EDUCATION, HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY

The influence of data, software and computation on the world is intensifying. The emergence of a dazzling range of digital technologies has fundamentally transformed many aspects of our political, economic, social and personal lives. Computer scientists are at the heart of these technologies and can have deep insight into how they affect and change the world – from theory to policy and practice.

Technocamps has made, and is making, technical contributions that are driving change, but also addressing questions such as these:

Education. What education in computing should we offer (i) to school and university students and teachers; (ii) to people working in businesses, public services and the professions, and (iii) to citizens?
History and heritage. What are the causes of changes? What are the inventions and innovations that are key to our current technologies, ambitions and concerns?
Philosophy. How do our technologies speak to classic, human philosophical problems of what we can know, what we can do, and who we are?

As an established programme within the computer science department at Swansea, we take a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to such questions, bringing together knowledge in fields as diverse as, e.g., mathematical logic, the theory of computation, software engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, global and local history, classical philosophy, philosophy of science and technology, social and media studies. Philosophical discourses about epistemology, ethics, identity, etc., underpin current debates and future speculations. Furthermore, our investigations of educational, historical and philosophical questions are often directed at the development of policies in the public and private spheres.

Since the establishment IT Wales, the pre-cursor of Technocamps, in the 1993, we have built up substantial facilities and courses for staff and students to develop their knowledge and awareness of complex issues. Most importantly, we have reached out to many sectors and citizens to investigate current practices, understand how they arose, and what are support and changes might be needed. The facilities include:

Technocamps, which provides a huge network of expertise focussing on school pupils, curricula, and professional support for teachers and businesses in Wales.
Institute of Coding (IoC) in Wales, a community of learners, businesses and educators creating new ways to develop the digital skills needed in the workplace and beyond.
History of Computing Collection (HoCC), which collects materials of all kinds to do with the development of computing and its social impact.

Further Information

This theme is jointly led by:

Professor John Tucker FLSW FBCS MAE (Computer Science, JVT).
Professor Faron Moller FLSW FBCS FIMA(Computer Science, FM).
Professor Tom Crick MBE FBCS FIET (Education, TC).

with support and contributions from computer scientists

and from the wider University community:

Edwin Beggs (Mathematics)
Sam Berry (Medicine)
Rhys Jones (Media)
Jo Thomas (Education)

Education - Computing

N C C Brown, S Sentance, T Crick, and S Humphreys, Restart: The Resurgence of Computer Science in UK Schools, ACM Transactions on Computer Science Education, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 1–22, 2014.
N C C Brown, M Kölling, T Crick, S Peyton Jones, S Humphreys, and S Sentance, Bringing Computer Science Back Into Schools: Lessons from the UK, in Proceedings of the 44th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2013), pp. 269–274, ACM, 2013.
C Ball, F Moller and R Pau. The Mindstorm effect: A gender analysis of the influence of LEGO Mindstorms in computer science education. In Proceedings of WiPSCE'12: Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education, Hamburg, November 2012.
T Crick, After the Reboot – Computing Education in UK Schools, ch. Computing Education: An Overview of Research in the Field. Royal Society, December 2017.
T Crick and G Beauchamp, Fframwaith Cymhwysedd Digidol: Rethinking digital competencies in the new Welsh curriculum, in British Education Research Association (BERA) Conference, 2017.

T Crick and F Moller. A national engagement model for developing computer science education in Wales. In Proceedings of 9th International Conference on Informatics in Schools (ISSEP 2016), pp. 1-12, 2016.

T Crick and F Moller. Technocamps: Advancing computer science education in Wales. In Proceedings of 10th International Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education (WiPSCE 2015), pp. 121–126, ACM Press, 2015.
T Crick and S Sentance, Computing At School: Stimulating Computing Education in the UK, in Proceedings of the 11th Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research, ACM, 2011.
J H Davenport, A Hayes, R Hourizi, and T Crick, Innovative Pedagogical Practices in the Craft of Computing, in Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Learning and Teaching in Computing and Engineering (LaTiCE 2016), 2016.
F Moller, Rebooting school computer science. Public Service Review 17: European Science & Technology, 2012.
F Moller and T Crick. A university-based model for supporting computer science curriculum reform. Journal of Computers in Education, Springer, 2018
F Moller and L O'Reilly, Formal methods for first years. In Proceedings of FWFM'13: Fun With Formal Methods Workshop, (affiliated with CAV’13: the 25th International Conference on Computer Aided Verification), Saint Petersburg, 20pp, July 2013.
E Murphy, T Crick, and J H Davenport, An Analysis of Introductory Programming Courses at UK Universities, The Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming, vol. 1(2), no. 18, 2017.
Simon, R Mason, T Crick, J. H. Davenport, and E. Murphy, Language Choice in Introductory Programming Courses at Australasian and UK Universities, in Proceedings of 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2018), pp. 852–857, 2018.

