Phil Barker

Learning Technology Adviser
Institute for Computer Based Learning,
School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences
Mountbatten Building
Heriot Watt University,
Edinburgh, EH14 4AS
T 0131 451 3278
F 0131 451 3327
E philb@icbl.hw.ac.uk

My main interests are supporting the use of learning technology at Universities, particularly through supporting the selection of appropriate resources. My main areas of work are standards for resource description and the evaluation of computer based resources for engineering and physical science education.

Currently I work coordinating the JISC CETIS metadata and digital repository domain work, and as an learning technology adviser for the HE Academy Engineering subject centre. Other recent projects include FAILTE and Reset and LearnEM, each relating to promoting the sharing of learning resources for Engineering.

History

I studied physics at Bristol, before doing a PhD and three years of research on polymer crystallization in the polymer physics group there. I then did one more year of research in that area at the CSIC in Madrid. While at Bristol, I enjoyed looking after the group's PCs, or trying to explain some interesting (I thought) physics to someone who may or may not have wanted to know. On returning from Spain I saw a job advertised at the CTI Centre for Physics which involved showing how computers can be used to explain physics, and I haven't looked back since.

I joined LTDI in September 1996 on a six month secondment as Implementation Support Consultant in Physics, Chemistry and the Physical Sciences in general. After this I went back to CTI-Physics Guildford but couldn't stay away for long: when LTDI got its fourth year of funding I came back to ICBL.

Work Calendar

Personal

Photos of Jamie, and some examples of his art.

Photos of Katie.