Computing Education Research Perspectives

Speaker: Margaret Hamilton

Affiliation: RMIT University

Time: Wednesday 15/09/2021 from 11:00 to 12:00

Venue: Zoom Only

Zoom ID: 829 7148 2912 Password: 552898

Abstract: Computing education research can be viewed from many diverse perspectives. For those involved, it is always inclusive and engaging, while some may view it as little more than publishing a teaching practice piece. After hosting 3 Conventicles at RMIT (a conventicle is a one-day conference that aims to support academics researching and teaching in computing by providing an opportunity for sharing of ideas, discussion of research directions and development of collaborations), Margaret has established a small but persistent computing education research group at RMIT. From her vantage point of being in a newly-formed School of Computing Technologies, having broken away from the School of Science, Margaret will discuss the many projects in computing education currently being undertaken within her School and at College level. She will also discuss the central pivotal role which computing education research can play within the university, especially now in COVID-times when online education and digital innovation are key to the “new normal”.

Biography: Margaret Hamilton is a Professor at RMIT University in the School of Computing Technologies. Her key research areas are computing education, mobility and user experience. She is a Co-Editor-In-Chief of the ACM Inroads magazine which is distributed to the majority of tertiary computing education institutions in the US as well as higher education institutions worldwide. She has been chief Investigator on an ARC Linkage Grant, “An integrated and real-time passenger travel and public transport service information system”, an OLT Priority Project, 'Developing graduate employability through partnerships with industry and professional associations' and a SRHE grant “Developing entrepreneurial capabilities for the global labour market: A cross national study of IT students in the UK and Australia”. Margaret has worked with Mornington Peninsula Shire on a project: “Get Me To Class”, developing mobile apps, and was Lead Researcher on a Siemens Grant for “The greener office and classroom”. Margaret has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers in Computer Science & IT education and educational technology journals and conferences, been the first Supervisor of 12 completed PhDs and 11 in progress and has over 30 years’ experience in teaching programming and professionalism to tertiary students at TAFE and University, undergraduates and postgraduates.