Teaching

Teaching

My teaching at the Open University has had a particular focus on databases and the logical foundations of computing. I am currently chair of our final year module on data analysis, which aims to provide students with a holistic view of the data lifecycle, with the intention of providing them with the ability to use data to tell a story. This allows students to develop their critical skills and communication skills, by comparing different models and technologies in areas such as databases and machine learning. By using open datasets, the module also attempts to demonstrate to students the possibility of using open data to effect change in the world.

The main modules I have worked on recently are:    

• • Data management and analysis (Chair, 3rd year undergraduate)

  • Algorithms, Data Structures and Computability (2nd year undergraduate)

  • Relational Databases: Theory and Practice (3rd year undergraduate)

  • MSc Research Project and Dissertation (Chair, the final research project module for our various Computing MSc pathways).

The Open University is a remarkable institution, and those of us working there take great pride in the knowledge that many of our graduates would have had no possibility of higher education via traditional routes. For many others, study with the OU has been the best of way of using lifelong learning to gain the qualifications they've needed for their chosen career or other life choices.