I graduated from Manchester University in 1966 with a First Class Honours degree in Mathematics. Three years later I completed a Ph.D. entitled Waves in Nonlinear Thermoelasticity. In 1969 I joined the staff in the Department of Mathematics at Heriot-Watt University. Over the next fifteen years I made a number of contributions to the theory of continuum mechanics, thermodynamics and stability of solutions of the equations of continuum mechanics (see publication list and listof talks).
In 1985 the CALM Project for Computer Aided Learning in Mathematics began and I have directed it from the start. The CALM Project created Calculus courseware to enhance the teaching and learning for large groups of engineering and science undergraduates. Over 2500 students at the Riccarton campus of Heriot-Watt University have graduated through the CALM package. In 1989 I joined the Management Committee for the Computers in Teaching Initiative Centre for Mathematics. This national organisation based at Birmingham University has been in the forefront of teaching innovation in British Universities in the 1990s.
In 1992 I became a director of one of the three principal resource centres for the Mathwise project. This &163; 1M consortium has brought together 42 authors from 26 British Universities in a grouping that has created over 250 hours of high quality mathematical courseware. In particular, the resource centre at Heriot-Watt University has supported authors using Authorware and provided advice on the role of the computer in assessment.
In 1993 CALM won a Partnership Award for its innovative approach to the teaching of Mathematics. Then, in 1995 CALM won the first Bank of Scotland prize to Higher Education for its use of the computer in assessment. In 1996 CALM entered into a marketing agreement with Lander Educational Software to sell CALM courseware for Higher Mathematics and the AIM software for Assessment In Mathematics.
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Last updated 31 August 2001