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An Implementation of the UTAUT Model for Understanding Students’ Perceptions of Learning Management Systems: A Study Within Tertiary Institutions in Saudi Arabia (2019)
Journal Article
Alshehri, A., Rutter, M. J., & Smith, S. (2019). An Implementation of the UTAUT Model for Understanding Students’ Perceptions of Learning Management Systems: A Study Within Tertiary Institutions in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, 17(3), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.2019070101

The rapid growth of e-learning around the globe is inspiring various academic institutions to adopt it. Uptake is motivated by convincing benefits such as flexibility, accessibility and the management of course delivery and educational materials. In... Read More about An Implementation of the UTAUT Model for Understanding Students’ Perceptions of Learning Management Systems: A Study Within Tertiary Institutions in Saudi Arabia.

Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Are computing degree apprenticeships the answer? (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., Fabian, K., Berg, T., Meharg, D., & Varey, A. (2019, July). Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Are computing degree apprenticeships the answer?. Presented at Innovation & Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE’19), Aberdeen, Scotland

This paper describes a study investigating whether apprenticeship computing degrees in Scotland are attracting additional entrants who will become IT professionals and fill a skills need. Government policy reports, from around the world, set out plan... Read More about Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Are computing degree apprenticeships the answer?.

Statistical Assessment of Peer Opinions in Higher Education Rankings: The Case of U.S. Engineering Graduate Programs (2019)
Journal Article
Ghaisi, A., Fountas, G., Anastasopoulos, P., & Mannering, F. (2019). Statistical Assessment of Peer Opinions in Higher Education Rankings: The Case of U.S. Engineering Graduate Programs. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 11(3), 481-492. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-09-2018-0196

Unlike many other quantitative characteristics used to determine higher education rankings, opinion-based peer assessment scores, and the factors that may influence them, are not well understood. Using peer scores of U.S. colleges of engineering as r... Read More about Statistical Assessment of Peer Opinions in Higher Education Rankings: The Case of U.S. Engineering Graduate Programs.

"So far back, I'm anonymous": Exploring Student Identity using Photovoice (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Meharg, D., Cairncross, S., & Varey, A. (2018, October). "So far back, I'm anonymous": Exploring Student Identity using Photovoice. Presented at Frontiers in Education, San Jose, CA, USA

This Research Full paper presents empirical work focused on the transition experiences of transfer students into computing degrees in Scotland and seeks to understand the complex formation of identity from the student perspective. Drawing on [3]'s wo... Read More about "So far back, I'm anonymous": Exploring Student Identity using Photovoice.

Exploring women's motivations to study computer science (2019)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Smith, S., Sobolewska, E., Bhardwaj, J., & Fabian, K. (2018, October). Exploring women's motivations to study computer science. Presented at Frontiers in Education 2018, San Jose, CA, USA

This paper presents a study exploring women's decisions, influencers and early experiences of computing to better understand how women's motivations and prior experience affect their decision to study computer science (CS). The emergence of a gender... Read More about Exploring women's motivations to study computer science.

Who Is (Likely) Peer-Reviewing Your Papers? A Partial Insight into the World’s Top Reviewers (2019)
Journal Article
Pomponi, F., D'Amico, B., & Rye, T. (2019). Who Is (Likely) Peer-Reviewing Your Papers? A Partial Insight into the World’s Top Reviewers. Publications, 7(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications7010015

Scientific publishing is experiencing unprecedented growth in terms of outputs across all fields. Inevitably this creates pressure throughout the system on a number of entities. One key element is represented by peer-reviewers, whose demand increases... Read More about Who Is (Likely) Peer-Reviewing Your Papers? A Partial Insight into the World’s Top Reviewers.

Equality of opportunity for work experience? Computing students at two UK universities “play the game” (2019)
Journal Article
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Bacon, L., & Mackinnon, L. (2019). Equality of opportunity for work experience? Computing students at two UK universities “play the game”. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 40(3), 324-339. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2018.1489219

A recent UK Government commissioned study found concerning levels of unemployment among computing students from disadvantaged, black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The study highlighted that work experience was a factor in increased levels of gradu... Read More about Equality of opportunity for work experience? Computing students at two UK universities “play the game”.

The impact of work placement on graduate employment in computing: outcomes from a UK-based study (2018)
Journal Article
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, C., & Webster, G. (2018). The impact of work placement on graduate employment in computing: outcomes from a UK-based study. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 19(4), 359-369

This study followed recent computing graduates into the workplace and explored their undergraduate experiences of work placements and subsequent impact on graduate employment. Whilst studying at one of 14 Scottish universities, participants (n=99) ha... Read More about The impact of work placement on graduate employment in computing: outcomes from a UK-based study.

Graduate apprenticeships are great opportunities for individuals, but are they inclusive? (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Varey, A. (2018, December). Graduate apprenticeships are great opportunities for individuals, but are they inclusive?. Paper presented at Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) Annual Conference, Newport, Wales

Higher education-level apprenticeships can provide routes to university degrees for people without the financial resources for traditional degrees. In Scotland, the first cohorts of graduate apprentices began their studies in 2017, including cohorts... Read More about Graduate apprenticeships are great opportunities for individuals, but are they inclusive?.

