Jack Parkinson

I am a PhD student in the department of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow with a research focus on education in computing.

I graduated with a First Class MSci (Undergradute Master's) degree in Computer Science from the University of Glasgow in 2018. I also recieved an award for the most outstanding research project in the MSci cohort, a variation of which was published at the 2018 ICER Conference and went on to receive the Chair's Award. These recognitions of the potential impact of my work in the field of computing science education led me to pursue further research and begin my PhD in 2019.

My research is on spatial skills, specifically trying to determine why the interesting connection between one's spatial visualisation ability appears to correlate with success in computing exists. It is my belief that understanding the components of this relationship and how the connections manifest will reveal routes to open up computing to a more diverse pool of participants.

In addition to my research I have experience in Software Development from various roles in industry. A few of the projects I have been involved with are detailed on this site. If you see anything that interests you and would like to know more or are interested in speaking to me about other projects, please use the contact links below.

I am also passionate about Computing Science Education in general, and spend a lot of my time tutoring practical classes in computing. Moreover, I have made use of my experience by helping to set up, and participate in, the inaugural Tutor Representative roles for tutors in Computing Science at Glasgow.