The School of Applied Computing celebrated World Intellectual Property Day which this year explores the theme of ‘Digital Creativity: Culture Reimagined’ – the current emerging and future of culture in the digital age. As part of the celebration some students (above) from the Managing People and Change module learned about the importance of Employee Engagement in 21st Century Organisations.
A delegation from Zambia visited Swansea’s School of Applied Computing last week – please see some of the photos below. The School is now looking to develop further links in the future with the possibility of student project work and the teaching of Zambian school teachers. The delegation also shared some of their innovative teaching methods for Teaching Computing with little resources demonstrating very good practice within the field of frugal innovation.
Representatives from Swansea’s School of Applied Computing (Arya, Carlene and Archie) recently visited the MATLAB EXPO in Silverstone.
MATLAB (matrix laboratory) is a multi-paradigm numerical computing environment and fourth-generation programming language that allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces and is primarily used for numerical computing.
Lecturer Dr Carlene Campbell finds the Simulink element of MathWorks-MATLAB useful in teaching Computer Networks & Internet Security:
I did enjoy the expo, especially the first speaker. The demonstration room allowed one to gain ideas for research projects and more… – Carlene
While Phd student tutors Archie and Arya both use Matlab for their research:
I found the event very informative and rewarding, especially considering it was free to attend. The keynote was particularly good as it showed how Matlab is used across a diverse range of industries and the types of system it’s been involved with the development of, perhaps most notably the New Horizons Flight Software. The technical talks and demonstrations were also great; they also weren’t too long so it was easy to stay focused. Several sessions will be beneficial to my research and I’d strongly recommend the event to anyone in the faculty. – Archie.
The event was spectacular. I found most of the presentations, relevant and useful. The demonstrations were great. In particular, one of the exhibitions was so helpful that I might be adapting a similar approach in my PhD experiment. – Arya
To view the demonstrations please click the image below:
For more information about the event please click-here. And for event proceedings please click-here.
Dear All, You are all welcome on Wed, October 21, to the first FACE lunch-time Research Seminar for the academic year 2015/16. It will take place in MH503 (5th Floor Block H, Mount Pleasant). A buffet lunch will be provided, starting at 1pm.
Our Speakers will be Dr John Rees from School of Applied Computing and Komali Kantamaneni PhD Research student From School of Built and Natural Environment.
Dr. John Rees from Applied Computing has been invited to talk on “PhD Outcomes – Analysis and Characteristics of PhD Examiners’ Feedback”The intention of the seminar is to provide a broad guide to the kind of commentary associated with particular outcomes. The evidence base shows characteristic patterns of conditions associated with the standard outcomes. This is likely to offer benefits to those acting as internal or external doctoral examiners in gauging the award.
Dr Rees has a long interest in research degrees and research administration. He chaired Staffordshire University’s Faculty RDC from 2002 – 2005; chaired Southampton Solent’s RDC from 2006 – 2012, and served on both Research Committee and Research and Enterprise Committee for those institutions over the same periods.
Komali Kantamaneni is a PhD research student based at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, United Kingdom. Her research area primarily focuses on the United Kingdom, examining the fiscal costs incurred by coastal communities who face increasing vulnerability to coastal storm and sea level rise because of climate change. Her talk will be on Integrated Modelling and Coastal Vulnerability(Development of novel integrated model to evaluate fiscal coastal vulnerability of United Kingdom).
These research talks are open to every researchers, students interested in research or staff from any faculty. This is an opportunity to mix, meet and hear about research within schools.
Venue: MH503 (5th Floor Block H, Mount Pleasant).
Time: 1pm – A buffet lunch will be provided.
Looking forward to see you all!!!
The School of Applied Computing at the University of Wales Trinity St David is hosting a half-day ‘Computing at Schools‘ Conference on the 7th October 2015 from 1pm to 5pm.
The Conference will be taking a look at recent changes in ICT affecting the curriculum for Key Stages 1 to 4, and in particular at the New Computing Progression Pathways. We’ll be hearing talks from:
Location: Cadogan Conference Room, Mount Pleasant Campus.
Time: Wednesday 7th October 2015, 1pm to 5pm.
Fee: Free of charge.
