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The information in this page is correct as of May 2006, when the page was archived at the completion of the 'Exploring online research methods' project.
Rob Shaw
Who are you?
Rob Shaw
What is your job title?
Educational Technologist
Where are you based?
Department of Geography, University of Leicester
Describe your role in the project
I am responsible for the design and development of learning materials for the project. I take materials produced by the team and convert them into online formats. I author the training materials on the technical issues of online research, and I also design and maintain the project web space.
Tell us a little about your non-work life
I live in York with my partner Sarah. I enjoy sport, getting out into the countryside and Tai Chi, and I compensate for these positive pastimes by eating too much take-away food and drinking too much beer.
What is/are your favourite book(s) and why?
The best book I've read in the last couple of years is 'The wind-up bird chronicle' by Haruki Murakami. It's basically about a man who goes through a wierd, life-changing and increasingly dangerous adventure beginning when he climbs over the wall at the back of his house to search for his wife's missing cat. It's filled with strange characters, events and stories that are completely absorbing and believable. The style of writing is really gentle and matter-of-fact, but it builds and builds until you can't put it down and creates an atmosphere that makes you feel like a life-altering revelation is always only a few pages away.
What is/are your favourite film(s) and why?
Two of my favourites are both by Bruce Robinson: 'Withnail and I' and 'The Killing Fields'. Completely different, but equally brilliant.
What is/are your favourite web link(s) and why?
bbc.co.uk - radio and sport. Couldn't work from home without it.
Please provide a brief biography
Between graduating from Leicester ten years ago, and taking up this post, I worked as a teacher of English to International students in Further and Higher Education in Chichester, Dublin and York. Over the last three years, I increasingly developed an interest in online learning and began to specialise in writing online English language and study skills materials.