My focus is on inspiring students to evaluate their personal and employability skills and then to develop their full range of skills in order to become the most employable graduates in the market. This is based on research into a range of teaching and assessment approaches that can demonstrate measurable improvements in their academic skills and in their transferable skills. This research is published at conferences and in journals.
Teaching responsibilities
I teach on the BSc IT programme, and cover the module for the second year called IT Services Management which is all about how to design and implement services that are useful to the customers and users.
I teach both the Enterprise Systems and the Information Security and Assurance third year modules.
I am co-leader of the introduction of SAS and Business Analytics into the Computing programmes.
I supervise a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations and have supervising several PhD students including topics such as e-learning, knowledge management and management practices in local government in Jordan.
Professional interests
The biggest question and my main focus in the field of Informatics are the govenance issues raised by Big Data Analytics. Recent issues relate to the problem of TechnoStress and the Accuracy of Location Services on Smart Devices.
I am heavily involved in the Big Data and Analytics Educational Conference series and co-chaired the BDA EdCon 2014 and 2015 conferences in Las Vegas (2014) and Puerto Rico (2015).
Research interests
My current research interests are focussed in two directions;
pedagogy relating to the development of transferable and employability skills
the practical use of information technology in a wide range of contexts with particular focus on the Corporate and Information Governance implications of Big Data Analytics.
Current research in the pedagogic focus is towards better ways of using contact time and structuring assessments to improve the quality of students work. Very recent research provides very strong quantitative evidence of the powerful impact of working with individuals during seminars and workshops. It can be worth between 5% and 25% in terms of the marks achieved.
I am also researching ways of helping students to develop more effective research skills through different ways of teaching. I am currently assessing the impact of small group lab based teaching where all students have full access to all e-resources, using seminars and workshops.
My analytics and informatics interests are focussed towards understanding the contexts in which IT can make a difference and those in which it fails to deliver the planned results. A recent area was a project to evaluate the phenomenon of TechnoStress. 16 of my third year students worked with me on this project. The conference paper that I published in Salamanca in July 2012, based on the research of Conrad Aquilina for his MSc SITM dissertation, was the starting point for this research.
I am also leading a team of undergraduates who are researching into the scale of errors in smart device Location Based Services. The results of this research has now been published at several conferences during 2015.
You can see the presentations of these papers and videos of some of them at http://tinyurl.com/ppyg6t8 .
Membership of professional bodies
MBCS
FHEA
Member of the editorial board for the International Journal of Learning Technology
Member of the programme committees for the KMO’12 and LTEC’12 conferences in Salamanca, Spain in May 2012 (Seventh International Knowledge Management in Organizations Conference)
Member of the programme committees for the KMO’13 and LTEC’13 conferences in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in September 2013 (Eighth International Knowledge Management in Organizations Conference)
Member of the programme committees for the KMO’14 and LTEC’14 conferences in Santiago, Chile in September 2014 (Ninth International Knowledge Management in Organizations Conference)
Co-Chair of Big Data and Analytics Educational Conference 2014, Las Vegas
Member of the programme committees for the KMO’15 and LTEC’15 conferences in Maribor, Slovenia in August 2015 (Tenth International Knowledge Management in Organizations Conference)
Co-Chair fo Big Data and Analytics Educational COnference 2015, Puerto Rico
Member of the Operational Database Management Systems (ODBMS) panel of experts, with a focus on the Governance of such systems.
