Born in Rochdale, UK, in 1948, Dr Mike Howarth gained his PhD from Middlesex University, London, in 2003. His research, supported by BBC Education using School Radio multimedia resources, focused on the development of graphical user interfaces to enhance children’s interactions with computers.
He began his career at Exeter University as a researcher in regional resources provision for schools. He created Bruner-style teaching resources from expeditions to Peru, Tanzania and Iran and taught for several years before becoming a Senior Producer of geography and nature broadcasts in BBC School Radio.
After 20 years he returned to teaching, establishing a new digital technologies course at FE level. He then held HE consultant roles for ten years at University College London in video for teaching, followed by visiting academic positions at Middlesex University in distance learning and online academic support for trainee teachers.
With two teaching qualifications in FE and HE, he has contributed to research on educational technology and online learning. Retiring from Middlesex in December 2024, Dr Howarth now researches digital pedagogy, user experience of online design, and the adaptation of broadcast teaching methods.