Friday 30 August 2013

Associate Professor in Computing

Starting 1st September 2013 the Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies for three years will have an Associate Professor.

Dr Scott Turner has been seconded as Associate Professor majoring in Teaching and Learning and minoring in Research and Enterprise

Fellowships, Ambassador Roles, Professional Bodies

University Teaching Fellow
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Public Engagement Ambassador (http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/how-we-help/ambassadors/dr-scott-turner)
STEM ambassador (http://networking.stemnet.org.uk/users/82870)
Member of British Computing Society (also member of the local committee)
Member of Institute of Engineering and Technology
Member of Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
Member of Society for Research into Higher Education

Sample Publications (ORCID record)

Hill G and Turner S (2013) Electronic Online Marking Of Software Assignments (EOMOSA) CEISIE 2013 13th -14th May 2013 Milan
Turner S (2013) Junkbots HEA STEM: Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2013: Where practice and pedagogy meet 17 Apr 2013 - 18 Apr 2013
Al-Khalil AB, Al-Sherbaz A, Turner S (2013) Enhancing the Physical Layer in V2V Communication Using OFDM – MIMO Techniques 14th Annual PostGraduate Symposium on The Convergence of Telecommunications, Networking and Broadcasting (PGNET 2013) in Liverpool 24-25th June 2013.

Turner, S (2012) Case Studies in Web Sustainability Ariadne No 70 ISSN: 1361-3200
Maunder, R., Turner, S., Sneddon, S. and Crouch, A. (2012) Editorial. Enhancing the Learner Experience in Higher Education. 4(1), pp. 1-2. 2041-3122.
Turner, S. and Al-Sherbaz, A. (2012) What's the problem with problem-solving? Seminar Presentation presented to: Insights into the future of learning and teaching at Northampton, University of Northampton, 3rd December 2012.
Kariyawasam K., A., Turner S., Hill G. (2012) "Is it Visual? The importance of a Problem Solving Module within a Computing course", Computer Education, Volume 10, Issue 166, May 2012, pp. 5-7, ISSN: 1672-5913.
Hill G., Turner S. (2012) "Referencing within Code in Software Engineering Education!", Computer Education, Volume 10, Issue 166, May 2012, pp. 1-4, ISSN: 1672-5913.

Turner S (2011) "Enhancing the Sustainability of the East Midlands Knowledge Network: final Report " [online] URL:http://ie-repository.jisc.ac.uk/563/2/EMKN_final_report_output4337.doc accessed on: 6/12/2011.
Turner S (2011) Neural Nets Robotics Workshop. Bot Shop! University of Derby, 28th October 2011.
Hill G, Turner S (2011) Chapter 7 Problems First Software Industry-Oriented Education Practices and Curriculum Development: Experiences and Lessons edited by Drs. Matthew Hussey, Xiaofei Xu and Bing Wu. ISBN: 978-1609607975 IGI Global June 2011
Hill, G, Svennevik E, Turner S (2011) "Green Computer Science Courses. No more labs full of computers, we're going mobile!" The 7th China - Europe International Symposium on Software Industry Oriented Education (CEISIE 2011), University of Northampton 23-24th May 2011
Turner S (2011) "Junkbots" The 7th China - Europe International Symposium on Software Industry Oriented Education (CEISIE 2011), University of Northampton 23-24th May 2011
McGovern K, Mothersole P, Turner S (2011) "Influencing students' construction of personalised concept maps through the use of query expansion (QE) searching of the World Wide Web" Learning Global, University of Northampton 11th May 2011
Kariyawasam K and Turner (2011) "Is it Visual? problem solving evaluation" Learning Global,University of Northampton 11th May 2011
Goodchild T, Dravid R, Turner S (2011) "Mind the Gender Gap - Reflections on addressing gender diversity in Computing and Engineering" Learning Global,University of Northampton 11th May 2011
Wang, Y., Picton, P., Turner, S. and Attenburrow, G (2011) The Subjective Measurement of Leather Handle by Descriptive Sensory Analysis, Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association, Apr 2011 pp 134-139
Wang, Y., Picton, P., Turner, S. and Attenburrow, G (2011) Predicting Leather Handle like an Expert Artificial Neural Networks, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Volume 25, Issue 2 February 2011 , pages 180 - 192 ISSN: 0883-9514DOI:10.1080/08839514.2011.545218 pp 180-192.

