Matthew Barr
@matthewbarr.co.uk
Professor and Head of Education & Practice, School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow. Co-director, Games & Gaming Lab. Director, Ada Scotland Festival.
Register for PlayAway for a Day - a one day conference and exhibition exploring the crossovers with creative technology and arts, game design, education, community & wellbeing work on Sat 24 October in Edinburgh.
tinderboxcollective.org/playaway26/
tinderboxcollective.org/playaway26/
Play Away 2026
Saturday 24th October 2026Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh PLAYAWAY 2026 – One Day Conference & Exhibition Sat 24th October 2026 | Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh | 10am-…
tinderboxcollective.org
August 25, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Register for PlayAway for a Day - a one day conference and exhibition exploring the crossovers with creative technology and arts, game design, education, community & wellbeing work on Sat 24 October in Edinburgh.
tinderboxcollective.org/playaway26/
tinderboxcollective.org/playaway26/
These data are for England only, but while more young people are looking for apprenticeships, the number of positions available fell by nearly half in the same period. That's the important (and concerning) headline, I think.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Competition for degree apprenticeships quadruples in three years
The popularity of degree apprenticeships has grown as the cost of university has come under increased scrutiny.
www.bbc.co.uk
August 19, 2026 at 6:59 AM
These data are for England only, but while more young people are looking for apprenticeships, the number of positions available fell by nearly half in the same period. That's the important (and concerning) headline, I think.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Since everyone else is doing it and it's too hot to work on the train...
June 26, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Since everyone else is doing it and it's too hot to work on the train...
It was a pleasure giving a keynote ('When Universities Value Play: Games, Graduate Skills, and the Conditions for Belonging') at 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 at the University of Melbourne (even if it was 2am here in Scotland!)
June 11, 2026 at 1:19 PM
It was a pleasure giving a keynote ('When Universities Value Play: Games, Graduate Skills, and the Conditions for Belonging') at 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 at the University of Melbourne (even if it was 2am here in Scotland!)
New post on the @advancehe.bsky.social blog, 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦: 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦-𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-vie...
Talking about graduate skills, employability, reflective practice, and developing students' confidence on a work-based degree programme.
Talking about graduate skills, employability, reflective practice, and developing students' confidence on a work-based degree programme.
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
May 21, 2026 at 9:03 AM
New post on the @advancehe.bsky.social blog, 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦: 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦-𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-vie...
Talking about graduate skills, employability, reflective practice, and developing students' confidence on a work-based degree programme.
Talking about graduate skills, employability, reflective practice, and developing students' confidence on a work-based degree programme.
Reposted by Matthew Barr
“Maybe we should call it two-tier journalism. The harshest scrutiny for people we don’t approve of. A blind eye for the ones we don’t mind”, writes Alan Rusbridger
Nigel Farage pocketing £5m from a donor shows he’s unfit for power
The British media is obsessed with Zack Polanski, but raises barely a squeak over huge donations to Reform
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
May 11, 2026 at 11:06 AM
“Maybe we should call it two-tier journalism. The harshest scrutiny for people we don’t approve of. A blind eye for the ones we don’t mind”, writes Alan Rusbridger
Reposted by Matthew Barr
Into the Slimy Mines is roguelike tower defense. Build paths enemies slither down, dig gold, squish slimes, and most important of all RESCUE YOUR CREW!
Coming May 29th on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Epic and Steam!
store.steampowered.com/app/3639440/...
Coming May 29th on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Epic and Steam!
store.steampowered.com/app/3639440/...
May 6, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Into the Slimy Mines is roguelike tower defense. Build paths enemies slither down, dig gold, squish slimes, and most important of all RESCUE YOUR CREW!
Coming May 29th on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Epic and Steam!
store.steampowered.com/app/3639440/...
Coming May 29th on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Epic and Steam!
store.steampowered.com/app/3639440/...
If you are voting for Reform in Scotland, are you (a) stupid (falling for a couple of millionaires' con) or (b) racist (e.g. OK with concentration camps)? Very possible to be bothered. Depressing that these racist grifters are potentially in second place in Scotland.
