New Landmark: Over 100 000 Page Views

This blog has recently reached a landmark - over 100,000 page views.

So, thank you to everyone has provide information for this blog.


If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with

Computing at School Resource: Lego Junkbot

Details of the LEGO Junkbot (combining the control of LEGO Mindstorm NXT with Junkbots) can now be found on the Computing At School (CAS) website: http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/3399


The idea behind the LEGO Mindstorms Junkbots is to bring together the motors of the LEGO and use them to power the robot which is otherwise created from junk. The key aims of the project are; - To give children at a KS2 primary school level an insight into what can be achieved through the use of simple programming. - To provide a fun and engaging activity for children to be creative and design their own robots. - To use the robots and programming software to achieve basic movements of the Junkbots.
The original junkbots project combined the idea of using motors and vibrations to move the bots with limited control however the new project uses the idea of programming to add a further element of control and as such the simplicity of the self contained NXT device was decided upon as a branch of this.
Aiming the project at KS1 and KS2 gives the opportunity to introduce basic programming from a young age and demonstrate just one of the interesting possibilities that comes from it.


Developed by Hayden Tetley and Scott Turner. Hayden’s time was paid for through the Nuffield Research Placements Scheme (http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffield-research-placements).





If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with.

Computing at School Resources: Raspberry Pi Junkbot

Details of the Raspberry Pi Junkbot are now available as resource on the Computing at Schools site.

Link: http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/resources/3390

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk


If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with

BCS Northampton: IT Service Management - Putting the theory into practice

21st April 2015 - IT Service Management - Putting the theory into practice

Location: Room NW205 in The Newton Building, Avenue Campus, University Of Northampton, NN2 6JD

Presenters: Karl McCarthy 

Duration 19:00 for 19:30 - 21:00

So, How relevant is traditional IT service management based on the ITIL framework today, with the advent of cloud computing and Software as a Service? Why is IT Service Management Important and how can it be practically applied; from military operational enterprise IT solutions to SME SaaS organisations?

Karl McCarthy will present a personal view on the practical application of the ITIL V3 framework for IT Service Management. With a particular look at IT Service Management use in a deployed Military Environment (for the full spectrum of support required in deployed operations) vs. an ITIL Lite application within the SaaS environment.

Karl McCarthy is the Head of UK Service Delivery for White Clarke Group in Milton Keynes, leading the professionalisation of the ITIL processes and framework for the organisation. Karl is a seasoned Information Systems (IS) and Communications Technology executive experienced in leading IS professionals, security minded architecture strategy and projects for the successful delivery of operations in the most demanding, hostile environments. A Chartered IT Professional and Fellow of the BCS with experience developed over a 25-year career as an Engineer and Officer in the Royal Air Force.

How to find Avenue Campus

If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with

Games for Careers

Providing Career Guidance to Adolescents through Digital Games: A Case Study
I. Dunwell, P. Lameras, S. de Freitas, P. Petridis, M. Hendrix, S. Arnab, K. Star, 

International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), 

volume 4(4), pp. 1-18, 2014.

DOI: 10.4018/ijgbl.2014100104

Abstract

In an evolving global workplace, it is increasingly important for graduates and school-leavers to possess an understanding of the job market, their relevant skills, and career progression paths. However, both the marketplace and career paths are becoming increasingly dynamic, with employees more frequently moving between sectors and positions than was the case for previous generations. The concept of a “job for life” at a single organization is becoming less prevalent across sectors and cultures. In such a context, traditional approaches to career guidance, which often focused upon identifying a suitable occupation for adolescents at an early stage and establishing a route towards it, are being challenged with the need to communicate the value of transferrable skills and non-linear progression paths. This article explores the role digital games might play in allowing learners to develop these skills as part of a wider careers guidance programme. Through a case study of the “MeTycoon” serious game, the potential reach of such games is discussed, with 38,097 visits to the game’s website, and 408,247 views of embedded educational videos. An online survey of players (n=97) gives some insight into their opinions of the game’s impact and appeal, with positive comments regarding the design of the game and its emphasis on creating an enjoyable gaming experience whilst providing educational content.

Sample of the paper: http://www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=121794&ptid=91477&t=providing+career+guidance+to+adolescents+through+digital+games%3a+a+case+study

If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with

Rating for Serious Games

A Rating Tool for Sharing Experiences with Serious Games 

M. Hendrix, P. Backlund, B. Vampula, 

International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), 

volume 4(4), pp. 1-18, 2014.

DOI: 10.4018/ijgbl.2014100101

Abstract:

The potential of Computer Games for non-entertainment purposes, such as education, is well established. A wide variety of games have been developed for the educational market, covering subjects such as mathematics and languages. However, while a growing industry developing educational games exist, the practical uptake in schools is not as high as one would expect, based on current evidence of their effectiveness. The EduGameLab project investigates causes and solutions to the relatively low level of uptake in European schools. This paper describes a rating tool for sharing experiences about educational games among educators and parents, developed in the EduGameLab project. The ambition is that sharing knowledge about how games can be used in practice will stimulate practical use and acceptance. The development of this tool is based on a metadata schema for formally describing serious games and experiences with these games.

DOI: 10.4018/ijgbl.2014100101

Sample of the paper: http://www.igi-global.com/viewtitlesample.aspx?id=121791&ptid=91477&t=A%20Rating%20Tool%20for%20Sharing%20Experiences%20with%20Serious%20Games

If you'd like to find out more about Computing at the University of Northampton go to: www.computing.northampton.ac.uk. All views and opinions are the author's and do not necessarily reflected those of any organisation they are associated with