Zhao F, Turner S, Hill G, Dravid R, Zhang Y (2010) A Virtual Environment Training System for Haptic Laparoscopic Surgery 16th International Conference on Automation and Computing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK, 11 September 2010
Turner S and Hill G (2010) "Innovative use of Robots and Graphical Programming in Software Education" Computer Education Ser. 117 No. 9 pp 54-57 ISSN: 1672-5913
Turner S (2010) "PowerPoint is just the start" Learning Dialogues: Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Northampton 13th May 2010
Turner S (2010) "Initial Experience of using Audio Feedback" Learning Dialogues: Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Northampton 13th May 2010

Turner S(2009) " PowerPoint, but what else?"10th Higher Education Academy-ICS Conference, University of Kent, 24-27th August 2009, pp 151 ISBN 978-0-9559676-6-5
Turner S (2009)"Initial experience of using audio feedback for general assignment feedback" A Word In Your Ear 2009 Sheffield Hallam University, 18 December 2009 pg 12
Turner S, Hill G, Adams J (2009) "Robots in problem solving in programming" 9th 1-day Teaching of Programming Workshop, University of Bath, 6th April 2009.
Turner S (2009) "Tiddlywikis for student developed resources" Transitions: Teaching and Learning Conference 13th May 2009 University of Northampton.

Turner S and Hill G(2008) "Robotics within the Teaching of Problem-Solving" ITALICS vol. 7 No. 1 June 2008 pp 108-119 ISSN 1473-7507 DOI:10.11120/ital.2008.07010108
Turner S (2008) "TiddlyWikis for Student Developed Resources" 9th Higher Education Academy-ICS Annual Conference, Liverpool Hope University, 26th August - 28th August 2008. pp. 192 ISBN 978-0-9559676-0-3.
Turner S and Adams J (2008) "Robots and Problem Solving" 9th Higher Education Academy-ICS Annual Conference, Liverpool Hope University, 26th August - 28th August 2008. pp. 14 ISBN 978-0-9559676-0-3.
Minai, A, Turner S, and Hill. G (2008) "Motivational Differences in Learning Internet Programming Between Arts and Computing Students" 9th Higher Education Academy-ICS Annual Conference, Liverpool Hope University, 26th August - 28th August 2008. pp. 197 ISBN 978-0-9559676-0-3.
Adams, J. and Turner, S., (2008) Problem Solving and Creativity for Undergraduate Computing and Engineering students: the use of robots as a development tool Creating Contemporary Student Learning Environments 2008, Northampton, UK.
Adams, J. and Turner, S., (2008) Problem Solving and Creativity for Undergraduate Engineers: process or product? International Conference on Innovation, Good Practice and Research in Engineering Education 2008, Loughborough, UK.
Adams, J., Turner, S., Kaczmarczyk, S., Picton, P. and Demian, P.,(2008). Problem Solving and Creativity for Undergraduate Engineers: findings of an action research project involving robots International Conference on Engineering Education ICEE 2008, Budapest, Hungary