Qualifications
Undergraduate qualifications
BA (Hons) Natural Sciences and Computing, Cambridge
Postgraduate qualifications
LLM in Conflict Studies and Dispute Resolution, University of Derby
Recent conferences
Impact of Infrastructure Issues on the Design and Delivery of Successful e-Learning Programmes, e-Learning Africa 2007, Nairobi, Kenya
Achievement of Pedagogic Objectives in Post-Graduate e-learning in an International Setting, HEA-ICS Workshop, June 2007, Greenwich, UK, refereed and published in workshop proceedings
A Case Study Analysis of the Costs of eLearning Provision in HE, e-Learning Africa 2008, Accra, Ghana
Addressing the Challenges of Low ICT Literacy in UK University Students, e-Learning Africa 2009, May 2009,Dakar, Senegal, published in conference proceedings
Leading the National e-Learning Seminar for Botswana, Botswana Accountancy College, Gaborone, Botswana, 22 May 2009
Challenges of Low ICT Literacy in University Students, HEA-ICS Workshop, June 2009, Greenwich, UK, refereed and published in workshop proceedings
An evaluation of the ICT skills deficit of Generation Y students and the required remedial approaches in relation to effective learning and communication, International Journal of Arts and Sciences, May 2010, Toronto, Canada, to be published in conference proceedings
A Case Study into ICT Skills Transfer in Generation Y Students in Higher Education, HEA-ICS Workshop for e-Learning, June 2010, Greenwich, UK, refereed and published in workshop proceedings
Policy Development and Implementation in the Bretton Woods Institutions: A Consideration of the Legality, Human Rights Impact and Effectiveness of their Programmes, International Journal of Arts and Sciences, May 2011, Toronto, Canada, published in the IJAS journal Vol 4, No 23, ISSN:1944-6934 see working copy here Richard J Self IJAS Toronto May 2011
Discourse and Knowledge Matters: Can Knowledge Management Be Saved?, 7th International Conference on Knowledge Management in Organisations: Service and Cloud Computing; Salamanca, Spain, July 12, 2012, Lead Author Lesley Crane, co-authors David Longbottom, Richard Self, see http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-30867-3_4
TechnoStress in the 21st Century; Does it Still Exist and How Does it Affect Knowledge Management and Other Information Systems Initiatives, 7th International Conference on Knowledge Management in Organisations: Service and Cloud Computing; Salamanca, Spain, July 12, 2012, co-author: Conrad Aquilina. See http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-30867-3_11
A consideration of the next generation of PRI and ESG measures and indices for the sustainable corporation derived from the optimisation of shared stakeholder value, PRI-CBERN Academic Network Conference, York University, Toronto, October 3, 2012, co-Authors: Kiri Self, Ha-Joon Chang
Combining Digital Forensic Practices and Database Analysis as an Anti-Money Laundering Strategy for Financial Institutions, 1st International Workshop on Cybercrimes and Emerging Web Environments (CEWE-2012), conj.with the 3rd International Conference on Emerging Intelligent Data and Web Technologies (EIDWT-2012), Bucharest, Romania. September 19 – 21, 2012, Authors:Denys A. Flores, Dr Olga Angelopoulou, Richard J Self (presented by Dr Angelopoulou)
An Anti-Money Laundering Methodology: Financial Regulations, Information Security and Digital Forensics Working Together, Journal of Internet Services and Information Security, February 2013, Authors: Denys A. Flores, Dr Olga Angelopoulou, Richard J Self
Students Can do Research and Can Deliver Strong Bibliographies!, International Journal of Arts and Sciences, May 2013, Toronto, Canada, published in the IJAS journal, ISSN 1944-6934 2013 Volume 06, Number 04
Visual Analytics deliverers insights into the UK University League Table, SAS Global Forum 2014, Washington DC, March 24-26, 2014, Co-Authors: S Berry, C Foyle and D Voorhis.
BIG DATA ANALYTICS: a threat or an opportunity for Knowledge Management?, 9th International Conference on Knowledge Management in Organisations: Service and Cloud Computing; Santiago, Chile, 5 Sept 2014, ISSN 1865-1348, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-08618-7, pp25-34, Lead Author Lesley Crane, co-author Richard Self, see R J Self KMO14 Presentation for the presentation slides identifying the impact of the 12 Vs of Big Data, identified by final year students in Feb 2014, on its reliability and value for corporate Knowledge Management systems and processes.
