Mark Johnson

Dr Mark Johnson is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Software Engineering at the University of Northampton's School of Technology. With over 25 years of experience in software engineering and academia, he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and actively contributes to computing education and research.

• University: University of Northampton
• School: School of Technology
• Department: Department of Computing
• Academic Rank: Senior Lecturer

Education:

• PhD in Computing, University of Northampton (2007)
• BSc (Hons) Computing, University of Northampton
• Certificate in Higher Education, Leeds Beckett University

Dr Johnson's research focuses on pedagogic innovation in computing, including student engagement, requirements engineering, usability, and gamification. His current projects explore role-play in teaching, student streaming, and industry-embedded learning. His recent publications demonstrate a shift toward cybersecurity, particularly in software-defined networking and intrusion detection systems, often in collaboration with PhD students.

His work shows a strong interdisciplinary trend combining education, software engineering, and AI-driven security. Notable themes include cognitive load reduction, interface usability for dyslexic users, and proactive network security using neural networks.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Dr Johnson currently supervises three PhD students and has previously guided several to completion. He is a Co-Principal Investigator on a peer support intervention study funded internally at the University of Northampton, focusing on improving programming skills among GEM computing students. He also acts as an examiner for doctoral theses, demonstrating ongoing academic leadership.

He is affiliated with the research group active in software-defined networking, intrusion detection, and intelligent design systems, and his work has been referenced in patents and Wikipedia, indicating broader impact.