University of Northampton - teaching and researching Blockchain recognition

Taken from: University of Northampton recognised for being one of a handful of institutions teaching and researching Blockchain

The University of Northampton has been recognised as one of only a handful of Higher Education (HE) institutions worldwide which are teaching or carrying out Blockchain research.

Blockchain is a shared, replicated ledger that underpins technology such as cryptocurrency, but also sets out to provide the foundation for the next generation of transactional applications.

Blockchain analyst website Diar has included the University of Northampton in a list of just 28 HE providers that teach aspects of Blockchain and/or conduct research into it.

Northampton does both.

Postgraduate students on the MSc Computing course are taught elements of Blockchain, including a general introduction to the basic concepts, plus coding and programming techniques.

Meanwhile, various Northampton academics, led by Senior Lecturer in Education, Dr Cristina Devecchi,  have collaborated on a Blockchain project to help Syrian refugee children which has been promoted by the United Nations.

Dr Scott Turner, who teaches Blockchain on the MSc Computing course, has also delivered a talk with colleague Ali Al-Sherbaz about the subject to the British Computing Society.

The University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Nick Petford, said: “It is good to see the work of the University of Northampton recognised as contributing to the academic and practical development of Blockchain.

“The technology offers a new way of looking at old problems with great potential to innovate across a wide range of our research activities from education and humanitarian aid to supply chain management.”

All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with. Twitter: @scottturneruon

How to be an Unplugged Artist

A recently released book Teaching Computing Unplugged in Primary Schools  edited by Helen Caldwell (University of Northampton) and Neil Smith (Open University) has a number of interesting chapters by authors who are passionate about how computing is taught in schools. The central theme is unplugged activities, without using computers, but still teach the fundamental of computational thinking.

Ok, confession time. I co-wrote, along with Katharine Childs (Code Club), Chapter 3 Artists so I am biased here, but I believe in the central theme of Unplugged Computing. Computing, and Computational Thinking in general,  is not just about programming and using a computer (though using computers and  programming are vitally important to Computing) but it is also about many other things including problem-solving, being creative and working collaboratively.

Chapter 3 is about linking these computational thinking ideas to produce visual art, by applying computing principles including  repetition, following and refining algorithms, and abstraction. The chapter also looks, how these links have already being made, with examples such Sol Le Witt where not all the work that was produced by the artist himself, but some by others following his written instructions - in other words an algorithm. There is even a game Thomas's Tangles

The other chapters make links with areas such as Robots, Musicians, Explorers, Magicians, Gamers, Cooks and Scientists.

References

Barr, D., Harrion, J., and Conery, L. (2011) Computational Thinking: A Digital Age Skill for Everyone Leading and Learning with Technology, ISTE, March/April 2011 [accessed via http://www.csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CurrFiles/LLCTArticle.pdf on 26/12/2015]

Barr, V. and Stephenson, C. (2011) Bringing Computational Thinking to K-12, ACM Inroads, Vol 2. No 1, pp 48 - 54 [accessed via http://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CurrFiles/BarrStephensonInroadsArticle.pdf on 26/12/2015] https://doi.org/10.1145/1929887.1929905

Computing at School (2013) Computing in the National Curriculum: A guide for primary teachers [accessed via http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/CASPrimaryComputing.pdf on 13/3/2016]

Denning, Peter J. (2009) Beyond Computational Thinking, Communications of the ACM Vol 52, Issue 6, pp 28 - 30 [accessed via http://sgd.cs.colorado.edu/wiki/images/7/71/Denning.pdf on 26/12/2015]

DfE: Department for Education (2013) National Curriculum in England: computing programmes of study

Freedman, J. (2015) Cycloid Drawing Machine [online] URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1765367532/cycloid-drawing-machine accessed on 3/3/2016.

Google. 2016 Project Jacquard [online] URL: https://www.google.com/atap/project-jacquard/ accesed on:1/3/2016.

Knuth, D. 1968. Preface, The Art of Programming vol 1., Boston: Addison-Wesley.

Knuth, D. 1996. Foreword. In: Petkovsek, M., Wilf, H., Zeilberger, D. A=B.. Natick: A K Peters/CRC Press, vii.

