Professor in Learning Technologies & Distance Education (100%)
Publication date:
13 February 2025Workload:
100%- Place of work:Brig
Job summary
Join UniDistance Suisse as a Professor in Learning Technologies! Enjoy a supportive work environment and competitive salary.
Tasks
- Lead innovative research in digital distance education.
- Establish a center for digital teaching and learning.
- Supervise PhD students and collaborate with faculty.
Skills
- PhD in digital education with research excellence required.
- Strong background in emerging technologies in education.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in learning.
Summary from the original job ad
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Professor in Learning Technologies & Distance Education
Published 13 February 2025 Closing Date 30 March 2025 Workplace Brig, Schinerstrasse 18, Valais, Switzerland CategoryCampus
Research Management
Based on a modern campus in Brig, UniDistance Suisse is a university institute accredited under the HEdA, which for over 30 years has been offering Bachelor’s, Master’s and continuing education programmes in the fields of law, psychology, mathematics, IT, economics and history. These programmes are designed to be taken in parallel with family life, a professional or sporting career, thanks to a flexible distance learning model.
UniDistance Suisse maintains high quality standards in both university teaching and research. The institute is aiming for university reaccreditation in 2027 to become the University of Valais, marking a historic step for the institution and the canton.
With almost 2,400 students, UniDistance Suisse is the leader in distance education in Switzerland. The institute employs more than 550 staff from all over Switzerland and abroad, nearly 450 of whom are involved in teaching and research, and are recognised experts in their respective fields.
To strengthen and further develop our competencies in digital teaching and learning, we are opening a position for a:
Professor in Learning Technologies & Distance Education (100%, open rank)
Description
Your tasks
- Conduct innovative research in digital distance teaching and learning within higher education.
- Establish and lead an interdisciplinary competence center for digital distance teaching and learning and network with other national and international competence centers in this field.
- Play a strategic role in advancing UniDistance Suisse’s position as a leader in distance education and innovative learning methodologies.
- Supervise doctoral and master students conducting research in digital distance teaching and learning.
- Publish research findings in reputable, peer-reviewed journals focusing on digital teaching, learning, and educational technologies.
- Acquire competitive third-party funding (e.g., from the Swiss National Science Foundation and other Swiss or international research funding organizations).
- Explore and implement emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and/or data-driven approaches to enhance digital teaching and learning).
- Collaborate with professors across UniDistance Suisse to conduct interdisciplinary research and develop and improve study programs and modules, integrating research-based approaches and innovative tools focusing on distance education.
- Transfer knowledge to broader audiences through translational activities.
- Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in digital teaching and learning by designing tools and methods that support learners of all backgrounds and abilities.
- Actively engage in academic self-administration and governance of UniDistance Suisse.
Requirements
- A PhD with proven research excellence in digital teaching and learning.
- Proven experience in developing, implementing, and/or evaluating learning tools.
- Strong interest in and experience with didactic principles and higher education teaching methods related to mathematics, computer science, psychology, history, law, or economics.
- Outstanding national and international recognition as a researcher in digital education.
- Teaching experience at the university level (incl. supervision).
- Expertise in emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, virtual/augmented reality, and/or data-driven methods in educational contexts).
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively nationally and internationally.
- A strong commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in digital teaching and learning.
- Experience in research management and a successful track record of acquiring third-party funding, required for associate or full professorship levels.
- Fluent in English (written and spoken), with a willingness and institutional support to develop proficiency in German and French within the first 2-3 years.
We offer
- Excellent employment conditions, competitive salary, research funding, and generally supportive working conditions.
- Comprehensive support in building a motivated and high-performing research and teaching team.
- Opportunities to develop, implement, evaluate, and experiment with innovative teaching methods in distance education.
- A collaborative and innovative environment with access to nationally and internationally recognized research activities and networks.
Contact and Address
We look forward to receiving your complete application by e-mail by March 30 th , 2025, to Human Resources at jobs@ unidistance.ch .
The position is open at all academic levels: assistant professor with tenure track, associate professor or full professor. The grade will be determined according to the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Candidates are invited to clearly specify the level of professorship for which they are applying.
The application documents include a motivation letter (maximum of two pages), CV (including a list of publications), list of presentations, list of third-party funding, research plan (maximum of two pages), and teaching statement (maximum of two pages).
For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Thomas Mettler, Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science ( thomas.mettler@ fernuni.ch ), Prof. Dr. Corinna Martarelli, Vice Rector for Teaching and President of this Commission ( corinna.martarelli@ fernuni.ch ) or Patrick Constantin, Head of HR ( patrick.constantin@ unidistance.ch ).
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