Equality of opportunity for work experience? Computing students at two UK universities “play the game”
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...
Computing degree apprenticeships: An opportunity to address gender imbalance in the IT sector?
Conference Proceeding
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Fabian, K., Barr, M., Berg, T., Cutting, D., …Zarb, M. (2020)
Computing degree apprenticeships: An opportunity to address gender imbalance in the IT sector?. In 2020 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE44824.2020.9274144
This paper explores the potential for new work-based apprenticeship degrees to encourage more women into computing degrees and the IT sector. In the UK, women are currently un...
Placement or practicalities? Barriers and disincentives to work experience, as reported by computing students
Presentation / Conference
Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, S., & Smith, C. (2017, December)
Placement or practicalities? Barriers and disincentives to work experience, as reported by computing students. Paper presented at Society for Research Into Higher Education (SRHE) Annual Conference, Newport, Wales
Having relevant work experience, such as a placement or internship, is valued by employers in the technology sector and can improve employment outcomes for computing graduates...
From Interest to Decision: A Comparative Exploration of Student Attitudes and Pathways to Co-op Programs in the United States and the United Kingdom
Journal Article
Ramirez, N., Smith, S., Smith, C. F., Berg, T., Strubel, B., Ohland, M., & Main, J. (2016)
From Interest to Decision: A Comparative Exploration of Student Attitudes and Pathways to Co-op Programs in the United States and the United Kingdom. International Journal of Engineering Education, 32(5A), 1867-1878
Cooperative education programs (co-op) play a vital role in developing engineering and computing students’ applied technological skills and professional self-confidence. Never...
Supporting student transitions to placement and work: developing a new self-identity
Journal Article
Webster, G., Smith, S., & Smith, C. (2016)
Supporting student transitions to placement and work: developing a new self-identity. New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences, 11(1),
Moves towards the marketisation of higher education together with concerns over the challenges of graduate employment have led to an increased prioritisation of students under...
The impact of work placement on graduate employment in computing: outcomes from a UK-based study
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....
From work-integrated learning to learning-integrated work: motivations and apprehensions of Graduate Apprentices
Conference Proceeding
Smith, S., Taylor-Smith, E., Smith, C., & Varey, A. (2018)
From work-integrated learning to learning-integrated work: motivations and apprehensions of Graduate Apprentices. In Proceedings of the 3rdInternational Research Symposium on Cooperative and Work-Integrated Education, Stuttgart, Germany (199-207
Graduate Apprenticeship (GA) degrees bring new collaborations between universities and employers and new opportunities for apprentices—to gain a university degree, while also ...
An Implementation of the UTAUT Model for Understanding Students’ Perceptions of Learning Management Systems: A Study Within Tertiary Institutions in Saudi Arabia
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, accessi...
Visualising the future: surfacing student perspectives on post-graduation prospects using rich pictures
Journal Article
Berg, T., Bowen, T., Smith, C., & Smith, S. (2017)
Visualising the future: surfacing student perspectives on post-graduation prospects using rich pictures. Higher Education Research and Development, 36(7), 1339-1354. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1325855
The gradual commodification of higher education in the context of an increased focus on graduate employability attributes together with evolving labour markets is creating cha...
Exploring women's motivations to study computer science
Conference Proceeding
Smith, S., Sobolewska, E., Bhardwaj, J., & Fabian, K. (2019)
Exploring women's motivations to study computer science. In Proceedings of the Frontiers in Education 2018 Conference. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2018.8658768
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 affec...