Turn On Your Future @ UWTSD's School of Applied Computing & Electronics

Archive for November, 2016

Innovative teaching methods at School of Applied Computing

The third-floor corridor in the School of Applied Computing was transformed into an unusual learning space this week for final-year students on the User Experience Design module.

To illustrate how to define an information architecture, Dr Nik Whitehead, Associate Professor, led the group of students in a hands-on card sorting exercise.  The aim was to consider the ways different types of user organise information, and to investigate the implications this has for website design.

The task the students were given was to structure a website in a logical order based on where user groups would expect to find the information they’re searching for.  Elements of the site were represented by colour-coded repositionable sticky notes, which were attached to the walls of the corridor.  By moving and sorting these, the students were able to optimise information-flow and user expectation in a highly visual and memorable way.

As well as discovering how to perform a card sort, this practical, collaborative – and fun – teaching technique enabled the students to learn from each other by observing and appreciating how differently each person approached the task.

wp_20161116_10_22_32_pro

 

Category:

Uncategorized

SoAC lecturers awarded academic titles

The School of Applied Computing is delighted to announce the recent awarding of academic titles to two of their lecturers.

Dr Nik Whitehead has become Associate Professor, while Dr John Rees becomes Professor.

 

nicola-j-whitehead

Dr Nik Whitehead, Associate Professor

Subjects taught by  Dr Whitehead, Associate Professor include Systems Analysis and Design,  Research Methods, Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence and Data Mining.

Before coming to UWTSD, she lectured in Newport and Aberdeen, and has also held the position of Head of School  for the School of IT in the Faculty of Business & Science, University of Akureyri, Iceland.

Her research interests include Data Visualisation, Usability, Human-Computer Interaction and Data Mining (astrostatistics).

john-rees

Professor John Rees

 

Professor Rees teaches across a range of levels and disciplines in the School of Applied Computing.

He is an experienced research supervisor and examiner, and an active researcher and participant in external activities in support of businesses and the skills agenda.

Prior to coming to UWTSD in 2014, Professor Rees has held posts in the University of Glamorgan, Staffordshire University, Southampton Solent University and DSCIS.  He has previously held professorial title for ten years as Professor of Computing Enterprise at Staffordshire, and Professor of Business Technology at Solent.

The School of Applied Computing extends warm congratulations to them both.

Category:

Uncategorized

Tag Cloud