Facilities: Refreshments will be available. Limited number of free NCP car park spaces are available.
To register for this event please click-here: http://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/applied-computing-visit-days/. If you need any further details, please contact kapilan.radhakrishnan@uwtsd.ac.uk or telephone 01792 481192
After Graduating earlier this year Simon Bennett tells us about his time at University of Wales Trinity Saint David studying for a BSc (Hons) in Web Development:
For course information please click here: http://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/computing/
Q. What was your HE course?
BSc (Hons) Business Information Technology
Q. What is your job title and role?
Multiple business owner: My role is to lead businesses, as an MD Managing Director at Costcutters supermarket and as a Principal at Swansea sixth form College. This involves many different areas including leadership, teacher evaluation, student discipline, staff discipline, accounting and several others.
Q. Could you briefly describe the organization you work for?
Swansea Sixth-form College (SSC) offer a wide range of practical English language courses. SSC offer high quality teaching with flexible study options, in a beautiful environment designed to develop our students confidence and increase motivation. Whether your goal is to improve your job prospects, get a place at university, pass an English language exam, live and work abroad, improve your English for business purposes, adapt to life in the UK or travel and see the world, we have a course to suit you.
Q. Which skills learned at University are helpful to you in your job?
My 3 years at Swansea Met were life changing. The environment excelled my development as a student. The skills that I developed while studying have had a positive influence on my role, personally, my involvement in the community and professionally. Commitment, self-motivation and confidence, all of which are highly valued skills which I gained from my course have helped me in my role as a Principal.
The following two skills which have been vital for my role, which I gained in my course through research, planning and assignments:
1. Knowledge and understanding – Gaining specific knowledge related to a particular subject, for example historical or scientific data
2. Cognitive skills – Thinking skills, such as problem solving, analysis, research.
Q. Do you have a typical day and how would you describe it?
My typical day, as much I would like to say planned and calm, it is as hectic and sometimes unpredictable. There are no two days the same. I still feel I am learning something new everyday. My day can range from staff meetings, student inductions, class monitoring, teaching assessments and auditing. We also take pride in our diverse culture and at the same time our city, and reach out exertions and show off our heritage.
Q. What aspects of your job do you enjoy most?
My job role highly motivates me, I do enjoy all aspects of my job.
It’s a huge responsibility being part of such a successful college and to be responsible for so many different people. I love learning and meeting people.
Q. Do you have any advice for students who would like to start a Career?
Your whole life is a learning curve, the biggest challenge is in within yourself. Always take issues/problems as a challenge, remove all barriers.
Set high goals, you should never be able to accomplish your goal, you should get nearer and nearer each time. If you think you have reached it, then you haven’t set a high enough goal, the sky is the limit.
Commitment, reliability, humbleness and honesty to yourself and your job is your key ingredient for success.
Founded by one of our School’s Enterprising Graduates Darren Adams, Swansea-based Games Development Studio Chaos-Trend are proud to announce their new game “Exo Miner” on Steam Greenlight. Exo Miner is a procedurally generated, action based mining, exploration, construction and defence game.
Travel to unexplored sectors of space, claim new sectors for mining, set up defences, buy new ships and drones then customise them to fit your play style. Define patrol routes for protection or attack claimed sectors. Defend your own sectors from rival companies and leave your mark by building the biggest space mining corporation in the galaxy. Can you build a corporation to rival the mighty Europa Mining Company?
Watch this space: They are currently busily developing Exo Miner and some of the content is not yet final. They will be updating this page as often as possible with new info and content.
Chaos-Trend have also recently released a new game titled ‘Happy Rainbow Bird‘ 🙂
Flap those wings, gain some height and use your skill and judgement to get the highest score you can as you Guide your birdie through the many pillars of doom.
The Game is available Now on Google Play and iTunes.
Chaos-Trend are a small but well established Games development studio in Swansea, Wales. They have been running for over 5 years and have successfully released many games across many platforms. The core team consists of Graduates from Swansea Metropolitan – University of Wales Trinity Saint David that have obtained degrees in game programming and design. The founder members of ChaosTrend are: Darren Adams, Russell Drodge, John Franklin, and Ian Malsbury. There are now five in the Team, one being a former Creative Assembly programmer who worked on the award winning Total War series. They have written their our own game engine and tools from the ground up, and love to dream-up and create new and exciting games. For more information please click here.
