Experienced, Established OCR, AQA, CIE A-Level and GCSE Computer Science Examiner, Teacher and Tutor. Expert in bespoke OCR and AQA NEA Support. Excellent Results and Destinations.

Find out more about Evan

• Can you tell us about your first experience using a computer?

  What fascinated me about computers from the beginning was the sense that there was always a logical explanation for what was happening. A computer follows instructions precisely, and once you begin to understand those instructions, something that initially seems mysterious becomes understandable and controllable.
  
  That curiosity gradually developed from simply using computers into wanting to understand how they actually worked: how programs were written, how information was represented, why errors occurred, and how problems could be solved through algorithms.
  
  That is still one of the things I enjoy most about Computer Science today. There is a very satisfying moment when something that initially appears complicated suddenly makes sense and helping students reach that point is a major part of why I enjoy teaching the subject.

• What is the technological evolution that has marked you most and what will be, in your eyes, a turning point in this field?

  The development of the Internet has probably been the technological change that has had the greatest impact during my lifetime. We have moved from computers being largely isolated machines to living in a world where almost every computer, phone and increasingly everyday device is connected.
  
  That has completely transformed communication, education, business and access to information.
  
  The next major turning point is clearly artificial intelligence. AI already has enormous potential, particularly in areas such as medicine, scientific research, software development and education. However, I think the most important question will be how we choose to use it.
  
  In education particularly, AI should support thinking rather than replace it. A student can now ask an AI system to generate a program or answer a Computer Science question almost instantly, but receiving an answer is not the same as understanding it.
  
  The students who benefit most from AI will be those who learn to use it critically: questioning its answers, checking its reasoning and using it as a tool to extend their own knowledge rather than as a substitute for learning.

• Explain your expertise, your interest in it and, more broadly, its importance in the computer world.

  My main expertise is teaching Computer Science at GCSE and A-Level alongside my experience as a Computer Science examiner. I work with students studying a range of examination boards including OCR, AQA and Cambridge International.
  
  My teaching covers the full breadth of the subject: programming, algorithms, computational thinking, computer architecture, data representation, networks, databases, Boolean logic and object-oriented programming as well as supporting A-Level students with the skills required for their programming projects.
  
  Programming is an area I particularly enjoy because it combines logical thinking, creativity and problem-solving. There is rarely only one possible solution to a programming problem and learning to design an efficient and understandable solution is much more important than simply memorising syntax.
  
  My examining experience also gives me a slightly different perspective. Knowing Computer Science is one thing; knowing how to demonstrate that knowledge effectively in an examination is another. I therefore spend a lot of time helping students understand precisely what questions are asking and how to turn their knowledge into answers that gain marks.
  
  More broadly, Computer Science is increasingly important because computers now underpin almost every industry. Understanding how computational systems work gives students skills that extend well beyond programming: logical reasoning, abstraction, decomposition, evaluation and structured problem-solving.

• Do so-called 'visionaries', such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg inspire you or do you have other role models?

  I certainly respect what people such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs achieved. Their impact on personal computing is undeniable. However, I tend to be more inspired by ideas and achievements than by individual personalities.
  
  Figures such as Alan Turing and Tim Berners-Lee are particularly significant to me. Turing's work helped establish many of the theoretical foundations of modern Computer Science while Berners-Lee's creation of the World Wide Web fundamentally changed how humanity communicates and shares information.
  
  I also think it is important for students to understand that technological progress is rarely the achievement of one famous individual. Modern computing is the result of contributions from thousands of mathematicians, engineers, scientists and programmers, many of whom will never become household names.
  
  That is an important lesson in itself: you do not need to become the next Bill Gates to make a valuable contribution to technology.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  One of the moments I have experienced repeatedly as a teacher is a student telling me, "I can't program."
  
  Very often, what they actually mean is that they cannot yet look at a large problem and immediately see the complete solution.
  
  When we break that problem into smaller parts, however, something changes. They solve the first part, then the second and eventually realise that they have constructed the entire program themselves.
  
  The most rewarding moment is not when the program finally works. It is when the student can explain why it works.
  
  That is something I regularly tell students: programming is not really about typing code. It is about learning how to think about a problem. The code comes afterwards.

• What would you say to an uncomfortable person in front of a screen who says that "IT is too complicated"?

  I would tell them that almost everything in computing becomes manageable when it is broken into sufficiently small pieces.
  
  Nobody looks at a complicated program containing hundreds or thousands of lines of code and understands everything instantly. Programmers decompose problems, test small sections, make mistakes, debug them and gradually build a solution.
  
  I also try to remove the fear of making mistakes. In programming, an error message is not evidence that you are bad at programming. Errors are part of programming.
  
  One of the best habits a student can develop is replacing "I don't understand this" with "Which part don't I understand yet?"
  
  Once we identify that part, we have something specific to work on.
  
  Computer Science is logical and that means there is almost always a reason why something works or does not work. My job as a tutor is often to help the student find that reason.

• What are your other passions, related or non-related to computers?

  Education itself is one of my main interests. I enjoy thinking about how people learn and particularly how difficult ideas can be explained in different ways until a student finds an explanation that makes sense to them.
  
  I also have a natural interest in technology beyond the Computer Science curriculum. Technology changes extremely quickly so there is always something new to investigate, whether that is artificial intelligence, networking, computer hardware or developments in software.
  
  Away from computing, I enjoy travelling and experiencing different countries and cultures. I think travel and technology actually have something in common: both constantly remind you that there is more than one way of looking at a problem or approaching something familiar.
  
  Above all, I enjoy learning. One of the attractions of Computer Science is that it is virtually impossible to reach a point where there is nothing new left to discover.

• What makes you a Superprof in IT?

  I think the combination of being a teacher, examiner and tutor makes the biggest difference to the way I teach.
  
  Strong subject knowledge is essential, but tutoring involves much more than knowing the answer. You need to identify why a student is struggling.
  
  Two students might both achieve the same mark on an examination but for completely different reasons. One may have gaps in their subject knowledge. Another may understand the content but misinterpret examination questions. Another may struggle to express an answer precisely enough to gain the available marks. A programming student may understand the theory perfectly but lack confidence in turning an algorithm into code.
  
  I therefore do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to tutoring.
  
  I adapt lessons to the individual student, identify weaknesses and build from what they already understand. My examiner experience also allows me to show students the difference between simply knowing a topic and producing the type of precise answer required in an examination.
  
  Most importantly, I want students to understand Computer Science rather than memorise it.
  
  When a student reaches the stage where they can solve an unfamiliar problem independently, explain their reasoning and recognise their own mistakes, that is when I know the tuition has been successful.