What am I studying for the next two years?

I got asked for my Ph.D elevator pitch the other day when talking with colleagues at CEMP:


So what is mine? Well, the idea is to evolve an artefact (artifact for my American chums) that allows us to research really young children's (think pre-school, pre-notational) understanding of computer science before they come slamming up against it in the National Curriculum.  Teachers are worried enough about teaching it, and although we know children can understand it (think back to Papert in 1980), who's helping them to show their understanding?  Now I'm not proposing that toddlers will be banging out a few hundred lines of Ruby on Rail between episodes of Peppa Pig, but it would make their teacher's lives a bit easier if they knew what a greater than or less than did when playing with their toys before they're asked to explain an algorithm at age seven.

The really exciting bit is how we capture and synthesise the data.  Think pattern and colour matching and smartphone cameras (or Google Glass?!) which sets up an interactive 'code play' area where the children's toys (or even themselves) become part of the program. Watching and recording their learning and then recognising their learning styles could be immensely powerful and insightful.  Back many years ago, we used to let children program themselves by putting a cardboard box over their heads.  The amazing thing was how much more careful, considered and cognitive their play became - after all  you don't want to send your sister stumbling into the village pond, no matter how much you think she eats spiders.

Ph.D Progress!

My doctorate at CEMP in Bournemouth seems to be gathering momentum.  I've just handed in my initial review which is a great milestone to get out of the way, and my supervisors seem happy.  The last month was more of a headache than the previous months as I went round in circles (infinite loops) with methodology and research methods.  It seems some doctoral students take to this side of their Ph.D easier than others, and I didn't take to it that easily if I'm honest.  It's one of those things that you spend hours reading, writing, iterating (that sounds like action inquiry doesn't it?) and end up with far too much stuff, which your supervisors then ask you to rip back to the bones.  I spose 'growing up' at Ultralab always stuck me in a mentality of wanting and trying to be ahead of the curve, whereas this part of my studies involves grounding myself in existing research.

One of the best things about my studies so far has been working with and talking to my fellow students at CEMP.  What a bright bunch they are - no wonder many of them are wondering what to do post doctoral study, they've all loved doing their research so much.