New Scotland Only Westminster poll, Norstat 27-30 Apr (vs 30 Mar - 1 Apr):
SNP ~ 29% (-3)
Lab ~ 19% (+1)
RUK ~ 18% (+2)
Con ~ 14% (+3)
LD ~ 10% (nc)
Grn ~ 8% (-1)
Note: This is the same poll as last night's Holyrood figures, I just got the dates wrong then because I was knackered!
SNP ~ 29% (-3)
Lab ~ 19% (+1)
RUK ~ 18% (+2)
Con ~ 14% (+3)
LD ~ 10% (nc)
Grn ~ 8% (-1)
Note: This is the same poll as last night's Holyrood figures, I just got the dates wrong then because I was knackered!
May 4, 2026 at 12:49 PM
If you are voting for Reform in Scotland, are you (a) stupid (falling for a couple of millionaires' con) or (b) racist (e.g. OK with concentration camps)? Very possible to be bothered. Depressing that these racist grifters are potentially in second place in Scotland.
New journal paper published with @ellatasm.bsky.social and our colleages at Edinburgh Napier University: 'What training do workplace mentors receive to support degree apprentices? An activity theory analysis, focusing on inclusion'
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:15 AM
New journal paper published with @ellatasm.bsky.social and our colleages at Edinburgh Napier University: 'What training do workplace mentors receive to support degree apprentices? An activity theory analysis, focusing on inclusion'
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
We just published our Ukranian special issue of @osotl.bsky.social: osotl.org/osotl/issue/...
Subtitled 'Tempus fugit, Academia sempiterna' ('time passes, but the academy is eternal'), this was a collaboration with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA).
Subtitled 'Tempus fugit, Academia sempiterna' ('time passes, but the academy is eternal'), this was a collaboration with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA).
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): The Ukraine special issue: ‘Tempus fugit, Academia sempiterna’
| Open Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
osotl.org
November 28, 2025 at 2:51 PM
We just published our Ukranian special issue of @osotl.bsky.social: osotl.org/osotl/issue/...
Subtitled 'Tempus fugit, Academia sempiterna' ('time passes, but the academy is eternal'), this was a collaboration with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA).
Subtitled 'Tempus fugit, Academia sempiterna' ('time passes, but the academy is eternal'), this was a collaboration with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA).
I'm delighted to be chairing the Holyrood Insight Future of Apprenticeships Scotland Conference next week, with keynotes from Ben Macpherson MSP, Minister for Higher and Further Education, and Michelle Thomson MSP.
www.holyroodinsight.com/conferences-...
www.holyroodinsight.com/conferences-...
The Future of Apprenticeships Scotland Conference - Holyrood Insight
Join our conference to keep up to date with the latest changes to apprenticeships policy and funding in Scotland.
www.holyroodinsight.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:15 AM
I'm delighted to be chairing the Holyrood Insight Future of Apprenticeships Scotland Conference next week, with keynotes from Ben Macpherson MSP, Minister for Higher and Further Education, and Michelle Thomson MSP.
www.holyroodinsight.com/conferences-...
www.holyroodinsight.com/conferences-...
The Ada Scotland Festival is featured in today's Herald: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2548659...
Festival aims to attract more women and girls to computing
The Ada Scotland Festival, named after famous mathematician Ada Lovelace, runs from 29 September to 10 October.
www.heraldscotland.com
September 23, 2025 at 8:30 AM
The Ada Scotland Festival is featured in today's Herald: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2548659...
Just published a blog post on the Advance HE website, drawing on our research into how Graduate Apprentices develop an impressive range of professional skills.
advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-vie...
advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-vie...
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
September 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Just published a blog post on the Advance HE website, drawing on our research into how Graduate Apprentices develop an impressive range of professional skills.
advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-vie...
advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-vie...
Reposted by Matthew Barr
The Ada Scotland Festival, which aims to shift the gender balance of Scotland’s computing sector, is set to return with more than 20 events aimed at young women and non-binary people across the country from September 29.
