Research output per year
Research output per year
Ellen Wilkinson Building, Oxford Road
M15 6JA Manchester
I am a Senior Lecturer in Digital Education at the Manchester Institute of Education (MIE). My research focuses on digital technology’s role in the future of education, in particular, how this can help to address educational disadvantage and support effective dialogue and communication. I co-lead the Digital Technology, Communication and Education Research and Scholarship group at the University of Manchester. I have also been an Editor of the British Journal of Educational Technology (BJET) since 2020.
I am Principal Investigator (PI) of two large projects exploring digital technology’s role in personalising learning and assessment. This work is undertaken in partnership with technology experts and the global EdTech Hub team, which is investigating how culturally appropriate uses of technology can lead to better learning outcomes for children in low-income countries. Launched in 2019, the Hub is the world's biggest educational technology research initiative. Currently taking place in Kenya, this work integrates design-based research and randomised control trial methodologies and involves several thousand learners aged 4-8 years old.
Prior to joining MIE, I worked as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge (Faculty of Education: 2013-21). I was also Principal Researcher and co-founder of the Digital Education Futures Initiative (DEFI) established in 2020. Examples of my previous research includes as:
Examples of my other work includes investigating the role of tablet computers in schools and the use of digital video to support teacher professional development.
My PhD (Computer Science) involved evaluating the effectiveness of digital tools to support the learning of computer programming. I have also worked as a Research Assistant for the Lifelong Learning Network (based at Staffordshire University: 2009-11) and Sessional Lecturer and Teaching Assistant at Keele University (2009-13).
I am part of the MA Digital Technologies, Communication and Education (DTCE) teaching team at MIE.
During the 2022/23 Academic Year, I will be teaching mainly on the new 'Digital Education Research' module.
I would welcome informal contact from prospective doctoral students with research interests very closely aligned to the areas outlined above (e.g., a strong focus on educational disadvantage, educational dialogue/communication and/or digital personalised learning). Please send a full CV and proposed research plan that clearly demonstrates links to these areas. Information about potential postgraduate research funding at The University of Manchester is available online.
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Doctor of Philosophy, PhD Computer Science, University of Keele
2009 → 2013
Master of Science, Information Technology, University of Keele
2008 → 2009
Bachelor of Arts, Law & History, University of Keele
2005 → 2008
Editor, British Journal of Educational Technology (BJET)
2020 → …
Fellow, The Higher Education Academy
2018 → …
Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review