Dr Alan Howard

I can produce web and computer applications using the following languages and systems: php, VB, ASP (vbscript), java, fortran, ajax ( javascript), xml, html, access, mysql, apache and iis.

Research software outputs:

SCUM – simulation of cyanobacterial underwater movement. Windows application simulating movement of colonies in an impoundment and their physiological response to environmental factors. Under constant revision with latest version due in 2010.

Reservoir dynamics model for GMap Ltd & Government of Poland.

Numerous algal dynamics models with Mark Easthope and Basak Guven.

“Outreach”/teaching support:

Probability model predicting winner of Eurovision Song Contest. Featured widely (often negatively as it casts doubt on the popular myth that the contest outcome is dependent on political rather than musical activities).

Online GIS applications utilising OS Openspace and Microsoft Bing Maps. “My bingmap 2.0″ combines Web 2.0 technologies to provide insight in to world geography ‘in real time’.

Open Source teaching support applications (some discontinued) include:

Online survey creation software (1995-2000, now discontinued)
Online discussion and collaboration software (1995-2003, now discontinued)
Student intranet (e-distribution)
Online appointments
Online coursework submission management
IAMS – Interactive Assessment Management System

In their time, my discontinued applications and scripts were downloaded over 50,000 times from aspin.com and featured on the websites of many large companies and organisations. Producing the application is one thing but once they become widely used they become a challenge to hackers and maintaining security became too time consuming.

I am keen to utilise e-learning opportunities but have never been impressed by Blackboard.  The interface is unintuitive to many staff and students who are otherwise very computer literate. Some staff elect to create a website from scratch in preference. Platforms such as Wordpress and Ning provide an interface far more familiar to a generation addicted to facebook. The OpenSocial platform enables functionality to be added with ease.