This half-day workshop provides an overview of User Experience and why it is an important consideration in the development of products, systems and applications. A series of presentations outline real-world implementations and case-studies by leading internationally renowned User Experience experts.
Join us at TechHub Swansea for a workshop on Growth hacking with founder of True Up, Liam Reynolds (trueup.co.uk)
Start Up Business Support and Pizza! Join regional sponsor of TechHub Swansea for an afternoon of business support and pizza, get practical support and guidance, FREE, for all members.
TechHub Swansea have gone all roaring ’20s and are thrilled to invite you to our exclusive prohibition party. …it’s a strictly need to know event, so ‘speak-easy’!
Have you heard of the Raspberry Pi computer? Do you want to know more and see what others are doing with this amazing low cost device? Come along to the Swansea Raspberry Jam event and meet other Raspberry Pi users
As a start-up you need to plan for future and your future success. Getting your website found online by the right people is a huge part of modern-day marketing and being listed for the correct keywords by the search engines is essential.
The Welsh Government Creative Industries team is busy doing a series of regional briefing events across Wales. The events are a brief presentation on the support available from the Welsh Government to creative sector businesses and a plenary, followed by the opportunity of 1:1 half hour slots with Welsh Government Business
Growing and Organising your Engineering Team Advice Clinic
What was your HE course/s and when did you graduate?
I studied the HND Computing and Information Systems course, and after graduating from the course, I enrolled on to the 3rd year of the BSc (Hons) Computing and Information Systems course before graduating with a 2:1 Degree.
What is your job title and role?
I am a Software Tester for a company called Dezrez Services Ltd which is based in Swansea.
Could you briefly describe the organization you work for?
Dezrez Services Ltd provides Software Services for Estate Agencies to help the Estate Agencies deal with Sales, Lettings, and also Property Management. The company also offers Support for the Software. A few products that Dezrez have include:
Which skills learned at University are helpful to you in your job?
After graduating from University, some skills have really helped me in my role. With the Assignments and the Final Year Project deadlines, I have learnt how to meet deadlines of Testing Tasks, Testing Activities and Sprints. This has really helped me deal with Testing Tasks and Testing Activities that are set for me. Also my Final Year Project has helped me as I understand the need for Usability within a Software program and how important it is for the Software and for the User.
Do you have a typical day and how would you describe it?
My day would normally involve testing the Property Management software package that Dezrez have developed. I would use TFS (Team Foundation Server) to look at a Task Board to see what Testing Tasks I have been assigned to Test and then I would record any Issues (Functionality, Usability, Compatibility, Design, Spelling/Grammar) or Feature Suggestions in TFS and the Dezrez CRM System. When a release is performed for new functionality and fixes to go up live, I would perform a Test Plan to make sure that functionality already in place has not been affected by the new functionality.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy most?
I enjoy the challenge of helping the company find issues within the software, helping the company release the software, and that it is suitable and ready for release. I also enjoy working for the company and learning new techniques for testing the products that the company provides.
Do you have any advice for students who are currently studying their HE course?
I would say when an assignment is handed out, start on it as soon as possible. Use the resources that the University provides (library etc.) and the time in which there are no Lectures or Tutorials wisely to do research for assignments, and also take the opportunity to learn some exam preparation techniques. Also if doing a Final Year Project, I would start the Project as soon as you can as I completed my Literature Review at the start of January and that gave me time to make amendments to the sections and also start the Implementation stage early which was really helpful.
In a summary please write a little statement that explains the positive aspects of your experience at University and whether you would recommend it to anyone in the future:
When starting at University, I was a little nervous with the change from College. But the University, the Support, Friends and also the Lecturers made me feel comfortable after a few weeks, I settled in great and worked hard to gain my HND. After gaining the HND, I realised that I wanted to do further education and decided to enrol on the 3rd year of the BSc Degree and it was the best decision I have made. I have made some great friends through my 3 years at the University, and I have also developed myself further as a person through the experience. I recommend the University highly as it a great place to study and I have learnt so much there.
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