Education – Policy

T Crick, S Arthur, and J Hayward, The ICT Steering Group’s Report to the Welsh Government, September 2013. Available from: http://learning.wales.gov.uk/docs/learningwales/publications/ 131003-ict-steering-group-report-en.pdf.

T Tryfonas and T Crick, What skills will we need to live in future smart cities? UK Government Office for Science, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, August 2015. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ future-of-cities-smart-cities-citizenship-skills-and-the-digital-agenda.

Education – Research Methodology

T Crick, B A Hall, and S Ishtiaq, Reproducibility in Research: Systems, Infrastructure and Culture, Journal of Open Research Software, vol. 5, no. 1, 2017.T Crick, B A Hall, S Ishtiaq, and K. Takeda, “Share and Enjoy”: Publishing Useful and Usable Scientific Models, in Proceedings of the 7th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Utility and Cloud Computing, pp. 957–961, IEEE, 2014.

T Crick, B A Hall, and S Ishtiaq, “Can I Implement Your Algorithm?”: A Model for Reproducible Research Software, in 2nd International Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE2), 2014.

History of Technology

T E Rihll and J V Tucker, Greek Engineering. The Case of Eupalinos’ Tunnel, in A Powell (ed), The Greek World, Routledge, 1995, 402-431.

T E Rihll and J V Tucker, Practice makes perfect: processing materials in Classical Athens, in C Tuplin and TE Rihll (ed), Science and mathematics in ancient Greek culture, Oxford University Press, 2002, 274-305.

J V. Tucker, Robert Recorde and the History of Computing, Foreword to Jack Williams, Robert Recorde, Springer, 2011, pp.v-xi.

J V Tucker, Robert Recorde: data, computation and the Tudor knowledge economy, in G Roberts and F Smith (ed), Robert Recorde: Life and Work, University of Wales Press, 2012, 165-187.

J V Tucker, Richard Price and the History of Science, Transactions of the Honourable Society of the Cymmrodorion, New Series 21 (2017), 69-86.

Philosophy – Internet Studies

V Wang, J V Tucker and T E Rihll, On phatic technologies for creating and maintaining human relationships, Technology in Society, 33 (2011) 44-51.

V Wang and J V Tucker, Phatic technologies in modern society, Technology in Society, 34 (1) (2012) 84-93.

V Wang and J V Tucker, Phatic Systems in Digital Society, Technology in Society, 46 (2016) 140-148.

V Wang, K Haines and J V Tucker, Deviance and control in communities with perfect surveillance - The case of Second Life, Surveillance and Society, 9 (2011) (1/2) 31-46.

V Wang and J V Tucker, Deviance and cybercommunities: the case of Second Life, International Journal of Criminology and Sociological Theory, 6 (2013), No. 3, 29-42.

V Wang and J V Tucker, Surveillance and Identity: Conceptual Framework and Formal Models, Journal of Cybersecurity, 3 (3) (2017), 145–158.

V Wang, J V Tucker and K R Haines, Viewing cybercommunities through the lens of modernity – The case of Second Life, International Journal of Virtual Communities and Social Networking, 5 (2013) 75-90.

Philosophy – Physical Foundations of Computation

E J Beggs, J F Costa, D Pocas and J V Tucker, , On the power of threshold measurements as oracles, Giancarlo Mauri, Alberto Dennunzio, Luca Manzoni, and Antonio E. Porreca (eds), Unconventional Computation and Natural Computation, Proceedings 2013, Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Volume 7956, Springer-Verlag, 2013, 6–18.

E J Beggs, J F Costa, D Pocas and J V Tucker, An analogue-digital Church-Turing Thesis, International Journal for the Foundations of Computer Science, 25 (2014) 373-389.

E J Beggs, J F Costa and J V Tucker, Three forms of physical measurement and their computability, Reviews of Symbolic Logic, 7 (2014) 618-646.

