Prof Bertram Haskins

Prof Bertram Haskins

Associate Professor
Department of Software Engineering
bertram.haskins@mandela.ac.za
041 504 3142
North Campus, R-Block, Room R102b

Biography / Background

Bertram Haskins is an Associate Professor at Nelson Mandela University. He holds a PhD from the former Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and a number of industry qualifications and certifications. Bertram's research focuses on applied machine learning, with the most significant applications in the health, education and security domains. He supervises a number of research-based postgraduate students focused on topics in these domains. As part of his duties, he is the current chairperson of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Technology's ethics committee. As such, he represents the faculty on the Nelson Mandela University Research Ethics Committee: Human (REC-H).

Qualifications

Academic

2014: PhD Information Technology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
2007: M Tech Information Technology, Central University of Technology, Free State
2004: B Tech Information Technology, Free State Technikon (Cum Laude)
2003: N Dip Information Technology, Free State Technikon (Cum Laude)

Other qualifications/workshops attended

2020:     

Cisco Devnet Associate v1.0. Cisco Networking Academy Online Training

Cisco Big Data and Analytics 2.01. Cisco Networking Academy Online Training

2016:

Cisco Introduction to IoT. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

2015:

Thuthuka proposal writing workshop. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Strengthening Postgraduate Supervision Module. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

2011:

Working with qualitative data workshop. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

2010:

Cisco CCNA Security. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

2008:

Health and Safety Representative Course Module 1: The Safety Act. Central University of Technology, Free State
Health and Safety Representative Course Module 2: Risk Assessment. Central University of Technology, Free State
Cisco CCNP 1: Building Scalable Internetworks. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

2006:

Assessment and learning module HOS 512: Assessment. University of the Free State
Assessment and learning module HOS 518: Teaching and Learning. University of the Free State
Cisco IT Essentials 1: PC Hardware and Software. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Cisco IT Essentials 2: Network Operating Systems. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

2005:

Cisco CCNA 3: Switching Basics and Intermediate Routing. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Cisco CCNA 4: WAN Technologies. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

2004:

Cisco Networking Academy regional instructor training. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Cisco CCNA 1: Networking Basics. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Cisco CCNA 2: Routers and Routing Basics. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

2003:

Short course on Outcome-based Education (OBE). Central University of Technology, FS

Awards and achievements

2020

Nelson Mandela University Teaching and Learning Excellence Teacher Team Award
The top innovation award in the category of High Social Impact at the United Nations
Economic Commission for Africa hosted by Zimbabwe for the Ncediso Mobile App. Role within the team: App developer.

2018

Runner-up best paper award, with student Craig Mills,  at the 2018 Conference on Information Communication Technology and Society (ICTAS)

2017

Nelson Mandela University Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and IT Excellent Teacher of the Year
Nelson Mandela University Excellent Teacher of the Year.
Cisco Networking Academy Advanced Instructor Award

2015

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and IT Emerging Researcher of the Year.

2012:

South African National Research Foundation Sabbatical Grant
South African National Research Foundation Thuthuka PhD Grant (2012 – 2014)

2004:

Best B Tech Information Technology Student. Central University of Technology, FS
Best Overall B Tech Student in the Faculty of Engineering. Central University of Technology, FS

2003:

Third-year N Dip Information Technology Student Merit Award. Free State Technikon

Professional Activities

Bertram was the programme co-chair for the 2018 South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists (SAICSIT) Conference and has served as a guest editor for a special edition of the South African Computer Journal (SACJ).  He is also a professional member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

Teaching Interests


As a fully-connected cyber-citizen, I constantly seek out new ways to incorporate technology into my teaching. Being in a technological field, with a primary focus on teaching programming and project-based subjects, it comes naturally to include technology-driven approaches into my teaching practice. Technological interventions help to streamline my teaching process, serving as struts to bridge the divide between myself and my students. I believe that the correct application of technology has a humanising effect on education. It helps to free me from the constraints of every-day administration and enables me to spend more time on the day-to-day interaction with, and education of, my students. Providing students with the correct tools to further their education requires a holistic approach. This not only includes the provision of subject knowledge but also the instillment of a need to do life-long learning. Therefore, I try to always keep the following statements in mind when dealing with my students: Leave no-one behind, challenge them, be approachable and make it memorable.

Research Interests

Machine learning is seen as a disruptive technology for the broad implications it has to change, improve or augment the status quo in so many fields. Prof Haskins' current research interests are focused on applying machine learning techniques to the fields of health, education and security based on text, image and voice-based data. His current group of postgraduate students include one doctoral and seven masters candidates.
 

Representative Publications

Nicholas Lennox and Bertram Haskins (2020) Contrasting classifiers for the detection of breast cancer using thermographic images. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Intelligent and Innovative Computing Applications, ICONIC '20, New York, NY, USA, 2020. Association for Computing Machinery

Ryno Adlam and Bertram Haskins (2020) A permissioned blockchain approach to electronic health record audit logs. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Intelligent and Innovative Computing Applications, ICONIC '20, New York, NY, USA, 2020. Association for Computing Machinery

Okuhle Ngada and Bertram Haskins (2020) Fake news detection using content-based features and machine learning. In Proceedings of the 7th IEEE Asia-Pacific Conference on Computer Science and Data Engineering (CSDE), IEEE CSDE 2020, -, 2020. IEEE - (Awaiting publication by the IEEE)

R. Adlam and B. Haskins (2019) A permissioned blockchain approach to the authorisation process in electronic health records. In International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC 2019), 21 - 22 November 2019

