Student Instructional Designer, Colorado National Wastewater Surveillance System Center of Excellence

The Colorado National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) Center of Excellence (CoE) is a collaboration between the University of Denver (DU) and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Building on expertise in epidemiology, environmental chemistry, engineering, molecular diagnostics and genomic surveillance we provide industry-leading expertise and guidance. Wastewater surveillance is a key public health tool providing notification of increasing disease trends, especially when combined with existing disease surveillance systems. As a National Center of Excellence, we serve to foster scientific inquiry and public health response throughout the nation. Our team of nationally recognized experts in multi-disciplinary fields seeks to grow and develop this critical public health tool. 

A primary responsibility of DU in this partnership is the development of a rigorous training program for public health professionals who are interested in starting a wastewater surveillance system or those who currently have a surveillance system and are seeking more knowledge. We currently have several training videos but wish to expand by adding more courses and issuing micro credentials along with continuing education credits. We are seeking to hire one to two students as Student Instructional Designers who would help with this expansion. 

For more information about Wastewater Surveillance and the Colorado NWSS CoE, visit https://www.du.edu/nwsscoe. 

Position Summary 

The Student Instructional Designer(s) will collaborate closely with the Program Manager and Principal Investigator to design and develop course materials, including videos, checklists, supplemental written content, and learning assessments. In addition to course creation, the Student Instructional Designer(s) will help evaluate existing courses and contribute to the overall design of the training program, which includes issuing micro-credentials and continuing education credits. 

This position is open to students currently enrolled in the Master’s of Instructional Design and Technology program and taking Industry Innovation Project course (IDT 4985) in either winter or spring academic quarter 2025. The work completed for this role will be used to fulfill the requirements for that course. 

Essential Functions 

Course Planning and Design 

• Plan at least one training course per academic quarter, including:  
  • Lesson plans 
  • Learning Objectives 
  • Scripts and storyboards for videos 
  • Assessment(s) 

Course Materials Production 

• Produce all materials outlined in the Course Planning and Design section with guidance and assistance from the Program Manager and other on and off campus stakeholders.  
  • For video content, this position is responsible for planning the content and capturing raw footage. 
  • Video editing services will be provided by a separate on-campus provider. 

Professional Consultation 

• Attend meetings with various stakeholders, including the Office of the Registrar, The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, campus partners involved in video editing and others to assist with planning for implementation of micro credentialing and issuance of continuing education credits. 
• Provide professional feedback as needed to support growth of the overall training program. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Basic knowledge of instructional theory
• Familiar with learning management systems (LMS), Canvas LMS preferred 
• Excellent organizational skills 
• Experience with the Articulate 360 software suite  
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to effectively convey technical information to non-technical colleagues and clients 
• Critical thinking skills 
• Ability to manage time effectively 

Required Qualifications 

• Current student in the Master’s of Instructional Design and Technology program, enrolled in IDT 4985 Industry Innovation Project during either the winter or spring 2025 academic quarter 
• At least 8 credit hours of successfully completed Instructional Design coursework 
• BS or BA degree in instructional design, education or related field 

Preferred Qualifications 

• 12 or more credit hours of successfully completed Instructional Design coursework 
• Experience designing courses including planning all necessary course materials and producing course materials 
• Experience capturing video conten