Dr Ella Taylor-Smith

Biography	Centre for Higher Education Research (CHER) projects Council of Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC) funded project (PI) 2023 to 2024: Investigating and improving induction training for CS work-based learning workplace mentors, especially to ensure inclusion. Student Experience, 2022, ongoing. Exploring the perspectives and experiences of students in SCEBE (in the School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment). Graduate Apprenticeships, 2017, ongoing. Investigating graduate and degree apprenticeships in SCEBE and The Business school. Gender imbalance projects Ada Scotland Festival, Co-founded in 2020, ongoing. https://ada.scot/ Equate Scotland’s STEM champions: Edinburgh Napier staff champion for Equate Scotland’s stem champions. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) funded projects investigating ways to increase women and girls’ participation in computing, especially through role models and peer-mentoring: * Gender Imbalance in Digital Technology (2021) * and Role Models Framework Pilot (2021-22), the outcome of which is the Participant-Centred Planning Framework https://ada.scot/framework ; * Women into Tech (2021-22). SDS-sponsored collaborative studentship (DoS) 2022, ongoing. Gendered information landscapes and their impact on routes into and through apprenticeships. Centre for Computing Education Research (CCER): work placement projects Graduate Apprenticeships, 2017 to 2023. Investigating Graduate Apprenticeships in the School of Computing, especially the perspectives and contexts of the apprentices. Work Experience Joint Study, 2017. Joint study with University of Greenwich, exploring approaches to work experience, through student perceptions, focusing on the influence of economic, social and cultural capitals. Graduate Outcomes, 2016. Investigating the impacts and challenges of student placements, from the perspectives of computing graduates. GEP Identity, 2016. Exploring the outcomes of graduate employability projects on undergraduate students, within a theoretical framework focused on identity theory. * Centre for Computing Education Research: student transitions projects* Associate Student Project, 2016 to 2022. The Associate Student Project (ASP) supports students who study for diplomas in Further Education colleges then complete their degree at university, entering directly into second or third year. CfE Transitions Project, 2015 to 2016. Exploring the impact of secondary school curricula on the skills and experiences of School of Computing first year undergraduates. Centre for Social Informatics (CSI) projects Knitted Memes, 2017 (PI). Explored the emotional resonance of digital photos, shared via social media posts, in the context of local democracy. Participation Space Studies, 2011 to 2016 (Doctoral research). A socio-technical exploration of activist and community groups’ use of online and offline spaces to support their work. Research in Librarianship - Impact Evaluation Study, 2011. Investigated the influence of funded research on practice in UK library and information science (LIS). Funded by Library and Information Science Research Coalition. International Teledemocracy Centre (ITC) projects Hub Websites for Youth Participation (HUWY), 2009 to 2011 (PI of lead partner). Piloting tools and processes to support young people’s informed participation in policy-making around Internet governance. EU-funded project, with eight partner organisations across four countries, led by Edinburgh Napier. Western Balkans Democratic Participation (WebDep), 2007 to 2009 (PI). Working with Western Balkan news agencies and journalists’ unions to create online news portals and community forums, to support democratic renewal. EU Framework project. e-Participation Scotland Baseline, 2008 (PI). ESRC-funded event to find out about contemporary eParticipation work in Scotland. e-Democracy Services for Highland Youth Voice, 2000 to 2007. Working with Highland Council’s youth parliament to develop and evaluate online tools to support their work, including e-voting systems, discussion forums, and a content management system. e-Petitions projects, 2002 to 2009. Various projects to implement the ITC’s e-petitioner system and align its design and processes to the context of, for example: the Scottish Parliament, the German Parliament, English local councils. e-Engaging young Scotland on radioactive waste management, 2004. Funded by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) to pilot the use of online tools and games to support young people’s participation in discussions around radioactive waste management. e-Consultation: What sort of Scotland do we want to live in? 2001 to 2002. Commissioned by the Environment Group of the Scottish Executive to gather informed input from citizens and groups, to put forward within Scotland's contribution to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, 2002. Programme committees Social Media and Society (SMSociety) https://socialmediaandsociety.org/ EGOV-CeDEM-ePart (Merge of the IFIP WG 8.5 Electronic Government, the IFIP WG 8.5 IFIP Electronic Participation, and the Conference for E-Democracy and Open Government. http://www.egov-conference.org
Research Interests	Employability, work placements, and work-based learning Digital Skills Transitions into and through HE Exploring how people use online and offline spaces for democracy Participation and EParticipation Social Media Communities and networks Socio-technical approaches Themes: space, place, and identity

Biography

*Centre for Higher Education Research (CHER) projects*

Council of Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC) funded project (PI) 2023 to 2024: Investigating and improving induction training for CS work-based learning workplace mentors, especially to ensure inclusion.

