduate students as a Post-Doctoral Researcher. In this role, you will have the opportunity to work on a broad spectrum of learning analytics projects, both ongoing and of your own design. Specifically you will plan and execute analyses of learning data including log-files, assessment data, and written student artifacts using machine learning, text-mining and other techniques. You will also build visualizations, dashboards and other tools that allow analytic information to inform ongoing learning activities. You will additionally have the opportunity to make connections with learning analytics researchers and practitioners across the university and the larger international learning analytics research community. Finally, you will collaborate on writing proposals for external funding, journal articles, and conference presentations.

Qualifications

• PhD degree in a relevant academic subject area, such as learning analytics, computer science, data mining, text mining, artificial intelligence, advanced statistics, education, psychology or related area
• Research experience in educational data mining, learning analytics, machine learning, natural language processing, or related areas
• Strong analytical and statistical skills, ability and willingness to learn new techniques rapidly
• Experience in computer programming, analytic, data management and visualization tools (e.g. R, Python, JavaScript, D3.js, AWS)
• Practical experience in an educational role (e.g. instructor, teaching assistant, K-12 teacher, tutor etc.)
• Interest in working in partnership with educators to develop and implement analytics that support real-world learners in both formal and informal educational contexts
• Ability to work both independently and in a team. Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with a wide variety of educational stakeholders
• Strong academic writing and presentation skills

The successful candidate will be selected according to the excellence of their research profile, analytic capabilities and the extent to which their research interests complement ongoing and planned LEARN projects.

Term

The position will be filled pending final budget approval. Salary is commensurate with experience. NYU offers a comprehensive benefits package. Expected start is Fall 2017 with an initial term of two years.

To Apply

Please submit your CV, a letter of interest and contact information for two references to learn.center.nyu@gmail.com

About NYU & Steinhardt

Founded in 1831, New York University is the largest private university in the United States. The University has degree-granting campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai and operates 11 global academic centers and research programs in more than 25 countries. The New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, founded in 1890, is the first school of pedagogy to be established at an American university.