Designing Big Data Analytics Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes for Employability, SAS Global Forum 2015, Dallas, Texas, USA, 26-29 April 2015, presentation slides 3201-2015, video is here
Using SAS® Mapping functionality to measure and present the Veracity of Location Data, SAS Global Forum 2015, Dallas, Texas, USA, 26-29 April 2015, with Vishal Patel, Daniel Corah, Viktor Horecny, presentation slides 3202-2015
Learning Analytics to evaluate and confirm Pedagogic Choices, SAS Global Forum 2015, Dallas, Texas, USA, 26-29 April 2015, presentation slides 3203-2015
Inspiring Undergraduates to High Achievement Levels in Big Data Analytics and Governance using SAS®, at International Journal of Arts and Sciences Multi- Disciplinary Conference, Toronto, Canada, 18-21 May 2015, presentation slides IJAS 2015 Enthusing Students,
Workshop: Becoming a “Learning to Learn” Academic, at International Journal of Arts and Sciences Multi- Disciplinary Conference, Toronto, Canada, 18-21 May 2015, presentation slides Becoming a Learning to Learn Academic IJAS 2015, the video is here
Students as Research Partners, University of Derby Annual Research Conference, Derby, 3 July 2015. Presentation slides at Students doing my Research
Location Based Services Analytics: Students as Co-Producers and Partners in Research, BDA EdCon 2015, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, 11 – 14 August 2015. Slides are here, Video is here
Improving Location Accuracy with Assisted GPS, Location & Context World 2015, Palo Alto, USA, 3 Nov 2015. Slides are here
Students Learning Software Programming: Innovative Strategies for Learning and Assessment, HEA STEM 2016, Nottingham, 29 Jan 2016. Slides are here and video is here
Big Data and Analytics Retail Skills Gap Workshop, Big Data and Analytics Retail Summit 2016, London, 18 Feb 2016. The slides are here and the video is here
Location Services: Student Research,Staff Seminar, 2 March 2016, University of Derby. Video here and slides here
Visualising A Career Full of Data, invited keynote address, TORCH 2016 ( see http://orchallenge.org/), University of Toronto, 19 March 2016, Slides are here and Video is here
Experience in industry
I spent 30 years in the Aerospace industry, managing the development, and delivery of IT based solutions to many parts of the commercial and engineering organizations within Rolls-Royce Group plc. During this time, my focus was on using practical but "technology stretching" approaches to meet the customers' operational needs.
My final projects at Rolls - Royce involved responsibility for the delivery of the technical infrastructures for over 6000 staff in both the business and engineering organisations with a budget of over £12M for technical infrastructure provision.
I also run a three day workshop entitled Strategic Problem Solving, which has been very well received in Botswana at the Botswana Defence Force Staff College and at the First National bank of Botswana and other organisations in Malawi and South Africa.
International experience
During the period of 2008 through to 2010 I ran the Strategic Problem Solving course in Botswana, Malawi and South Africa as consultancy to a range of organisations in the Banking, Telecoms and Defence sectors.
I led the National e-Learning Seminar for Botswana at the Botswana Accountancy College in Gaborone, Botswana on 22 May 2009.
Additional interests and activities
My objective is to help our students to succeed and to be the most employable students in the market.
This results in my passionate focus on two key areas of personal development which informs all my teaching and research; self knowledge and reflection, and clarity of analysis and thinking in all that we do (critical thinking). I aim to defuse all "magic silver bullets" and to enable all my students to do the same.
In the media
Interview by East Midlands Today about congestion charging in January 2007.
Interview by SearchData Management / TechTarget on 6 November 2013 at the IBM Information Demand conference in Las Vegas, see this link
Interviewed by SAS® at the 28 Nov 2013 SAS Careers Fair at Brunel University, UK. See time stamp 1:31 at this link
Interviewed by SAS at the SAS Analytics 2014 conference in Frankfurt on 4 June 2014, see this link on the topic of developing Analytics skills by research and creating Industry Partnerships to address the Analytics Skills gap.
