Norman Powell

Experience

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  University of Bradford

  Jan 1994 - Jan 1999

  Post-Doctoral Research Assistant

  I have been closely involved with a Centre of Excellence in Objective Measurement and Innovation Technologies (COMIT), in the fields of textiles, clothing and retailing. I have lectured at industrial training sessions and introduced Objective Measurement equipment, through demonstration, to industry and students. All research projects have had industrial collaborators and I have been involved in steering committee meetings. The Objective and Aesthetic Properties of FabricsI have been involved in a variety of research projects, principally involving the combination of objective, low stress mechanical, properties of fabric and their more subjective aesthetic properties of handle and drape. This has involved developing measuring equipment, controlling software, numerical and analytical models, exploiting statistical and artificial intelligence analysis techniques. A feature of this has been the development of a variety of software tools in a variety of languages. Show less

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  Durham University

  Jan 1994 - Jan 1994

  Research Assistant

  Measuring the Friction Factor of Explanted Charnley Artificial Hip JointsThe friction factor of explanted artificial hips was measured as part of a wider study in which the causes of hip joint failure were being investigated.

• 

  Heriot-Watt University

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

  Lecturer

  My duties here included the re-establishment of the laboratory that was relocated from Bradford and the continuation and development of the projects that were initiated there, see details of previous appointment.

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  University of Bradford

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2002

  Post-Doctoral Research Assistant

  Centre for Objective Measurement and Innovation Technologies: COMIT IIWorking closely with the COMIT team, I played a key role in this project from a technical, strategic and tactical point of view. This was a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project that assisted textile based SMEs in West Yorkshire area. The project provided assistance through the development of innovative products and processes, through training, measurement, testing and interpretation in Objective Measurements along side the wider skills and expertise of the COMIT team. Working together with the COMIT team a successful bid was written that secured funding for a further 2 ½ years, with a total value of £390k to continue this project. The project was successfully concluded meeting the targets set.Fabric Prickle: An Investigation of its Mechanisms and Objective MeasurementIn collaboration with a contract upholstery fabric supplier, who for reasons of durability and economy uses coarser, pricklier fibres, the principal causes and mechanisms of fabric prickle and its subjective and objective measurements were investigated. This was developed into EPSRC bid.Engineering the Mechanical Attributes of Apparel FabricsA potential collaboration with a prominent UK garment manufacturer and a Turkish fabric manufacturer was explored. This project examined the effects of fabric mechanical properties on critical stages of garment production and their control during fabric manufacturing. Undergraduate TeachingI delivered substantial portions of two core middle-year modules for the Department of Industrial Technology (BSc Technology Management, BEng Industrial Engineering):Manufacturing Sciences: Automation and computer integration in manufacturing systems.Instrumentation: Sensors, Signal Conditioning and Processing, Data Presentation. Show less

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  Leeds Metropolitan University

  Jan 2002 - Jan 2005

  Research Officer

  Based in the Interactive Systems and Learning Environments (ISLE) research group, I have worked independently and in collaboration with other members of the group on a range of projects (outlined below) most of which have led to publications and funding bids. I have instructed and supervised a number of doctoral research students in this role. An important part of this role was providing support and guidance in experimental design and statistical analysis.Assessment and AccessibilityMultilevel modelling was used to study the accessibility of different forms of assessment.Dyslexia and Learning Computer ProgrammingThe interaction of the features of dyslexia with the cognitive tasks that are required to write a computer program was investigated, using interviews and open questionnaires. This work was supported by and in collaboration with the Higher Education Academy, Information and Computer Studies subject centre.Computer Mediated Conferencing and Cognitive StylesThe influence of cognitive learning styles on the degree of student engagement with computer mediated conferencing was investigated, using quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Autism and Emotional AvatarsThe level of understanding of emotional expressive avatars by autistic children was analysed.Personal Space Invasion in Desktop Collaborative Virtual EnvironmentsThe transference of personal space to virtual environments is investigated through a series of controlled experiments and an ethnographic study.Collation of Data for the Quality Assurance AssessmentData from student admissions, progression, outcomes and final destination was collated by course and level for the recent successful Computer and Information Sciences submission. Show less

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  The University of Manchester

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2011

  As the Research Associate for Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL), one of the 74 HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) funded CETLs (Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning). In this role, I continued to support the implementation and evaluation the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) initiatives developed in my previous role. In the process, I was able to develop my understanding of these activities in terms of case study, evaluation and action research. A was able to consider the activities both independently (Second Year Tutorials, VLSI, Optoelectronics and Robotics) and an integrated collection of work.With the CEEBL team, I supported members of staff across the institution in their development, implementation, evaluation and subsequent dissemination of their Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) initiatives. The principal mechanism for this is through small and faculty projects, with which I have been involved in through the full-cycle from project selection to project dissemination at the CEEBL symposium and the CEEBL Case Studies publications and subsequent dissemination.A particular responsibility of my role within the team was the evaluation of CEEBL. As well as supporting project holders with their evaluation I have been involved in developing the CEEBL evaluation strategy, guidance on aspects of evaluation and contributing to the CEEBL interim and summative evaluation reports, and reflected on how an evaluation framework can build pedagogical capacity.This position has given me the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of EBL initiatives across a diverse range of disciplines. This has allowed me to contribute, in collaboration with colleagues, to the understanding of EBL, including its relationship to: learning environments, professional skills, discipline, life-long learning, personalised learning, peer review and its potential structures, as well as reflect on issues with developing pedagogic capacity generally. Show less Based in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, my role was to introduce problem-based learning (PBL) into the school’s developing curriculum. This is part of a HEFCE curriculum innovation fund project with an evaluation and research element. The project was a collaboration between the University of Manchester, University College London, the University of Bristol, the University of Glasgow and the Institute of Electrical Engineers. My role has involved:• participating in the project management committee,• organising a meeting between the collaborating universities,• developing an understanding of PBL through literature and practitioners, • establishing relationships with members of teaching staff within the school and those in learning and teaching support roles, including the Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in Enquiry Based Learning (CEEBL), • integrating the best and most appropriate practice, models and support available within the university, • developing outlines and materials for PBL activities within the school,• evaluating the activity through questionnaires and focus groups,• dissemination through papers and presentations.I was involved in developing PBL in the following areas:• Third year modules: one full module VLSI and portions of two others, Optoelectronics and Robotics.• Second year tutorial system: developing team working and project management skills in preparation for the second year team project in embedded systems. For this I developed a sequence of five linked problems, simulating aspects of a team project and a series of supporting booklets on the professional and transferable skills the students required. Show less

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate

    Jan 2006 - Jan 2011

  • Problem-Based Learning Officer

    Jan 2005 - Jan 2006
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  The University of Sheffield

  Apr 2011 - now

  Project Manager

  Supporting the following projects:MultiSim and MultiSim2 (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/multisim-insigneo)Modelling Complex and Partially Identified Engineering Problems - Applications to the Individualised Multi-Scale Simulation of the Musculoskeletal System EPSRC Frontier Engineering Awards, Grants EP/K03877X/1 & EP/S032940/1Spinner (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/spinner-eid)SPINe: Numerical and Experimental Repair strategiesEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 766012Sano (https://sano.science/)Improving health through personalised computationEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 857533 and from the International Research Agendas Programme of the Foundation for Polish ScienceVPH-Share (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/269978) 1 March 2011 - 31 May 2015Virtual Physiological Human: Sharing for Healthcare - A Research EnvironmentEuropean Union’s FP7-ICT-2009-6, Grant agreement ID: 269978Within Insigneo (https://insigneo.org/)Institute for in silico Medicine Show less