Read more here: www.gla.ac.uk/news/headlin...
Read more here: www.gla.ac.uk/news/headlin...
September 15, 2025 at 11:10 AM
The Ada Scotland Festival, which aims to shift the gender balance of Scotland’s computing sector, is set to return with more than 20 events aimed at young women and non-binary people across the country from September 29.
Read more here: www.gla.ac.uk/news/headlin...
Read more here: www.gla.ac.uk/news/headlin...
Reposted by Matthew Barr
Our UofG Colleagues Peter Sneddon, Erin Ferguson, Eric Yao share: Why do students decide to stop studying physics?
#oSoTLSummer #SoTL #AcWri #highered #Vol2No1_22 #physics #motivation osotl.org/osotl/articl...
#oSoTLSummer #SoTL #AcWri #highered #Vol2No1_22 #physics #motivation osotl.org/osotl/articl...
View of Why do students decide to stop studying physics? | Open Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
osotl.org
July 14, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Our UofG Colleagues Peter Sneddon, Erin Ferguson, Eric Yao share: Why do students decide to stop studying physics?
#oSoTLSummer #SoTL #AcWri #highered #Vol2No1_22 #physics #motivation osotl.org/osotl/articl...
#oSoTLSummer #SoTL #AcWri #highered #Vol2No1_22 #physics #motivation osotl.org/osotl/articl...
Reposted by Matthew Barr
We continue our oSoTL summer with Sarah Honeychurch's: Pragmatism in practice: Bricolage as a methodological framework for SoTL
#oSoTLSummer #SoTL #AcWri #highered #Vol2No2_22 #SpecialEdition #bricolage osotl.org/osotl/articl...
#oSoTLSummer #SoTL #AcWri #highered #Vol2No2_22 #SpecialEdition #bricolage osotl.org/osotl/articl...
View of Pragmatism in practice: Bricolage as a methodological framework for SoTL | Open Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
osotl.org
July 28, 2025 at 5:56 AM
We continue our oSoTL summer with Sarah Honeychurch's: Pragmatism in practice: Bricolage as a methodological framework for SoTL
#oSoTLSummer #SoTL #AcWri #highered #Vol2No2_22 #SpecialEdition #bricolage osotl.org/osotl/articl...
#oSoTLSummer #SoTL #AcWri #highered #Vol2No2_22 #SpecialEdition #bricolage osotl.org/osotl/articl...
An early start this morning to deliver my talk at the hybrid Computing Education Practice in Pakistan (PkCEP): 'Delivering a Work-Based Learning Degree Programme in Software Engineering: Lessons from Practice'. Thank you to the organsiers (including @waqarnabi.bsky.social) for the invitation!
July 26, 2025 at 8:16 AM
An early start this morning to deliver my talk at the hybrid Computing Education Practice in Pakistan (PkCEP): 'Delivering a Work-Based Learning Degree Programme in Software Engineering: Lessons from Practice'. Thank you to the organsiers (including @waqarnabi.bsky.social) for the invitation!
New journal article: 'From disciplinary enthusiasm to soulless tasks: norms behind computing educators' emotion display' with @vgrande.bsky.social, Päivi Kinnunen, Anne-Kathrin Peters, @mihaelasabin.bsky.social, Matilde Sánchez-Peña, and Ethel Tshukudu: doi.org/10.1080/0304...
From disciplinary enthusiasm to soulless tasks: norms behind computing educators' emotion display
Computing educators' emotion display is regulated by various norms and conventions. These (unwritten) rules affect which emotions educators feel comfortable expressing to different extents when stu...
doi.org
July 13, 2025 at 11:01 AM
New journal article: 'From disciplinary enthusiasm to soulless tasks: norms behind computing educators' emotion display' with @vgrande.bsky.social, Päivi Kinnunen, Anne-Kathrin Peters, @mihaelasabin.bsky.social, Matilde Sánchez-Peña, and Ethel Tshukudu: doi.org/10.1080/0304...
