Dr Noel Jackson  EdD, MBA, MA Ed

Biography

Biography

I lecture in Engineering Management having joined the University in the summer of 2011 after a varied career in both industry and education and I also take an active role in the Engineering Management research programme delivering a paper on Curiosity Based Learning at the 2012 ITHET conference in Istanbul, Public Speaking Rubrics in 2014, Teaching Approaches in Engineering Education at the 2019 EERN (Engineering Education Research Network) Conference and have input often to a European project looking at Engineering Education.

Much of my experience and knowledge comes from a 31 year career with BT working my way up from Apprentice to Senior Manager on roles as diverse as installing telephones, technical support in telephony, through remote testing platforms, computer networking, project management to consultancy in leading edge transmission technologies, marketing and network transformation. I am also familiar with programme and organisational governance through a secondment role in BT Wholesale Markets, co-ordinating a complete strategic review of products and services offered to the marketplace. From a global challenge and broadband perspective I have carried out various roles developing Broadband Digital Subscriber Loop technologies and held a role as Rapporteur for the OAM (Operations and Maintenance) sub-group on the World FS-VDSL standards working group for 2 years until promoted to become head of BT Wholesale Access Wireless. This was another challenging role trying to juggle worldwide standards requirements, technology realities, my own direct team and a matrix managed team to deliver wireless broadband solutions where wired solutions were not suitable. This also extended into fibre optic areas with research projects looking at free space optics and fibre to the home.

I have always had a passion for teaching from the time I spent 3.5 years at BT’s training College delivering and designing technical training courses so I took the opportunity to change careers in 2004 when I took early voluntary retirement from BT to pursue a career in education. Whilst with BT I gained an MBA and since my career change have gained a Masters in Education (MA Ed) to supplement my wide business knowledge and finally achieved my doctorate in education (EdD) in early 2019 – who says lifelong learning is old fashioned? The environment for teaching today is very diverse and teachers are fully aware of the need for inclusivity in both the classroom and supervisory environments. I have taught at engineering centres, business premises, colleges of further education and universities all of which have a wide range of students, some with special needs either from a physical or practical perspective. Considering these aspects my teaching encompasses all student learning by researching teaching techniques that are suitable for engineers and engineering managers of the future.

Outside of work I am an active musician on the Folk scene, running my own Ceilidh band and helping to organise Folk related events around the country. This passion for music combines well with my frequent weekends away in my motor home either attending/helping to run folk festivals or simply out for a nice relaxing weekend to walk, play music and generally enjoy the fresh air.