P. Blunt and B. Haskins (2019) A model for incorporating an automatic speech recognition system in a noisy educational environment. In International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC 2019), 21 - 22 November 2019

N. Lennox and B. Haskins (2019) Comparison of segmentation methods for the detection of breast cancer using thermal images. In International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC 2019), 21 - 22 November 2019

BP Haskins (2018) Automated Consensus Moderation as a Tool for Ensuring Reliability in a Multi-Marker Environment. The ASEE Computers in Education (CoED) Journal, 9(4), 2018

C. Mills and B. Haskins (2018) Using mobile technology in an adventure sport. In 2018 Conference on Information Communication Technology and Society (ICTAS), pages 1–6, March 2018

BP Haskins (2018) Guidelines for the adoption of multiple choice as an assessment tool in a programming module. In 9th Annual International Conference on Computer Science Education: Innovation and Technology (CSEIT 2018). GSTF, 2018

BP Haskins and RA Botha (2017) Aligning mathematics with tutoring platform topics. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 13(1), 2017

Nicholas Lennox and Bertram Haskins (2017) Guidelines to improve the security and privacy consciousness among online gamers. In Proceedings of the 16th Annual Security Conference, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 2017. Information Institute

Bertram Haskins (2017) Machine learning as a tool for identifying opportunities for intervention in a university module. In Proceedings of the Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa and Robotics and Mechatronics International Conference (PRASA-RobMech), 2017, pages 175–180. IEEE, 2017

BP Haskins and V Pieterse (2016) Lessons Learnt in Applying Automated Code Plagiarism Detection in an Introductory Programming Module. Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning, 11, 2016

Kevin Draai, Bertram Haskins, and Reinhardt A Botha (2016) Devising NREN design goals from commercial network design guidelines. In 2016 IST-Africa Week Conference, pages 1–7. IEEE, 2016
Phatludi Modiba, Vreda Pieterse, and Bertram Haskins (2016) Evaluating plagiarism detection software for introductory programming assignments. In Proceedings of the Computer Science Education Research Conference 2016, CSERC '16, pages 37–46, New York, NY, USA, 2016. ACM

BP Haskins and RA Botha (2015) Contrasting Methods for Classifying Microtext Statements Containing Mathematics. Journal for New Generation Sciences, 13(1), May 2015

Bertram Haskins (2015) Contrasting classifiers for software-based OMR responses. In Proceedings of the Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa and Robotics and Mechatronics International Conference (PRASA-RobMech), 2015, pages 233–238. IEEE, 2015
BP Haskins (2014) Utilising n-grams and edit distance as a means of identifying copied programming assignments.  Port Elizabeth, 25 – 26 June 2014. SACLA
BP Haskins and RA Botha (2014)   A  mixed-method  apporach  to normalising Dr  Math microtext.   In Proceedings of the International Conference on Computational Science and Technology (ICCST). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 27 – 29 August 2014
BP Haskins and RA Botha (2014) SVM Classification of Dr Math Microtext.  In A de Waal, editor, Proceedings of the 25th Annual Symposium of the Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa (PRASA), Cape Town, South Africa, 27 – 28 November 2014. PRASA"

BP Haskins and RA Botha (2013) Identifying Tag Word Counterparts for Dr. Math. In Eduard Hovy, Vita Markman, Craig Martell, and David Uthus, editors, 2013 AAAI Spring Symposium on Analyzing Microtext, Stanford, California, 25 – 27 March 2013. AAAI

BP Haskins and RA Botha (2013) Rendering Dr. Math Learner Queries With HTML5 and SVG. In A. Koch and PA van Brakel, editors, Proceedings of the 15th Annual (South African) Conference On World Wide Web Applications, Cape Town, South Africa, 11 – 13 September 2013. ZAWWW

BP Haskins and W Nel (2013) Development of an Online Portal for Conference Management. In A. Koch and PA van Brakel, editors, Proceedings of the 15th Annual Conference On World Wide Web Applications, Cape Town, South Africa, 11 – 13 September 2013. ZAWWW

BP Haskins and RA Botha (2012) A Comparison of Mathematical Rendering Techniques to Support Dr. Math Tutors. In A. Koch and PA van Brakel, editors, Proceedings of the 14th Annual (South African) Conference On World Wide Web Applications, Durban, South Africa, 7 – 9 November 2012. ZAWWW

BP Haskins and RA Botha (2012) Identifying Suitable Mathematical Translation Candidates From the Logs of Dr. Math. In A de Waal, editor, Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Symposium of the Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa (PRASA), Pretoria, South Africa, 29 – 30 November 2012. PRASA

Phumezo Ntlatywa, Reinhardt A Botha, and Bertram Haskins (2012) Claimed vs observed information disclosure on social networking sites. In Information Security for South Africa (ISSA), 2012, pages 1–6. IEEE, 2012

P Ntlatywa, RA Botha, and B Haskins (2012) Factors that influence the choice of privacy settings on Facebook: Freshmen's view at a South African university. In 4th International Conference on Information Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust (PASSAT), pages 843–850. ASE/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2012

Bertram Haskins (2010) Image Recognition in Quality Control: A Feasibility Study. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, May 2010

Baker, D., Taljaard, P., Spies, D., Nel, W., Jooste, A., Laubscher, K., Hoffman, L., Rich, K., Haskins, B., Bonnet, P. (2009). An advance in value chain analysis for smallholder livestock keepers: VAIMS. Paper presented at the regional symposium on livestock marketing in the Horn of Africa: Working towards best practices, Nairobi, Kenya, 21-23 October 2009. Nairobi (Kenya): ILRI