Alex has worked in education in various capacities for over 20 years. He has worked as a Computing teacher, examiner, teacher educator and educational researcher. Alex is committed to research-informed teaching and has helped to shape the practice of Computing educators through his numerous published teaching resources.

Being neurodiverse, Alex had a challenging journey through the education system, and this has shaped both his teaching and his research. He strives to create inclusive learning environments in his teaching and to make computing and STEM education more accessible and inclusive through his research.

Research

Alex’s research focuses on exploring how alternative means of engaging with Computing and STEM concepts can make these disciplines more inclusive. He is particularly interested in exploring the role that making and physical computing can play in widening participation. His most recent research explores how programming education can be made more inclusive, particularly for learners with visual impairments. 

He is a member of the Centre for Research in Education in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.

Teaching

Alex currently teaches on the:

• PGCE Computing programme
• MA STEM Education programme

He leads the STEM: Making and Creating module as well as teaching on the Leading Practices in STEM Education and Recent Developments in Digital Education modules.

Supervision

Alex’s current PhD students are:

• Xinyun He (2023-present), Designing and embedding AR tools into geometry learning environments to support the learning processes of autistic students.
• Shukri Mohammed (2022-present), Exploring the potential of STEM-based making activities on primary-aged learners' development and participation in computational thinking.

Alex is interested in supervising research which explores inclusion in STEM and Computing education, particularly with an emphasis on the use of making and alternative means of engaging with concepts.

Publications

Academic Work:

• Hadwen-Bennett, A 2022, ‘A Sense of Programming: An Exploration of Blind and Partially Sighted Learner’s Expression of Their Sense of Programming Concepts’, PhD thesis, King’s College London, London. 

Articles:

• Hadwen-Bennett. A. (2019). Computing for Learners with Visual Impairments, Hello World Magazine (Issue 11).