Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Instructional Technology Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

The Instructional Technology Specialist is a cross-functional educator-technologist who designs, implements, and supports digital learning solutions to improve instructional outcomes. This role partners with faculty, instructional designers, IT, and administrators to evaluate, deploy, and optimize learning management systems (LMS), educational software, multimedia resources, and analytics—ensuring effective, accessible, and scalable blended and online learning experiences. The specialist blends instructional design best practices (ADDIE, SAM), hands-on LMS administration, multimedia production, and learning analytics to drive adoption, measure impact, and continuously improve teaching and learning.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Instructional Designer / E‑Learning Developer
Classroom Teacher with digital learning experience
Academic Technology Support Specialist

Advancement To:

Senior Instructional Technology Specialist / Lead Educational Technologist
Director of Educational Technology or Learning Innovation
Curriculum and Instruction Director with a technology focus

Lateral Moves:

Learning Experience (LX) Designer
LMS Administrator / Manager
Learning Analytics Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the design, development, and implementation of online, hybrid, and blended courses using instructional design frameworks (ADDIE, SAM) to ensure pedagogically sound and learner-centered experiences across K‑12, higher ed, or corporate training environments.
Administer and maintain the institution's primary LMS (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle), including course provisioning, role management, integrations (LTI), user support, and version updates to ensure reliability and compliance with institutional policies.
Conduct needs assessments and collaborate with faculty, subject matter experts, and stakeholders to translate learning objectives into instructional strategies, multimedia content, and assessment plans aligned to program outcomes.
Create and curate multimedia learning assets—videos, interactive modules, simulations, screencasts, and microlearning content—using authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, and video editing suites.
Develop and deliver professional development programs, workshops, and one-on-one coaching for instructors and staff on pedagogy, LMS functionality, best practices for online teaching, and effective use of educational technologies.
Manage the end-to-end implementation of third‑party edtech tools (quizzing, proctoring, assessment, adaptive learning) including evaluation, pilot management, technical configuration, privacy/security review, and campus-wide rollout.
Design assessment strategies and formative/summative evaluation instruments; leverage learning analytics, course data, and student feedback to measure learning outcomes, inform instructional improvements, and report on course effectiveness.
Ensure digital accessibility and universal design for learning (UDL) compliance in all online materials by applying WCAG guidelines, providing remediation plans, and training content creators in accessible design practices.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical and pedagogical issues arising in live courses and synchronous sessions (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, virtual classroom technologies) and escalate to IT when necessary.
Lead pilots and proof-of-concept projects for emerging learning technologies (AR/VR, adaptive learning platforms, xAPI, learning record stores) to assess pedagogical value, implementation costs, and scalability.
Configure and maintain integrations between the LMS and student information systems (SIS), single sign-on (SSO), and external content repositories to ensure smooth data flows and accurate grade transmission.
Create and maintain documentation, job aids, templates, and style guides for course design, media production, LMS workflows, and faculty-facing processes to standardize quality and accelerate adoption.
Manage vendor relationships and procurement activities for instructional technology solutions, including RFP participation, contract review support, and ongoing vendor performance evaluations.
Partner with Institutional Research and analytics teams to design dashboards and reports (e.g., course engagement, completion rates) and translate data into actionable recommendations for faculty and academic leaders.
Establish and enforce data privacy, FERPA/GDPR, and cybersecurity best practices for all learning technologies, including vendor risk assessments and secure handling of student data.
Oversee classroom and lab technology deployments for hybrid teaching—integrating capture systems, lecture recording, room scheduling, and classroom AV workflows to support synchronous and asynchronous instruction.
Lead quality assurance and course review processes (instructional design rubrics, peer review, course readiness checklists) to ensure that online and hybrid courses meet institutional quality standards.
Provide front-line support for faculty and learners during high-volume periods (registration, midterms, finals) including hotlines, coordinated escalation paths, and rapid-response troubleshooting.
Advise academic programs on instructional strategy, course redesign, modularization for micro-credentialing, and scalable course development practices to support enrollment growth and retention.
Monitor industry trends, research, and best practices in learning sciences and edtech, and develop institution-level recommendations and roadmaps to future-proof instructional programs.
Coordinate cross-functional project teams for major initiatives—migration to a new LMS, large-scale course conversion to online delivery, or major accessibility remediation projects—using project-management methodologies and clear communication plans.
Create evaluation frameworks to track ROI, adoption metrics, and the pedagogical impact of instructional technologies, and present findings to leadership to guide investment decisions and strategic planning.

