Learning Activities Designer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, Cambridge, MA

Posted February 13, 2020

The ML Learning Initiative at the MIT Media Lab seeks a Learning Activities Designer to design and develop learning activities, experiences, and materials for our Public Library Innovation Exchange (PLIX) program, as well as document and support current PLIX projects. The ML Learning Initiative is passionate about developing public education programs that open up Media Lab research to the world. We believe people learn best when they are working on projects that they are passionate about, in collaboration with peers, within a playful environment that encourages experimentation. With this pedagogy in mind, the Learning Activities Designer will collaborate with various Media Lab researchers and public librarians to create learning resources that translate Media Lab research into creative learning activities, kits, and programs for public libraries and other educational spaces.

 

Responsibilities

• Co-develop new PLIX activities and kits in collaboration with Media Lab researchers and public librarians;

• Lead the design, maintenance, and facilitation of existing PLIX programs and materials (e.g.Paper Circuits kit, Scratch+micro:bit kit, Space Exploration in Libraries series, etc.);

• Design new learning resources and materials that are beautiful and exemplify the spirit of creative learning;

• Maintain and expand the visual style and brand of the PLIX project, ensuring its coherent use across all PLIX materials and websites;

• Organize and lead user-testing and play-testing with various groups both inside of the Media Lab and outside; synthesize feedback and iterate on the design of learning activities, kits, and programs;

• Document and share the development process of PLIX learning activities, kits, and programs on our public-facing website and blog; assist with the development and facilitation of local, national, and international workshops and outreach events such as conferences, hackathons, and summits;

• Assist in the development and delivery of creative learning facilitation training sessions for librarians, other informal educators, and Media Lab researchers;

• Work closely with senior members of the Learning Initiative and the Library Outreach Coordinator to review and refine overall strategy for the PLIX project and other Learning Initiative outreach programs;

• Recruit and manage MIT UROPs for various projects;

• Other duties as assigned.

 

Supervision Received:

Reports to the Assistant Director of the Learning Initiative and works closely with Media Lab researchers and other Learning Initiative staff.

Supervision Exercised:

None

 

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field;

• 2+ years of experience teaching and facilitating in a wide range of learning environments including classrooms and informal learning spaces (e.g. public libraries, after-school programs, makerspaces, etc.);

• 2+ years of experience with visual design (i.e. producing infographics, illustrations, print materials, videos, etc.) required;

• Experience working with the public, including librarians, patrons, educators, and youth;

• Experience with the design process, including ideating, understanding and collecting feedback from users, and rapid prototyping and iteration of projects;

• Strong personal commitment to open and public learning, especially for underserved populations and communities, as well as a working knowledge of creative learning;

• Excellent communication design skills (e.g. visual, digital) and strong interpersonal skills;

• A high degree of fluency with visual design tools (i.e. Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Sketch);

• Experience with front-end web development or mobile app technologies is a plus.

 

Preferred 

• Experience working in an academic setting and/or at the MIT Media Lab strongly preferred.

 

To apply, go to hr.mit.edu/careers and search for job ID# 18547.