Turner S and Hill G(2007) Robots in Problem-Solving and Programming 8th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, University of Southampton, 28th - 30th August 2007, pp 82-85 ISBN 0-978-0-9552005-7-1
Wang, Y., Picton, P, Turner, S. and Attenburrow, G.,(2007) A Neural Network Approach to Investment the Objective and Subjective Measurements of Leather Handle, in Proceedings of the AI-METH, 2007: p. 241-246.
Turner S (2007) Developing problem-solving teaching material based upon Microsoft Robotics Studio. 8th Annual Conference of the Subject Centre for Information and Computer Sciences, University of Southampton, 28th - 30th August 2007 pp 151 ISBN 0-978-0-9552005-7-1
Turner S (2007) Developing problem-solving teaching materials based upon Microsoft Robotics Studio. Innovative Teaching Development Fund Dissemination Day 1st March 2007 Microsoft:London
Salamaliki-Simpson, R., Kaczmarczyk, S., Picton, P., Turner, S(2006), The Vibration Study of Non-Linear Interactions in a Moving Elevator Car-Suspension Rope System. Proceedings of the Symposium on the Mechanics of Slender Structure (MoSS 2006), 28 - 29 September 2006, Northampton , Paper #10, CD-ROM.
Salamaliki-Simpson R, Kaczmarczyk S, Picton P, Turner S (2006) Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Modern Practice in Stress and Vibrational Analysis, Bath U.K
Salamaliki-Simpson R, Kaczmarczyk S, Picton P, Turner S (2006) Non-Linear Modal Interactions in a Suspension Rope System with Time-Varying Length Journal of Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 5-6 pp 217-224 ISSN 1660-9336
Turner S and Hill G (2006) The Inclusion Of Robots Within The Teaching Of Problemsolving: Preliminary Results Proceedings of 7th Annual Conference of the ICS HE Academy Trinity College, Dublin, 29th - 31st August 2006 Proceedings pg 241-242 ISBN 0-9552005-3-9
Prince K, Campbell J, Picton P, Turner S (2005) A computational model of Acute Pain International Journal of Simulation: Systems, Science and Technology Vol. 6 No. 9 pp 1-10 ISSN 1473-8031.
Prince K, Campbell J, Picton P, Turner S (2005) A computational model simulating how pain modulation can occur through transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) International Conference on Computer Science & Information Systems Athens, Greece, June 15-18, 2005
Salamaliki-Simpson, R., Kaczmarczyk, S., Picton, P., Turner, S.(2005) The Dynamics and Vibration of an Elevator Car- Suspension Rope System. Proceedings of the Twelfth International Congress on Sound and Vibration, Lisbon, Portugal, 11-14 July 2005, Paper 303, CD-ROM, pp. 1-8.
McIntyre M and Turner S (2004) Learning to Teach at a Distance International Conference on Engineering Education Gainesville, 16-21 October 2004
Prince K, Campbell J, Picton P, Turner S (2004) A Model of acute Pain Magdeburg, Germany, 13-16 June 2004
Terumichi Y, Kaczmarczyk S, Turner S, Yoshizawa M, Ostachowicz W (2003) Modelling, Simulation and Analysis Techniques in the Prediction of Non-stationary Vibration Response of Hoist Ropes in Lift Systems Proc. 5th International Conference on Modern Practice in Stress and Vibration Analysis September University of Glasgow, UK, 9-14 September 2003 pp 497-504
Turner SJ, Picton PD, Campbell JA (2003) Extraction of short-latency evoked potentials using a combination of wavelets and evolutionary algorithms Medical Engineering and Physics June Vol. 25 pp. 407-412.
Terumichi Y, Kaczmarczyk S, Turner S, Yoshizawa M, Ostachowicz W (2003) Modelling, Simulation and Analysis Techniques in the Prediction of Non-stationary Vibration Response of Hoist Ropes in Lift Systems Materials Science Forums Vol. 440-441 pp 497-504
Turner SJ, Triastuti E, Crockett RGM, Picton PD, Crockett AC (2002) Intelligent Techniques for Detecting Estimated and Falsified Numerical Data Proc. 6th Conference of the Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics (SCI'2002) Orlando, Florida USA, July 14-18 2002 pp. 445-450, IIIS, Eds. Callaos N, Leng T, Sanchez B, ISBN 980-07-8150-1.
Crockett RGM, Crockett AC and Turner SJ (2001) 'Base-Number Correlation': a new technique for investigating digit preference and data heaping. Journal of History and Computing Vol. 13 No 2 pg 161-180 ISSN 0957-0144
Picton PD, Campbell JA, Turner SJ (2001) Modelling Chronic Pain: An Initial Survey 8th International Conference on Neural Information Processing Shanghai, China.
Turner SJ, Crockett RM, Picton PD, Triastuti E (2001) Genetic Algorithms for Simulating Counting Behaviour 19th Biennial Conference on Numerical Analysis Dundee.

Turner SJ, Picton PD, Campbell JA (2000) Use of Evolutionary Algorithms to Enhance the Extraction of Short Latency Evoked Potentials 4th Conference of the Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics (SCI'2000) Orlando, July 23-26 pp. 641-643.
Turner SJ, Picton PD, Campbell JA (1999) Selecting Filter Banks to Enhance Evoked Potentials Recordings Using Evolutionary Algorithms Eds. Poli R, Voigt HM, Cagnoli S, Corne D, Smith GD, Fogarty TC Evolutionary Image Analysis, Signal; Processing and Telecommunications May Lecture Notes Springer -Verlang 1596 pp 101-110.
Campbell JA, Turner S, Picton P (1999) Filter selection for evoked potentials using genetic algorithm techniques Eds. Moglia A, Zappoli F, Sirabella G Atti del VII Meeting Invernale di Scienze Neurologiche 8-12 February pp 15-25.
Turner S, Campbell J, Picton P (1997) Improved Signal to noise ratio in somatosensory Evoked potentials 3rd Annual National Conference of the IPEM 2-4 September, Dundee pp.161.
Abel EW, Forster A, Farrow TL, Turner S (1994) Cepstral Analysis of the EMG Interference Pattern Extending the Spectrum: IPSM & BES 1st Joint Annual Scientific Conference 14-16 September, University of Keele pp. 159

