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Patrice Torcivia Prusko’s LinkedIn bio reads, “Strategic, visionary leader, driving positive social change at the intersection of technology and education.” So true! Patrice is all that and more, as well as a longtime friend and colleague.
When I saw on LinkedIn that Patrice posted that “the Teaching and Learning Lab (TLL) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is looking for a creative, empathetic, and future-minded Learning Technologist,” I thought the role would be perfect for this “Featured Gig” series.
If you have a job at the intersection of learning, organizational change and technology that you are recruiting for, please get in touch!
Q: What is the mandate behind this role? How does it help align with and advance the school and the university’s strategic priorities?
A: Thank you for the opportunity to highlight this essential role. At the Harvard Graduate School of Education Teaching and Learning Lab, we’re excited to welcome a new team member who will help us advance our strategic commitment to deliver high-quality educational experiences that transform lives in communities across the globe.
Over the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of working with an incredibly talented and creative team who care deeply about designing high-quality, human-centered learning experiences, grounded in the lived experiences of our students. This role will have the opportunity to support and shape high-impact, innovative projects, including our fully online master’s in educational leadership, and development in Harvard’s learning experience platform. We’re also prototyping AI powered tools and multiagent systems that personalize learning and enhance community and engagement.
It’s a particularly exciting moment to join us as we celebrate the TLL’s 10-year anniversary and Nonie K. Lesaux, the Roy Edward Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development, being named our new dean. Our work support’s HGSE’s mission to prepare education leaders and innovators who will change the world by expanding opportunities and outcomes for learners everywhere.
We’re seeking someone who not only has technical expertise and experience with HTML, CSS, basic coding and GenAI, but also a mindset of curiosity and care. Someone who sees ambiguity as opportunity and who instinctively starts by asking, “What does the learner need? Where are the pain points? And how might we co-create meaningful, sustainable solutions?”
Ultimately, this role is about much more than building things; it’s about helping our faculty, students and broader community learn to change the world.
Q: Where does the role sit within the school and university structure? How will the person in this role engage with other units and leaders across campus?
A: The learning technologist will report directly to me in my role as director of learning design, technology and media and will be a key member of our team within the Teaching and Learning Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education. They will work collaboratively and closely with faculty, students and staff to design innovative, human-centered learning experiences.
Within our team, the learning technologist will work alongside colleagues in learning design, media production and academic technologies and our senior learning technologist. Together we support faculty across HGSE in developing high-quality, technology-enhanced learning experiences that align with the school’s mission and values. While based in HGSE, this role will have opportunities to collaborate across Harvard.
Q: What would success look like in one year? Three years? Beyond?
A: My immediate focus is always on belonging, care and community. These aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re essential for retention, creativity and growth. In the first year, success would look like this person becoming an integral part of our team, building relationships of trust, contributing to our collaborative culture and bringing fresh insights that challenge us to think differently. I deeply value the new perspectives that come with a new team member and the opportunity to see things through a different lens.
From a functional standpoint, this person will have successfully contributed to multiple projects across our portfolio, building new relationships with faculty, experimenting with new tools and approaches and enhancing the student experience.
Looking ahead two to three years, I would hope this person has become a go-to thought partner across the school, not only for technical expertise but for their creative approach to solving complex problems, asking the right questions and intentionally designing digital learning experiences. I’d love to see this person leading initiatives, mentoring others and helping shape how we think about academic innovation.
Q: What kinds of future roles would someone who took this position be prepared for?
A: This role is a good entryway into several career pathways across higher education, technology and academic innovation. A learning technologist could grow into a senior learning technologist, but that is not the only pathway. As the landscape continues to evolve, we’re seeing new roles emerge at the intersection of teaching and learning, technology and AI, and this role is at the center.
With time someone in this position could move into a leadership role such as director of online learning, or pivot into learning analytics, AI development or academic innovation. What’s exciting is how quickly the field is expanding and growing, not just in terms of job titles, but also the kinds of centers and initiatives being launched across institutions to reimagine educational experiences.
This is a space where teaching and learning, AI and technology converge, so the experience in this position opens doors to IT units, academic affairs, teaching and learning centers, and strategic innovation roles.
Ultimately, I hope people see this as more than a job and as an opportunity to be at the forefront, with a voice at the table, in shaping what the future of learning might look like, with the opportunity to grow in breadth and depth depending on their interests.
