Dr Becky Allen

Becky holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence focused on pedagogical approaches to teaching AI. Her research spans human-centred AI in music — including adaptable digital musical instruments and studies of AI as a musical collaborator — novel approaches to sonification, and applications of acoustic machine learning to health, such as detecting Alzheimer's-related dementia through acoustic emotion analysis. Her recent work encompasses social prescribing including how technology can be used for more robust multi-stakeholder evaluation – leading to a more sustainable provision. She also researches AI in education, including frameworks and threshold concepts for teaching AI, and immersive learning environments. As part of this approach she is investigating how music can be used as a conduit to improve digital / AI literacy to disadvantaged communities, whilst harnessing the wellbeing benefits associated with music. 

Research Themes: 

• Sonification 
• Music Technology
• AI for Health - including Social Prescribing / Community Health
• Human-Centred AI

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Perceptions of an Artificial Intelligence Musical Collaborator, Allen, B., Mo, R. 8 Sep 2025, AES International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Audio,, New York, Audio Engineering Society
• