Research Assistant/Associate in Computing Education (Fixed Term)

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 5 years.

We are looking for a Research Assistant/Associate to work on a new research project exploring the long-term impact of physical computing opportunities in primary education, starting in December 2023 (or as soon as possible thereafter). This project is funded by the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, the BBC and Nominet. The successful candidate will be based in the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre at the Department of Computer Science and Technology and supervised by Dr Sue Sentance. The aim is to investigate the impact of physical computing opportunities in primary education on longer- term technological self-efficacy, creativity and digital capital. The research project is aligned to the NextGen initiative (https: // www. bbc.co.uk/teach/microbit), which aims to equip children across the UK with digital skills

The Research Associate will conduct the day-to-day activities associated with the research project, including working with a cohort of young people and their parents and schools. They will develop the research instruments needed for the project, collect and analyse data throughout the projects, and draw on theoretical work and related literature to produce a range of academic and non-academic outputs reporting on the project.

Candidates will have completed a Ph.D. (or be close to completing it) in a relevant field such as computer science education, education, or computing and be able to demonstrate a strong track record of independent research and high- quality publications. Essential skills include qualitative and quantitative research methods, project management, and proven communication skills. Candidates should also be able to demonstrate experience of working in an educational setting, and some familiarity with UK educational systems.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

The Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre (https:// computingeducationresearch.org) is a joint initiative between the University and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It seeks to achieve long-term impact by conducting original research as well as working with its partners to turn new research results into practice. The candidate will work as part of the wider team and may have the opportunity to work in small teams on other related projects.

The Department of Computer Science and Technology is an academic department that encompasses computer science along with many aspects of engineering, technology and mathematics. We have a world wide reputation for academic research with consistent top research ratings. The Department has an open and collaborative culture, supporting revolutionary fundamental computer science research, strong cross-cutting collaborations internally and externally, and ideas which transform computing outside the University. Please follow the link at: https: // www. cst.cam.ac.uk to find out more about our Department.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), a covering letter in the Upload section of the online application, and a recent writing sample (maximum 10,000 words).

The closing date for this post is midnight on 30 November 2023. Interviews for shortlisted applicants will be scheduled shortly after the application close date. If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact Sue Sentance at [email protected]

Please quote reference NR39238 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Department of Computer Science and Technology, West Cambridge

£29,605-£44,263

NR39238

Research

2 November 2023

30 November 2023