Recent publications
Book and Chapter Contributions
Outstanding Student Achievement: A Journey of Pedagogy Informed and Confirmed by Analytics, in Developing Effective Educational Experiences through Learning Analytics, Anderson, M. and Gavan, C. (Eds), Information Science Reference ( IGI), 2016, ISBN is 978-1-4666-9983-0, http://www.igi-global.com/book/developing-effective-educational-experiences-through/141933
Tools and Technologies for the Implementation of Big Data (with D Voorhis) in Application of Big Data for National Security, B Akhgar, G B Saathoff, H R Arabnia, R Hill, S Stqaniforth and P S Bayerl (Eds), Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2015
Refereed Papers and Conferences
A Preliminary Consideration of the Pedagogic Implications and Academic Effectiveness of alternative VLE Systems Implementations , (with K Shopland and S Salt), Inspire VIII - Quality in Teaching and Technology based Learning, April 2003, Glasgow, published in the Conference Proceedings
Impact of Infrastructure Issues on the Design and Delivery of Successful e-Learning Programmes, e-Learning Africa 2007, May 2007, Nairobi, published in conference proceedings
A Case Study Analysis of the Costs of eLearning Provision in HE, e-Learning Africa 2008, Accra, Ghana, published in conference proceedings
Addressing the Challenges of Low ICT Literacy in UK University Students, e-Learning Africa 2009, May 2009,Dakar, Senegal, published in conference proceedings
An evaluation of the ICT skills deficit of Generation Y students and the required remedial approaches in relation to effective learning and communication, International Journal of Arts and Sciences, May 2010, Toronto, Canada, published in conference proceedings
Policy Development and Implementation in the Bretton Woods Institutions: A Consideration of the Legality, Human Rights Impact and Effectiveness of their Programmes, International Journal of Arts and Sciences, May 2011, Toronto, Canada, to published in conference journal
Conference / Workshop Presentations
Experimental Evaluation of Internet Bandwidth Implications for Rich Media enhanced e-Learning, Diverse III - Video and Video Conferencing in Higher Education, University of Derby, June 2003
Achievement Of Pedagogic Objectives In Post-Graduate E-Learning In An International Setting, HE Academy for Information and Computer Sciences Workshop for e-Learning, Greenwich, June 2007, refereed and published in workshop proceedings
Leading the National e-Learning Seminar for Botswana, Botswana Accountancy College, Gaborone, Botswana, 22 May 2009
Challenges of Low ICT Literacy in University Students, HEA-ICS Workshop for e-Learning, June 2009, Greenwich, UK, refereed and published in workshop proceedings
A Case Study into ICT Skills Transfer in Generation Y Students in Higher Education, HEA-ICS Workshop for e-Learning, June 2010, Greenwich, UK, refereed and published in workshop proceedings
What have we learned from the plethora of data being used to analyse and plan the response to the Covid-19 pandemic? Richard J Self, Senior Lecturer in Governance of Advanced and Emerging Technologies, argues that one thing it has taught us is to question whether the model being used to collate information is the right one, in the right context, for its data to be trusted.
Richard J. Self, Senior Lecturer in Governance of Advanced and Emerging Technologies at the University of Derby, and MSc Mobile App Development student Jack Hider examine the technical challenges faced by those developing apps to help control the spread of COVID-19.
What has the coronavirus pandemic taught us about Big Data and analytics? Richard Self, Senior Lecturer in Governance of Advanced and Emerging Technologies at the University of Derby, discusses in his latest blog.
For almost 20 years, Big Data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have been promoted as the way forward. But is the bubble about to burst for these technologies? According to Richard Self, Senior Lecturer in Analytics and Governance at the University of Derby, the answer is 'probably yes'.
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