Academic Researcher

Academic Researcher – EdPlus at Arizona State University

We are seeking a motivated and skilled Academic Researcher to join our high‑performance, interdisciplinary Action Lab research team. Although you will officially report to the Senior Director of Academic Research, you will collaborate with other Action Lab researchers, staff, and faculty to co‑manage the Dreamscape Lear (DSL) quantitative research protocols and to collect, analyze, coordinate, communicate, and maintain research information.

Dreamscape Learn combines narratively driven virtual reality lab experiences with a newly designed curriculum to engage ASU’s diverse, 21st‑century learners. Although DSL products have been integrated into several courses for several semesters (or even years), ongoing mixed‑methods research aims to deepen our understanding of DSL’s immediate and long‑term effects on student learning and persistence.

Action Lab is a data‑driven, research‑focused service organization—an impact hub—that supports ASU and EdPlus initiatives by equipping leaders with the insights and analyses they need to make informed, evidence‑based decisions. Action Lab drives transformational change in education through data and research, focusing on learner behaviors and the factors that drive success. Our goal is to improve access and achievement while bolstering the development of quality education for all learners.

Our research is action‑oriented and operationally focused; we support and coordinate with high‑level university stakeholders to enhance student learning, motivation, and persistence, and to increase equity across the university.

• Uses various computer programs and software to perform data computation, statistical analysis, etc. (Proficiency in R is required
  ; flexibility to work in other languages and environments, including Python or SQL, is desirable).
• Coordinates and determines compatibility of data from various sources (e.g., internal ASU data tables and external datasets) with support from data management teams.
• Manages data collection and compilation. Performs data cleaning, statistical analysis, and data visualization in R.
• Selects, develops, and/or recommends appropriate research design methodologies, data analyses, and statistical procedures; assists with determining appropriate methodology to be used for specific project(s).
• Understands, values, and contributes to the richness of co‑informed data‑driven insights (i.e., those formed from the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods).
• Contributes to internal Action Lab/DSL reports and presentations as needed; helps prepare formal research reports and presentations for dissemination to various audiences; performs literature reviews to inform research design.
• Collaborates with the DSL research team to conduct quantitative research to co‑inform instructional practices, pedagogy, engagement, and technology decisions.
• Manages a high volume of research files; tracks, manages, prioritizes, and reports daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.
• Co‑manages survey research process in Qualtrics; designs, develops, and implements research surveys using Qualtrics.
• Assumes or coordinates other duties or projects as assigned or directed.

• Minimum:
  Bachelor’s degree and three (3) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
• Preferred:
  PhD required (preferably in learning sciences, data science, or related discipline, or from a quantitatively rigorous area of study); will consider candidates who are close to defense date/ABD with a plan to finish within a reasonable timeframe.
• Proficiency in R (required); experience in Python or SQL desirable.
• Demonstrated skills in the design, development, and implementation of surveys in Qualtrics.
• Experience with quantitative research methods, including experimental/quasi‑experimental design, descriptive and inferential statistics, and modeling data.
• Demonstrated ability to perform generalized linear modeling, path analysis, and structural equation modeling.
• Broad…