2026 Archive | jackjburnett

Department for Education UKRI Policy Internship Briefings

I was accepted for a UKRI Policy Internship with the Department for Education. As part of my application, I submitted a policy briefing on GCSE reforms, including changes to assessment structures, compulsory resits, and equity considerations. The briefing explores challenges such as subject narrowing due to staff shortages and financial barriers, disparities in attainment across socio-economic groups, and the effects of exam pressure on students and teachers. It also draws on international comparisons to highlight alternative approaches to secondary assessment.

I also produced a separate policy briefing on accessible technology in education; this briefing was not submitted, and has not been polished as I decided to focus on GCSE reforms after first draft. Both briefings can be found below.

GCSE Reforms Briefing: The Impact of GCSE Reforms: Policy, Impact, and Implications

Assistive Technology Briefing: Accessible Technology for Disabled People

Are We Doing Enough? CHI ‘26 Workshop Submission

I have an accepted position paper at the Are We Doing Enough? workshop. The paper argues for the growing importance of automated hardware design tools in enabling non-technical users to create customised devices, particularly in the contexts of accessibility and gaming.

As demand for customised hardware continues to rise, many users remain excluded due to the technical expertise required to design and build their own solutions. This position paper highlights how automated design tools can help bridge this gap by lowering barriers to entry and empowering novice designers. Using game controllers as a case study, it outlines the potential for such tools to reduce costs, increase adoption, and contribute to a more inclusive, user-centred hardware ecosystem.

Paper: To be linked after workshop

Dorkbot Talk

To be added

Pre-CHI 2026 Website

As a publicity chair I created the Pre-CHI 2026 website, based on jekyll-theme-conference. The website managed to top Google searches for ‘pre chi’ and ‘pre chi 2026’, with over 1000 impressions in the two months leading to the event. A pirate theme version was also created, found by ‘pirating the talks’ on the main website.