Paul Goddard
, BSc (Hons), FHEA
I am a HCI PhD Student and Teaching Associate in the School of Computer Science and Informatics at Cardiff University. My research focuses on visual accessibility for people with low vision, particularly in the context of art. I am a Fellow of AdvanceHE (FHEA) and my teaching complements my decade of industry experience by focusing on software engineering, programming, and DevOps skills. I was the inaugural Lead Teaching Associate for the School where I represented the team of 28 Teaching Associates at management meetings and student experience panels. My efforts to promote collaboration and share best practices among the team were recognised with the Outstanding Contribution Award in 2023. I was previously a research intern and student at UWE, Bristol, where I worked on developing low-cost audio tour systems for museums and multimodal interfaces to improve navigation for individuals with sight loss. More information about my research and teaching can be found below, including links to my published works.
Research
Museums and art galleries play a crucial role in meeting our educational and social needs. However, people with visual impairments often feel excluded from visiting these places. due to various reasons such as lack of accessible mediums for viewing art and inadequately trained staff. Moreover, accessibility strategies and research for visual art mostly focus on non-visual interpretations, despite the fact that most people with visual impairments retain some residual vision. My PhD, supervised by Dr Nervo Verdezoto Dias, Professor Yukun Lai and Professor Tom Margrain, investigates how to improve the visual accessibility of visual art for people with low vision. My research has a HCI focus and uses mixed methods to explore this area of limited existing research.
Previous research covers working with tactile and audio interfaces for people with low vision at University of the West of England in collaboration with Dr Benedict Gaster, Professor Carinna Parraman, and Fabio D'Agnano.
Publications
2024
Paul Goddard, Nervo Verdezoto, Tom H. Margrain, Yu-Kun Lai, and Parisa Eslambolchilar. 2024. Seeing Art Differently: Design Considerations to Improve Visual Art Engagement for People with Low Vision. In Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS ’24), July 1–5, 2024, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 13 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3643834.3660675
pdf
2021
D'Agnano, F., Parraman, C., Goddard, P., and Roberton, N. 2021. Urban Lighthouses and a Tactile City - Bristol. In: AMPS Proceedings Series 26.2. Environments by Design: Health, Wellbeing and Place. Northumbria, UK. pp. 110-121.
pdf
Parraman, C., Mandrille, C., D'Agnano, F., Roberton, N., and Goddard, P. 2021. The Engaged Surface - Prints for Visual Sensory Perception. In: IMPACT 11. Hong Kong
online
2020
Goddard, P. and Gaster, B.R. 2020. PlayShell: a low-cost, fun audio experience for heritage centres. In: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Audio Mostly. Graz Austria: ACM, pp. 237–240. DOI: 10.1145/3411109.3411132
pdf | video
Teaching
I deliver engaging and effective courses at Cardiff University's School of Computer Science and Informatics by designing and planning learning activities and programs, delivering engaging and supportive teaching, creating supportive learning environments, and continuously developing through professional growth and scholarly activities.
As the inaugural Lead Teaching Associate (Jan 2022 – July 2024), I represented our team at the School Board and School Education and Student Experience Committee. I collaborated with School management, our Professional Services team, and TAs on teaching support organisation, internal teaching development, and fostering a culture of collaboration and inclusivity.
Holding Fellow (FHEA) status, I provide high-quality education and support. Collaboration with colleagues and engaging in reflective practice is pivotal in this journey. We create a vibrant educational community that thrives on shared knowledge and innovative practices.
Honours and Awards
- Nominated for 'Most Outstanding Learning Experience' in the Enriching Student Life Awards March 2024
- Cardiff University Outstanding Contribution Award, October 2023
- School of Computer Science and Informatics January 2023 PGR Conference - First Place (Student Scoring)
- School of Computer Science and Informatics January 2023 PGR Conference - Second Place (Committee Scoring)
- Bristol Futures Award 2019 - UWE
- The Dean's Award for Academic Excellence - UWE - 2019
- The Dean's Award for Academic Excellence - UWE - 2018