Personal Background
Career
After my first degree in mathematics, I then taught mathematics for ten years. During this time, I taught at all levels up to Oxbridge scholarship, introduced innovations - the teaching of statistics at A Level, and a computer club, and had the great pleasure of teaching at exceptional schools. During the last half of the 70s, my interest in, and involvement with, computer assisted learning grew. In 1981, I took up an ESRC funded Ph.D. studentship to work on a project to improve the teaching of engineering science in Scotland. The Department of AI at Edinburgh was an inspirational place to study; it had pioneered work on the teaching of mathematics and computing using LOGO in the 70s, and went on to pioneer the educational uses of Prolog in the 80s.
After obtaining my Ph.D., my work moved increasingly into the space now described as technology enhanced learning, taking advantage of artificial intelligence where it was sensible to do so. I have been inspired by some excellent colleagues to make my own contribution to our understanding of the use of technology to help learners to learn a wide range of topics including mathematics, programming, physics, english as a second language, portuguese pronoun placement, flower growing, creative writing and narrative. My work has also included research on the design and evaluation of learning environments, on collaborative learning and the development of communities, and on approaches to supporting learning, teaching and training.
Work
Glasgow University: Director, the SCRE Centre in the Faculty of Education; Professorial Research Fellow
Northumbria University: Director of Research Strategy, School of Informatics; Professor of Computing
Leeds University: Director, Computer Based Learning Unit; Reader in Interactive Learning Systems
Lancaster University: Deputy Director, Centre for the Study of Advanced Learning Technologies; Lecturer in Computing
Napier University: Lecturer in Computer Studies
Edinburgh University: Senior Research Fellow
Scottish Council for Educational Technology: Software Validation Officer
Scottish Micro-electronic Development Programme: Educational Consultant
Bedales School, Hampshire: Mathematics Teacher
Birkenhead School, Merseyside: Mathematics Teacher
Blackburne House, Liverpool: Mathematics Teacher
Education
Ph.D., Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh
Certificate in Education, Department of Education, Cambridge University
BA (Hons) Mathematics, Queens’ College, Cambridge University