Educational technologist jobs are becoming more plentiful as more and more educational institutions continue to implement and expand the use of technological solutions in their curricula. This broad field includes teachers of software courses who need to have a teaching degree and classroom experience. Other jobs are on the support side of education and involve implementation of and support for technological platforms for universities or K-12 schools. Still other areas in this field can involve writing course content and developing structures for online programs. In most cases, educational technologist jobs provide compensation that is comparable to or better than other positions in the education sector, but will usually require a relevant professional degree or equivalent experience.
More and more educational institutions at all levels are increasing the use of technology in their programs. Students may be learning new technologies and software as part of their degree programs or may be taking courses online using instructional media designed for e-learning. One of the job areas in educational technology involves teaching these courses, whether in a traditional classroom environment or via an online portal. These teachers are responsible for designing curricula that utilize appropriate technologies and instruct the students in how to use them efficiently and effectively. These types of educational technologist jobs are most similar to traditional teaching jobs, with similar requirements.
Other educational technologist jobs involve supporting the administrative aspects of a school or university. Daily functions such as student information systems, course registration, and billing are controlled by software applications that require maintenance, troubleshooting, and user training. Positions may range from entry-level analysts to senior management levels, with a variety of associated responsibilities. Titles for this type of job may include educational technology project manager, instructional program manager, and training specialist. These jobs usually require an advanced degree in a relevant field, but candidates with experience in technological support outside of the education sector may have the necessary qualifications.
Those with professional backgrounds in technical writing and web design may also be able to apply their skills to the field of educational technology. Jobs such as course content developer, instructional designer, and interface developer involve creating content for online courses. In some cases, employees are responsible for actually writing the content, while others focus of the visual and design aspects of the online course. As with many other jobs in educational technology, requirements may include an advanced degree in the field, but applicants with professional experience or degrees in other fields are also sometimes considered.
