Events

Date: 17 June 2026   Time: 11:00 - 12:00     

Location: GC222 Graduate Centre Mile End E1 4NS Map 

New thinking on computational thinking

Harold Thimbleby, Emeritus professor of computer science at Swansea University will talk about his research in Human Factors, Dependable Computing, and Computational Thinking.

Abstract

I recently analysed the doctors' exam fiasco of 2023, where hundreds of exam results for doctors, including both passes and fails, were incorrect which had a huge impact on the doctors. Some lost their jobs and also lost the usual opportunities of resitting, and some who had mistakenly been failed never got jobs in the first place and left the NHS. Everyone was put under immense stress regardless of their final approved marks. In my analysis I put the catastrophe down to a lack of computational thinking, and a complete lack of the awareness of the need for computational thinking in the first place. I see the incident as a symptom of a widespread social problem that needs fixing. I have suggestions!

I also recently gave a keynote at an IFIP WG10.4 meeting in Lithuania on dependability, and I argued that computational thinking and awareness of it and using it are critical to achieving intended outcomes, in this case dependable computer systems.

Combining these thoughts raises a new line of thinking on computational thinking which this seminar will explore with the audience.

Biography
Professor Harold Thimbleby is an eminent British computer scientist whose work has shaped research in user interface design and human–computer interaction. Born in 1955, he studied physics before completing a PhD at Queen Mary College in 1981. He has given over 600 talks, debates, keynotes, workshops, and seminars in industry and at universities including Cambridge, Stanford and MIT. He has been invited to speak in over 30 countries. He is a highly experienced and well-regarded speaker. His research areas reflect his commitment to improving technology design and ensuring that systems are user-centric, especially in contexts where human error can have serious consequences.