"We're coming from different worlds" : exploring student identity during transition (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Meharg, D., Varey, A., & Cairncross, S. (2018, December). "We're coming from different worlds" : exploring student identity during transition. Presented at SRHE Newer and Early Career Conference 2018, Newport, Wales

This study presents empirical work examining the student journey from further to higher education in computing degrees in Scotland and seeks to understand the complex formation of identity, from the student perspective, during transition. In Scotlan... Read More about "We're coming from different worlds" : exploring student identity during transition.

Enhancing learning confidence for direct entry computing students (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Fabian, K., Taylor-Smith, E., Meharg, D., & Varey, A. (2018, December). Enhancing learning confidence for direct entry computing students. Paper presented at The Changing Shape of Higher Education: Can excellence and inclusion cohabit?, Newport, UK

Previous studies have shown that students who transfer into university from college (direct entrants) face several challenges when they enter university. In response, the Associate Student Project supports students who enter university directly into... Read More about Enhancing learning confidence for direct entry computing students.

How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this (2018)
Journal Article
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2018). How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this. Power and Education, 175774381881180. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757743818811801

In this article we argue a particular view of language underpins approaches to supporting students in Higher Education, and that this view facilitates neoliberalism. Universities worldwide have glossaries of terms such as 'describe' or 'discuss', and... Read More about How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this.

Research grounded support of student learning in Higher Education: The importance of dialogue and subject embedded, contextualised language and content. (2018)
Thesis
Richards, K. Research grounded support of student learning in Higher Education: The importance of dialogue and subject embedded, contextualised language and content. (Thesis). Edinburgh Napier University. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1532248

This aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how the research that has been conducted by the author, as illustrated through the publications presented, adds to the domain of academic support – specifically the theory and practice of academic support wit... Read More about Research grounded support of student learning in Higher Education: The importance of dialogue and subject embedded, contextualised language and content..

Crowdfunding Can Serve as a Pathway to Higher Education (2018)
Book Chapter
Romdhani, I., El Youssi, A., Al Mennai, M., Babah, E., & Yahya, R. (2018). Crowdfunding Can Serve as a Pathway to Higher Education. In M. Mohieldin, & D. Petkoski (Eds.), Financing Sustainable Development: Ideas for Action 2018 (43-49)

The Al-Derb platform provides a way for individual and group funding (crowdfunding) to help young people obtain grants for high-quality online education and training courses offered by universities and training centers. The availability of high-quali... Read More about Crowdfunding Can Serve as a Pathway to Higher Education.

From work-integrated learning to learning-integrated work: motivations and apprehensions of Graduate Apprentices (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, C., & Varey, A. (2018, June). From work-integrated learning to learning-integrated work: motivations and apprehensions of Graduate Apprentices. Presented at 3rd International Research Symposium on Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education (WACE), Stuttgart, Germany

Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) degrees bring new collaborations between universities and employers and new opportunities for apprentices—to gain a university degree, while also being in formal employment. In 2017, Scotland introduced funding for GAs: s... Read More about From work-integrated learning to learning-integrated work: motivations and apprehensions of Graduate Apprentices.

Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education (2018)
Journal Article
Tseng, P.-H., Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2018). Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education. Maritime Business Review, https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-07-2017-0020

English is a common language in the global shipping industry and many universities in non-English speaking countries in the world are now moving towards the use of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) to deliver their courses. Such a medium incre... Read More about Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education.

Developing entrepreneurial capabilities for the global labour market: A cross national study of IT students in the UK and Australia (2017)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Hamilton, M., Gribble, C., & Smith, S. (2017, December). Developing entrepreneurial capabilities for the global labour market: A cross national study of IT students in the UK and Australia. Paper presented at Society for Research in Higher Education SRHE

In Australia and the UK there is growing emphasis on ‘entrepreneurship’ in response to challenging economic circumstances. The current focus on developing ‘entrepreneurial’ capabilities in graduates is largely driven by stakeholder and societal desir... Read More about Developing entrepreneurial capabilities for the global labour market: A cross national study of IT students in the UK and Australia.

Towards graduate employment: exploring student identity through a university-wide employability project (2017)
Journal Article
Smith, S., Smith, C., Taylor-Smith, E., & Fotheringham, J. (2019). Towards graduate employment: exploring student identity through a university-wide employability project. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 43(5), 628-640. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877x.2017.1390077

Students have expectations of their university education leading to graduate careers, with universities investing considerable resources in institution-wide initiatives designed to enhance opportunities for student work placements and work-related le... Read More about Towards graduate employment: exploring student identity through a university-wide employability project.

In search of self-efficacy: development of a new instrument for first year Computer Science students (2017)
Journal Article
Bhardwaj, J. (2017). In search of self-efficacy: development of a new instrument for first year Computer Science students. Computer Science Education, 27(2), 79-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/08993408.2017.1355522

This study explores the changes in Computer Science (CS) students’ self-efficacy between entering study and the end of first year of university. It aims to give course leaders insights into the everyday challenges that affect students’ academic achie... Read More about In search of self-efficacy: development of a new instrument for first year Computer Science students.