The Apple TV+ app for Android is the worst streaming app I've ever used. Shockingly poor piece of software that prevents me from watching the content I've paid for. All the hype around the return of #Foundation and I can't even watch it!
July 12, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The Apple TV+ app for Android is the worst streaming app I've ever used. Shockingly poor piece of software that prevents me from watching the content I've paid for. All the hype around the return of #Foundation and I can't even watch it!
Reposted by Matthew Barr
@ant-workshop.com have an incredible Ruin Remix Update for Into the Restless Ruins! Guided entirely by the amazing player feedback.
➕ New Remix Levels Unlocked
🐺 Harvest Maiden & Wulver Updates
📿 Brand new room cards, charms, boons & trinkets!
store.steampowered.com/news/app/287...
➕ New Remix Levels Unlocked
🐺 Harvest Maiden & Wulver Updates
📿 Brand new room cards, charms, boons & trinkets!
store.steampowered.com/news/app/287...
June 26, 2025 at 1:03 PM
@ant-workshop.com have an incredible Ruin Remix Update for Into the Restless Ruins! Guided entirely by the amazing player feedback.
➕ New Remix Levels Unlocked
🐺 Harvest Maiden & Wulver Updates
📿 Brand new room cards, charms, boons & trinkets!
store.steampowered.com/news/app/287...
➕ New Remix Levels Unlocked
🐺 Harvest Maiden & Wulver Updates
📿 Brand new room cards, charms, boons & trinkets!
store.steampowered.com/news/app/287...
May 28, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Thanks to the @advancehe.bsky.social team for the opportunity to speak at the Mental Health in Higher Education conference yesterday.
I failed to take any photos so here's a peek at my slides, featuring a very flattering photo of me playing the original Zelda circa 1990.
I failed to take any photos so here's a peek at my slides, featuring a very flattering photo of me playing the original Zelda circa 1990.
May 15, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Thanks to the @advancehe.bsky.social team for the opportunity to speak at the Mental Health in Higher Education conference yesterday.
I failed to take any photos so here's a peek at my slides, featuring a very flattering photo of me playing the original Zelda circa 1990.
I failed to take any photos so here's a peek at my slides, featuring a very flattering photo of me playing the original Zelda circa 1990.
Reposted by Matthew Barr
Lovely people, inspiring speakers, and great ideas. Our students share their experience of this year's BCS Women Lovelace Colloquium. blogs.napier.ac.uk/womenintotec...
BCS Women Lovelace Colloquium 2025 - Women into Tech
I strongly recommend to any women or gender minorities in computing or related at university to take advantage of this opportunity!
blogs.napier.ac.uk
May 13, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Lovely people, inspiring speakers, and great ideas. Our students share their experience of this year's BCS Women Lovelace Colloquium. blogs.napier.ac.uk/womenintotec...
Excellent article on this year's BCS Women Lovelace Colloquium @bcswomenlovelace.bsky.social in the latest issue of the BCS @wearebcs.bsky.social IT NOW magazine:
www.bcs.org/articles-opi...
Lovely to hear from Joanna Jardine, one of our @uofgcompsci.bsky.social Graduate Apprentices!
www.bcs.org/articles-opi...
Lovely to hear from Joanna Jardine, one of our @uofgcompsci.bsky.social Graduate Apprentices!
Dare, always dare: Lovelace Colloquium 2025
On 16 April 2025 the BCS Lovelace Colloquium celebrated its 18th birthday at the University of Glasgow Student’s Union (GUU), a building which forbade women until 1980. Georgia Smith reports.
www.bcs.org
May 7, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Excellent article on this year's BCS Women Lovelace Colloquium @bcswomenlovelace.bsky.social in the latest issue of the BCS @wearebcs.bsky.social IT NOW magazine:
www.bcs.org/articles-opi...
Lovely to hear from Joanna Jardine, one of our @uofgcompsci.bsky.social Graduate Apprentices!
www.bcs.org/articles-opi...
Lovely to hear from Joanna Jardine, one of our @uofgcompsci.bsky.social Graduate Apprentices!