Koetsier, T., 2001. On the prehistory of programmable machines: Musical automata, looms, calculators. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 36(5), 589-603. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0094-114X(01)00005-2

Menegus, B (2016) CDMS: Built with Processing [online] URL: http://wheelof.com/sketch/ accessed on 4/3/2016

MoMA. 2012. MoMA| Video Games [online] URL: http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/ accessed on: 1/3/2016.

Papert, S (1993) The children's machine: Rethinking schools in the age of the computer. New York: Basic books

Pearson M (2011) Generative Art: A practical guide using Processing, New York: Manning, 3-12

Selby, C. and Woollard, J. (2013) Computational thinking: the developing definition University of Southampton [accessed via http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/356481/7/Selby_Woollard_bg_soton_eprints.pdf on 26/12/2015]

The Art Story (2016) Sol LeWitt [online] http://www.theartstory.org/artist-lewitt-sol.htm accessed on: 6/3/2016

Wing, J. (2006) Computational Thinking Communications of the ACM Vol 49 pp 33 - 35 [accessed via https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~15110-s13/Wing06-ct.pdf on 26/12/2015] https://doi.org/10.1145/1118178.1118215

Wing, J. (2011) Computational Thinking - What and Why The Link - News from the School of Computer Science, Issue 6.0, Spring 2011 [accessed via http://www.cs.cmu.edu/sites/default/files/11-399_The_Link_Newsletter-3.pdf on 26/12/2015]

Liukas L (2015) Activity 7 The Robots Hello Ruby - Adventures in Coding, New York: Feiwel and Friends, 94-97.

Schofield, S (2016) Generative Artworks [online] URL: http://www.simonschofield.net

Turner S (2016) 3 'Art' Scratch Projects [online] URL: http://compuationalthinking.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/3-of-my-scratch-projects-for-week.html accessed on: 12/3/2016.

All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with. Twitter: @scottturneruon

Artist chapter in forthcoming book

In a forthcoming (at the time of writing)  book Teaching Computing Unplugged in Primary Schools: Exploring primary computing through practical activities away from the computer, (eds, Helen Caldwell and Neil Smith), one of the chapters has been co-written by a member of the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology, University of Northampton's Department of Computing (me, Scott Turner) and Katharine Childs from Code Club. Chapter 4 Artist's (appropriate for a member of the Faculty ) looks at using computing and computational thinking ideas to produce images on paper. 

Some examples of one of the activities in action  can be seen at unplugged activity - Thomas' Tangles.

The book comes out at the end of October 2016.




If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with

Northampton courses Top 20 for Computing

In the recently released Guardian League tables (http://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2016/may/23/university-league-tables-2017#S220) the Computing Course at the University of Northampton are in the Top 20 in the UK.

In the top 10 (out of 102) for Satisfied With Teaching

In the top 5 (out of 102) for Satisfied with the Course 

If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with

Teaching with NAO- social AI

NAO robots were used, in my teaching at least, to teach social AI for the first time this week. The session revolved around the using social cues and, to certain extent, using natural language through chatbots for us to communicate with machines.

The robots were used as an example of a social robot, and the way we want to play with or work with them without having to going through a steep learning curve on to use them. Students were encouraged to consider why this was and that anthropomorphisation plays a part (NAO basically has some of the characteristics of a small child). The fact that it responds to voice commands, its looks, has a childlike voice, that it always moving (even slightly including when it is standing) and the way it moves; were spotted by the group as ways it attracts us to it - it is really hard not to talk to it like a child sometimes (perhaps that is just me).

This activity was also included with the use of chatbots (one example used is shown above) and AIML, Artificial Intelligence Markup Language, (a link to more AIML is included below). The chatbots were used to show how we can create intelligent-like behave by in effect providing responses to questions. Followed by, how we then take this further by using the responses people give, while using the chatbot, to 'fine-tune' the model.

To read more about NAO robots go to https://www.aldebaran.com/en

To read more on AIML go to http://www.alicebot.org/aiml.html

Example chatbots

• ALICE http://alice.pandorabots.com/ (the one shown in the picture above).
• Mitsuku http://www.mitsuku.com/
• An example of an MSc student's work on Chatbots  http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/msc-student-work-chatbot-innovative.html

All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with

MSc Computing Projects 2013

A sample of the MSc Computing projects completed in 2013 at the School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton.

