Rate My Professor Quintin Cutts

Professor Quintin Cutts is Professor of Computer Science Education within the School of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow. He directs the University's Centre for Computing Science Education, launched in 2017, which advances research, practice, and policy to establish Computing Science as a mainstream academic discipline from schools to universities, fostering essential computational thinking skills. Cutts has shaped computing curricula and qualifications, contributing to Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, collaborating with Education Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority on National, Higher, and Advanced Higher levels since 2010. He leads the Scottish Government-funded Professional Learning and Networking in Computing Science (PLAN C) project, co-chairs Computing at School Scotland, represents Scotland on the UK Forum for Computing Education, and advises the UK Government's National Centre for Computing Education. He also directs the Turner Kirk Centre for Spatial Reasoning, launched in 2025, to enhance primary school pupils' spatial skills and STEM outcomes across Scotland. Cutts developed the Haggis reference language for exam code presentation and pioneered the University's Graduate Apprenticeship in software engineering in 2019.

His research explores effective pedagogy in computer science education, including peer instruction, mindset influences on programming performance, spatial skills in problem-solving, and conceptual frameworks for early-years computing. Key publications include 'Peer Instruction: A Teaching Method to Foster Deep Understanding' with Beth Simon (Communications of the ACM, 2012), 'Manipulating mindset to positively influence introductory programming performance' (SIGCSE, 2010), 'Conceptual development in early-years computing education: a grounded cognition and action based conceptual framework' with Maria Kallia (Computer Science Education, 2023), 'Improving Primary School Pupils' Spatial Skills Leads to Computational Thinking Gains' (ITiCSE, 2025), and 'Arguments for and Approaches to Computing Education in Undergraduate Computer Science Programmes' (ITiCSE, 2023). His scholarship has garnered over 4,000 citations with an h-index of 35. Awards include an MBE in 2015 for services to computing science, ACM Distinguished Member in 2022 for outstanding educational contributions, HEA-ICS National Award for Teaching Excellence in 2010, University of Glasgow Teaching Excellence Award in 2006, and Royal Society of Edinburgh Inspiration Award in 2006. During a 2010-11 sabbatical at UC San Diego, he advanced the CS Principles course.