E J Beggs, J F Costa, and J V Tucker, Unifying science through computation: Reﬂections on computability and physics, Chapter 4 in Olga Pombo, Juan Manuel Torres, John Symons, Shahid Rahman (eds.), Special Sciences and the Unity of Science. Essays in Honour of Otto Neurath, Series: Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science, Volume 24, Springer, 2012, 53-88.

E J Beggs, J F Costa, and J V Tucker, Computational models of measurement and Hempel's axiomatization, A Carsetti (ed.), Causality, meaningful complexity and embodied cognition, Theory and Decision Library, A 46, Springer-Verlag, 2010, 155-183.

E J Beggs, J F Costa and J V Tucker, Limits to measurement in experiments governed by algorithms, Mathematical Structures in Computer Science, 20 (2010) 1019-1050.

E J Beggs, J F Costa & J V Tucker, Axiomatising physical experiments as oracles to algorithms, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 28 (2012) 370, 3359-3384.

Editorships

History of Computing, Springer (JVT).
Scientists of Wales, University of Wales Press (JVT).
Frontiers in ICT (TC).

All three of the proposers have made substantial contributions, over a sustained period, to curriculum reform in Wales, especially for computer science and digital competencies:

National Digital Learning Council: TC member (2012-2016), FM expert adviser.
Welsh Government’s review of the ICT curriculum (2013): chaired by TC, FM on group.
UK Digital Skills Taskforce: TC member (2013-2014).
UK Forum for Computing Education, Royal Academy of Engineering (2013-2016): TC member for Wales.
Development of new Digital Competence Framework for all schools in Wales (2015-2016): chaired by TC, FM expert adviser.
National Network for Excellence in Science & Technology (NNEST), a £4m investment by the Welsh Government (2017-present): chaired by TC, FM member.
Development of new Science & Technology Area of Learning and Experience, Curriculum for Wales (2017-present): chaired by TC, FM and JVT expert advisers.
Review of vocation qualifications in the ICT sector by Qualifications Wales (2017-2018): TC/FM/JVT expert advisers.
Ongoing work with Qualifications Wales and Welsh Government to develop Digital Technologies programmes to replace ICT from school-level through to university.

Technocamps is involved in an endless stream of public engagement activities, as are all three proposers of this research theme. We highlight a few specific high-profile policy-defining engagements.

Civic Missions Wales: Connecting campus, community and the world, “Addressing the skills shortage in computer science education”, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, 25 October 2017 (FM).
Policy Forum for Wales: Next steps for developing the new National Curriculum for Wales, “Introducing the new Digital Competency and making the Welsh curriculum ready for the 21^st century”, chaired by the Shadow Minister for Environment and Energy, by 3 March 2016 (FM).
TC has extensive experience of public engagement and science communication (as recognised by his MBE in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours for “services to computer science and the promotion of computer science education”); he held a BSA Science Media Fellowship with BBC Wales in 2011; and he maintains a popular blog (https://proftomcrick.com/media).

Professor John V. Tucker:

Expert advisor to the National Science & Technology Curriculum Review Group.
Director of History of Science and Technology Programme, Learned Society of Wales.
Board Member Dictionary of Welsh Biography, National Library of Wales.
Board of South Wales Institute of Engineers Educational Trust.
Council of Royal Institution of South Wales.
Steering Committee of Academia Europaea UK Hub.
Curator of Swansea University History of Computing Collection.
Advisory Board of Oriel Science.

Professor Faron Moller:

Expert advisor to the National Science & Technology Curriculum Review Group.
Expert Advisor to the National Digital Learning Council.
Member of the National ICT Steering Group.
Member of the National Assembly for Wales Cross-Party Group on STEM.
Member of the WJEC and Qualification Wales Subject Development Groups for ICT and Computing Curricula.

Professor Tom Crick:

Vice-President of the BCS (Academy of Computing Trustee).
Elected Member, ACM Europe Council.
Chair of the National Network for Excellence in Science and Technology (NNEST).
Chair, Science & Technology Curriculum Reform, Welsh Government.
Co-chair of the Welsh Government’s ICT Steering Group.
Member of the National Assembly for Wales Cross-Party Group on STEM.
Chair of Computing At School (CAS) in Wales.
Member of the Welsh Government’s Review of Digital Innovation and the Future of Work.
Previously, two-term Trustee of the British Science Association and the Campaign for Science & Engineering.