Overview
I’m a software engineer and designer based in the UK. I love designing and developing high quality software products! I have a PhD in human-computer interaction from Newcastle University, and I have worked on a number of health care and education projects. I love getting involved at all stages of a product cycle, from user research to understand the needs and desires that underpin what we are trying to achieve, to building, deploying and maintaining the software solution, and back to the user research again to evaluate our success and refine our product.
Job history
Research Software Engineer, IDEA-FAST project, Newcastle University. March 2020 - June 2022
- I supported the design of a dashboard to help clinical staff monitor data collection during a large-scale international clinical study.
- I helped create an API (using FastAPI and Python) to supply the study dashboard with participant data.
- I helped to create an automated data pipeline to collect data from the various sensor manufacturer data repositories, to transform the data to meet project specifications, and to then deposit data in a central repository. This process was powered by Apache Airflow.
- I helped develop a system to evaluate the suitability of various wearable sensors for use in a large scale clinical study. The evaluation involved the assessment of usability and data integrity amongst other things.
Research Software Engineer, computer assisted language learning project, Newcastle University. December 2019 - June 2022
I created the ENACT multilingual web application that guides users through the process of authoring multimedia-rich learning resources. I achieved this by modifying and extending the H5P open-source library within a Drupal-based content management system. I developed design requirements following workshops with target users and with expert educator input.
Research Assistant, Newcastle University. September 2015 - December 2019
My responsibilities as a research assistant centre around designing, developing and delivering modern, dynamic and robust learning-focussed web applications. For example, I produced a learning analytics platform to help teachers monitor and measure student engagement with class activities, by creating a dashboard that displayed analysis of student data retrieved via Basecamp learning management system’s API.
Lecturer in Audio and Music, University of the Highlands and Islands, Perth Campus. July 2009 - September 2015
- Creating and delivering lecture content.
- Designing, delivering and marking assessments.
- Quality assurance in the form of internal verification work.
- Leadership responsibilities for the delivery of Higher Education modules.
- Personal academic tutor to first year students.
PhD Research
I conducted my studies within a human-computer interaction research group, based at the School of Computing, Newcastle University. My PhD explored how to design and develop technology to support learning around the creation of digital media artefacts. Adopting a design research methodology, I developed a web browser-based music remixing application and trialled various facets of its design with participants spanning primary school, secondary school, FE and HE students, as well as teachers, lecturers and active local musicians. I have presented findings concerning the user experience from this project at internationally recognised conferences.