Student Experience, 2022, ongoing. Exploring the perspectives and experiences of students in SCEBE (in the School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment).

Graduate Apprenticeships, 2017, ongoing. Investigating graduate and degree apprenticeships in SCEBE and The Business school.

*Gender imbalance projects*

Ada Scotland Festival, Co-founded in 2020, ongoing. https://ada.scot/

Equate Scotland’s STEM champions: Edinburgh Napier staff champion for Equate Scotland’s stem champions.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) funded projects investigating ways to increase women and girls’ participation in computing, especially through role models and peer-mentoring:
* Gender Imbalance in Digital Technology (2021)
* and Role Models Framework Pilot (2021-22), the outcome of which is the Participant-Centred Planning Framework https://ada.scot/framework ;
* Women into Tech (2021-22).

SDS-sponsored collaborative studentship (DoS) 2022, ongoing. Gendered information landscapes and their impact on routes into and through apprenticeships.

*Centre for Computing Education Research (CCER): work placement projects*

Graduate Apprenticeships, 2017 to 2023. Investigating Graduate Apprenticeships in the School of Computing, especially the perspectives and contexts of the apprentices.

Work Experience Joint Study, 2017. Joint study with University of Greenwich, exploring approaches to work experience, through student perceptions, focusing on the influence of economic, social and cultural capitals.

Graduate Outcomes, 2016. Investigating the impacts and challenges of student placements, from the perspectives of computing graduates.

GEP Identity, 2016. Exploring the outcomes of graduate employability projects on undergraduate students, within a theoretical framework focused on identity theory.

* Centre for Computing Education Research: student transitions projects*

Associate Student Project, 2016 to 2022. The Associate Student Project (ASP) supports students who study for diplomas in Further Education colleges then complete their degree at university, entering directly into second or third year.

CfE Transitions Project, 2015 to 2016. Exploring the impact of secondary school curricula on the skills and experiences of School of Computing first year undergraduates.

*Centre for Social Informatics (CSI) projects*

Knitted Memes, 2017 (PI). Explored the emotional resonance of digital photos, shared via social media posts, in the context of local democracy.

Participation Space Studies, 2011 to 2016 (Doctoral research). A socio-technical exploration of activist and community groups’ use of online and offline spaces to support their work.

Research in Librarianship - Impact Evaluation Study, 2011. Investigated the influence of funded research on practice in UK library and information science (LIS). Funded by Library and Information Science Research Coalition.

*International Teledemocracy Centre (ITC) projects*
Hub Websites for Youth Participation (HUWY), 2009 to 2011 (PI of lead partner). Piloting tools and processes to support young people’s informed participation in policy-making around Internet governance. EU-funded project, with eight partner organisations across four countries, led by Edinburgh Napier.

Western Balkans Democratic Participation (WebDep), 2007 to 2009 (PI). Working with Western Balkan news agencies and journalists’ unions to create online news portals and community forums, to support democratic renewal. EU Framework project.

e-Participation Scotland Baseline, 2008 (PI). ESRC-funded event to find out about contemporary eParticipation work in Scotland.

e-Democracy Services for Highland Youth Voice, 2000 to 2007. Working with Highland Council’s youth parliament to develop and evaluate online tools to support their work, including e-voting systems, discussion forums, and a content management system.

e-Petitions projects, 2002 to 2009. Various projects to implement the ITC’s e-petitioner system and align its design and processes to the context of, for example: the Scottish Parliament, the German Parliament, English local councils.

e-Engaging young Scotland on radioactive waste management, 2004. Funded by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) to pilot the use of online tools and games to support young people’s participation in discussions around radioactive waste management.

e-Consultation: What sort of Scotland do we want to live in? 2001 to 2002. Commissioned by the Environment Group of the Scottish Executive to gather informed input from citizens and groups, to put forward within Scotland's contribution to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, 2002.

*Programme committees*

Social Media and Society (SMSociety) https://socialmediaandsociety.org/

EGOV-CeDEM-ePart (Merge of the IFIP WG 8.5 Electronic Government, the IFIP WG 8.5 IFIP Electronic Participation, and the Conference for E-Democracy and Open Government. http://www.egov-conference.org

Research Interests

Employability, work placements, and work-based learning
Digital Skills
Transitions into and through HE
Exploring how people use online and offline spaces for democracy
Participation and EParticipation
Social Media
Communities and networks
Socio-technical approaches
Themes: space, place, and identity