Secondary Functions

Provide ad-hoc instructional design and multimedia support for grant-funded projects, special programs, and curriculum development initiatives as requested.
Contribute to the organization's instructional technology strategy, multi-year roadmap, and vendor selection criteria to align technology investments with institutional goals.
Collaborate with IT, registrar, enrollment, and academic affairs to translate technical requirements into usable workflows and to ensure smooth operational alignment across systems.
Participate in academic committees, accreditation preparation teams, and cross-functional working groups to represent instructional technology priorities and quality standards.
Support faculty and department-level pilots and scale-up plans by coordinating resources, tracking results, and capturing lessons learned for broader dissemination.
Assist with grant writing and budgeting for instructional technology initiatives, including cost estimates for software, hardware, and professional development.
Maintain a prioritized backlog of feature requests, support tickets, and enhancement projects and participate in sprint planning or project governance meetings.
Produce regular reports, case studies, and success stories that document instructional impact, adoption rates, and best practices for internal and external stakeholders.
Coordinate training materials and onboarding for adjunct faculty, graduate teaching assistants, and new instructional hires to ensure consistent technology proficiency.
Maintain an inventory of educational hardware and software assets, review licensing needs annually, and manage refresh/replacement cycles for classroom technology.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient LMS administration (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle) including course setup, user roles, LTI integration, grade sync, and troubleshooting.
Instructional design expertise using ADDIE/SAM, learning outcomes alignment, assessment design, and competency-based curriculum development.
E‑learning authoring and multimedia production skills with tools such as Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, Premiere Pro, and Canva.
Familiarity with e-learning standards and specifications: SCORM, xAPI (Tin Can), LTI, and common integration patterns between LMS and external systems.
Practical experience with accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1), UDL principles, captioning, alt text, and remediation workflows to ensure equitable access.
Learning analytics and data literacy: ability to analyze engagement and performance metrics, use dashboards (Power BI, Tableau), and translate data into instructional recommendations.
Experience configuring and managing synchronous teaching platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, virtual classroom tools) and classroom capture systems.
Basic web technologies: HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript fundamentals for quick content edits and troubleshooting LMS content rendering issues.
Knowledge of SIS integrations, SSO/SSO protocols (SAML, OAuth), and data flows between academic systems.
Project management and workflow tools: Jira, Trello, Asana, or similar, with the ability to manage multi-stakeholder implementations and timelines.

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication for clear faculty training, documentation, and stakeholder presentations.
Strong instructional coaching and adult-learning facilitation skills to drive faculty adoption and behavioral change.
Collaborative mindset with experience working cross-functionally among academic, IT, and administrative teams.
Problem-solving orientation and ability to triage complex technical-pedagogical issues under time pressure.
Organizational skills and attention to detail to manage concurrent course deployments, pilots, and service tickets.
Change management and influence skills to lead cultural and workflow transitions toward effective edtech adoption.
Empathy and customer-service focus to support instructors and students with diverse technical proficiencies and needs.
Analytical thinking to synthesize learning data, run small experiments, and recommend evidence-based improvements.
Creativity in designing engaging and interactive online experiences that enhance learner motivation and outcomes.
Leadership potential and the ability to mentor junior staff and build capacity across the institution.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Education, Learning Sciences, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Educational Technology, Instructional Design, Learning Sciences, Curriculum & Instruction, or related advanced field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Instructional Design
Educational Technology
Learning Sciences
Curriculum and Instruction
Multimedia Design / Digital Media
Computer Science or Information Systems (with education focus)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressively responsible experience in instructional design, LMS administration, educational technology support, or faculty development.

Preferred: 5+ years of experience managing LMS environments and leading cross-functional instructional technology initiatives in higher education, K‑12 district, or corporate learning environments; demonstrated track record of successful course design, multimedia production, accessibility remediation, and learning analytics.