Editorial Board Membership

Sunday 25 August 2013

6th Form students working with professional scientists - University of Northampton

sixth-form-students-spend-their-summer-holidays-working-with-professional-scientists-at-the-university-of-northampton

Sixth Form students spend their summer holidays working with professional scientists at the University of Northampton

Thursday 22nd August 2013

Sixth Form students have had the opportunity to work alongside professional scientists at the University of Northampton on a research project as part of the Nuffield Research Placements programme.

The six students were from schools across the county and spent six weeks at the University’s School of Science and Technology, gaining hands-on experience and a valuable insight into a professional research environment. The University has been actively involved with this programme for several years and it is part of the School of Science and Technology’s larger commitment to outreach.

The participants included Sheldon Kawonga from Kettering Science Academy, Emmanuel Hlouverakis and Hafiz Alaraf both from The Duston School, Agota Geciauskaite from Malcolm Arnold Academy, James Adams from The Northampton Academy and Phillipa Hawkley from Brooke Weston Academy. All were invited to give presentations on their individual projects, which varied from building a mobile device app to investigating the sensitivity of magnetic particle inspection technique.

Nuffield Research Placements provides 1,000 students each year with the opportunity to work alongside professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) sector. The programme is open to students on the first year of a post-16 STEM course and placements are available across the UK in universities, commercial companies, voluntary organisations and research institutions.

One of the students, Phillipa Hawkley, said: “I found this experience to be really good as we got to use facilities that we don’t have at school and the chance to use this software puts us above others our age and will really help with university applications.”

James Adams said: “It’s been a good experience, especially from a software developer’s point of view, as I’ve never had the experience of developing something based on someone else’s specifications.”

Dr Abdeldjalil Bennecer, Senior Lecturer in Engineering at the University of Northampton commented: “The sixth form students are about to enter the second year of their A-levels and have spent six weeks over the summer with us working on individual projects.

We held interviews with each student and the ones we offered places to were the brightest in their class and expressed an interest in STEM subjects at university level. We tailored the project briefs to suit their interests.

It's been a beneficial few weeks for these students and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with them and giving them the ultimate experience of working with professional scientists."

Related links:

Nuffield Bursary student 1 - Web sustainability

Junkbots - Nuffield Bursary Placement: Day 16 - Modelling and tying up loose ends!

Junkbots - Nuffield Bursary Placement: Day 15 - Designing the Programming Project

Robots, junk and 3D

Friday 16 August 2013

BSc Computing: Sample student robot videos

Some example videos of student work with robots

First year problem-solving exercise

Third year AI assignment

Computing Courses

BSc and HND Computing Provision (click on the links below for more details of the courses)

The University of Northampton's, Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies offers five courses within the MSc Computing postgraduate provision (shown below) all available either part-time or full-time.

The contents are the opinion of the author(s) and not necessarily the view of the University of Northampton.

Thursday 15 August 2013

update: Review of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) applied to corrosion monitoring

S Mabbutt, P Picton, P Shaw and S Black (2012) Review of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) applied to corrosion monitoring J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 364 012114 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/364/1/012114

To read the paper go to: http://iopscience.iop.org/1742-6596/364/1/012114/pdf/1742-6596_364_1_012114.pdf