Investigation and Development of a Networking and Cyber Security Lab

Fungai P. Mundoma

For more details go to : http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/msc-student-work-investigation-and.html

MOBILE NETWORK SYSTEM FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT

OLATUNDE AYANLEYE 

For more details go to : http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/msc-student-work-mobile-network-system.html

Chatbot: an innovative approach towards learning and teaching process in today’s education system.

Poonam Bhatia

For more details go to: http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/msc-student-work-chatbot-innovative.html

Cloud Computing Infrastructure
Hang Xu

For more details go to: http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/msc-work-implementation-of-openstack.html

Interactive TV applied to internet broadcast media 

James Smith

For more information go to: http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/msc-dissertation-interactive-tv.html

The University of Northampton's, Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies offers five courses within the MSc Computing postgraduate provision (shown below) all available either part-time or full-time. 

• MSc Computing
• MSc Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• MSc Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Software Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Immersive Technologies)

opinion: Good time for teaching computer science

In the last few months there have been some changes to the suggested curriculum in schools that will be pleasing to those interested in Computing and what is being taught in UK schools.

With Computing added to the National Curriculum for England and Wales for Key Stage 1 to 3. The draft Curriculum (see http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/n/national%20curriculum%20consultation%20-%20framework%20document.pdf) on page 152-156 has Computer Science at its core and ICT  longer offered as an initial teacher training (ITT) teaching subject (see the UK Government's own website: Department of Education (2012) for more details). 

This "approach to rigorous computer science teaching in schools is supported by The British Computing Society (BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT), along with Microsoft, Google and Facebook" (Department of Education, 2012). Evidence of this is the BCS has partnered with the Teaching Agency to offer £20000 Teaching Scholarships (BCS, 2012). This scholarship scheme is backed by several large computing-related companies (including Microsoft, BT and Facebook)  "to be part of a range of activities that nurture future computer science Master Teachers who will lead innovation both within their own school and in collaboration with other schools"  BCS (2012)


The application form for the Teaching Scholarship can be found at: https://apps.bcs.org/Scholarship/


To take this further, there is ample evidence that Universities, including University of Northampton, are serious about helping schools with computing. For example:

• computing helps school (http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/computing-helps-school.html)
• computing students and public engagement skills (http://computingnorthampton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/computing-students-and-public.html);
• the junkbots project http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/.

To learn more about how The School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton can help schools contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk or stem@northampton.ac.uk


References
Department of Education (2012) "Become a computer science teacher" [online] URL: http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/subjects-age-groups/computer-science.aspx [accessed on: 16th February 2013].
BCS (2012) "Teaching scholarships" [online] URL: http://academy.bcs.org/scholarships [accessed on: 16th February 2013].

BSc and HND Computing Provision (click on the links below for more details of the courses)

• BSc (Hons) Computing (also available part-time)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Computer Systems Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Graphics and Visualisation)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Mobile Computing)
• BSc (Hons) Computing (Software Engineering)
• BSc (Hons) Computing - One Year Top-up
• BSc  Computer Games Development
• HNC Computing (part-time)
• HND Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• HND Computing (Computer Systems Engineering)
• HND Computing (Graphics and Visualisation)
• HND Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• HND Computing (Mobile Computing)
• HND Computing (Software Engineering) 
• HND Computing
• HND Computer Games Development

The University of Northampton's, Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies offers five courses within the MSc Computing postgraduate provision (shown below) all available either part-time or full-time. 

• MSc Computing
• MSc Computing (Internet Technology and Security)
• MSc Computing (Computer Networks Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Software Engineering)
• MSc Computing (Immersive Technologies)

What's is the problem with problem solving?

What is the problem with problem solving? on Prezi

Recent presentation:

Turner, S. and Al-Sherbaz, A. (2012) What's the problem with problem-solving? Seminar Presentation presented to: Insights into the future of learning and teaching at Northampton, University of Northampton, 3rd December 2012.