POSITION OPENING:  Senior Educational Researcher: Psychometrician/Statistician Specialist

DEPARTMENT:  Center for Educational Technologies® (CET)

DATE:  January 17, 2013      

POSITION:   Full-time

FLSA STATUS:  Exempt (Administrative)    

CLOSING DATE:   February 11, 2013

POSITION SUMMARY:  This advanced scholar will conduct learning analytics of large datasets using CyGaMEs gameplay data (over 2 million records), investigating learning trajectories, affective self-perceptions, and the interplay between them.  The successful candidate will contribute to papers reporting planned analyses and, time permitting, may develop additional papers for originally conceptualized work using CyGaMEs data.  CyGaMEs is a nationally recognized, awarded, and cutting-edge approach to instructional game design and embedded assessment currently conducting research using its instructional game Selene: A Lunar Construction GaME (version II, visit http://selene.cet.edu for more information).  This position will end with the conclusion of NSF funding CyGaMEs on August 31, 2013.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) or equivalent in statistics and/or psychometrics or Ph.D. in related field; or more than three to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Basic and advanced statistical techniques including multilevel modeling, regression, ANOVA/MANOVA, and more traditional techniques.
• Preferred qualifications include a wide array of skills such as Item Response Theory/Rasch modeling, Bayesian Networks, Hidden Markov Models, data mining and R.  We are especially interested in spline regression with estimated knots. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Achieves fluid familiarity with CyGaMEs data (gameplay behavior represented, how data is collected, how to interpret data as indicating player behavior, achievement, perceptions of experience, and the interactions between them)
• Examines all data for outliers, normality, linearity, multicolinearity, homoscedasticity, and any additional characteristics necessary to meet the assumptions for specified analyses.
• Conducts necessary transformations.
• Logs all datasets, modifications, tests, and results.
• Archives finalized datasets.
• Proposes analysis approaches and solutions for approval.
• Conducts analyses procedures and statistical and psychometric analyses.  Skills and techniques may include but are not limited to basic and advanced statistical techniques including multilevel modeling, regression, and ANOVA/MANOVA; Item Response Theory/Rasch modeling; Bayesian Networks; Hidden Markov Models; data mining; R; and spline regression with estimated knots.
• Documents and archives results and finalized datasets.
• Confers with project PI and senior application programmer
• Contributes to writing professional papers and other dissemination activities.
• Develops tables, figures, and other visualizations to report and disseminate results.
• Collaborates in manuscript editing and revision.
• Tracks all project work using Tracs system or other system as assigned.
• Participates in team meetings with weekly written contribution to reports.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:  Application material must include:

• Letter of application describing your relevant experience
• Current resume or vitae, you may submit both
• Contact information for three to five references
• Copy of graduate transcripts
• Up to three representative writing samples demonstrating your research expertise, journal publications or professional reports preferred to:

   Wheeling Jesuit University
   Director of Human Resources       or         jobs@wju.edu
   316 Washington Avenue
   Wheeling WV 26003

AS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER, WE ENCOURAGE APPLICATIONS FROM QUALIFIED VIETNAM ERA VETERANS, DISABLED INDIVIDUALS, MINORITIES, AND WOMEN