Abstract:The assessment of corrosion within an engineering system often forms an important aspect of condition monitoring but it is a parameter that is inherently difficult to measure and predict. The electrochemical nature of the corrosion process allows precise measurements to be made. Advances in instruments, techniques and software have resulted in devices that can gather data and perform various analysis routines that provide parameters to identify corrosion type and corrosion rate. Although corrosion rates are important they are only useful where general or uniform corrosion dominates. However, pitting, inter-granular corrosion and environmentally assisted cracking (stress corrosion) are examples of corrosion mechanisms that can be dangerous and virtually invisible to the naked eye. Electrochemical noise (EN) monitoring is a very useful technique for detecting these types of corrosion and it is the only non-invasive electrochemical corrosion monitoring technique commonly available. Modern instrumentation is extremely sensitive to changes in the system and new experimental configurations for gathering EN data have been proven. In this paper the identification of localised corrosion by different data analysis routines has been reviewed. In particular the application of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) analysis to corrosion data is of key interest. In most instances data needs to be used with conventional theory to obtain meaningful information and relies on expert interpretation. Recently work has been carried out using artificial neural networks to investigate various types of corrosion data in attempts to predict corrosion behaviour with some success. This work aims to extend this earlier work to identify reliable electrochemical indicators of localised corrosion onset and propagation stages.

To read the paper go to: http://iopscience.iop.org/1742-6596/364/1/012114/pdf/1742-6596_364_1_012114.pdf

Related postings:
PREDICTING LEATHER HANDLE LIKE AN EXPERT BY ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS
Subjective Measurement of Leather Handle

Saturday 10 August 2013

Computing at School: Junkbots project

Details of the Junkbots project lead from the Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies, University of Northampton and outline teaching material can now be found at Computing At School website or CAS Online | Junkbots project

Computing at School is an organisation that aims to promote the teaching of Computing at school and is a partnership of the BCS, industrial partners. For more details go to: http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/index.php?id=about-us

For more details on the project contact - Scott Turner

Monday 5 August 2013

3D, immersive, virual reality, human body experience

It's the first time in the UK that a 5-sided active Cube will have been used to educate students about human anatomy.

Taken from Northampton Academy students to visit University for 3D human body experience Friday 5th July 2013

Pupils from Northampton Academy will be visiting the University of Northampton's School of Science and Technology at Avenue Campus on 8 July to investigate the human body.
The event will be led by University health ambassadors, and consist of two different workshops alongside a 3D experience at NVision, the UK's leading immersive 3D visualisation centre based at Avenue Campus.

James Powell, Manager of NVision explains: "Students attending the event will be able to experience and learn about the human anatomy via the deployment of Virtual Reality technology. The University's NVision department has created 3D stereoscopic content that will enable students to step into the immersive Cube housed at the Newton building and come face to face with life size 3D virtual humans. Students will be able to explore the virtual reality humans (both male and female) and see skin layers removed to reveal muscle structures, internal organs, blood vessels, lymph system, nerve system and skeletal structure. It's the first time in the UK that a 5-sided active Cube will have been used to educate students about human anatomy.""

'via Blog this'

Sunday 4 August 2013

Second International Symposium on Intelligent Informatics (ISI’13)

Scott Turner, a member of the Department of Computing and Immersive Technologies, recently acted as a member of the Technical Programme Committee for the forthcoming Second International
Symposium on Intelligent Informatics (ISI’13), August 23–24, 2013, Mysore, India.

Edited proceedings of the symposium are to be published as Vol. 235 of Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing published by Springer.

For details of the conference go to: http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/bfm%3A978-3-319-01778-5%2F1.pdf

Full programme can be found at: http://icacci-conference.org/site/sites/default/files/program.pdf

Friday 2 August 2013

video tools and machinima for animations

I was challenged to find come up to produce a video welcome message for a module, the problem is I dislike appearing in a video - I tend to use an avatar in place of a picture of myself.

Here are two example video introductions using two different tools.

Example 1: Photostory 3
A free piece of software (http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=11132) that takes photos and allows you to add narration, music and some effects. Moviemaker software will do in it's place.

The module was a MSc Computing dissertation module giving a short overview of the module.

Example 2 and 3: Machinima
A second approach was to use a package that allows you to guide/direct a character, scripting what they say, etc. The package used was an early version of Moviestorm (newer educational version can be found here) it allows you to 'direct' the character and save me having to appear in it!

This module is an introduction to artificial intelligence module.

The second one is an introduction to a problem solving and programming module.

Placed inside a VLE:

Ok, they were done as a couple of experiments and a bit a fun; but are worth a play with.

Computing Courses

BSc and HND Computing Provision (click on the links below for more details of the courses)

The contents are the opinion of the author(s) and not necessarily the view of the University of Northampton.

The machinima software can also be found at: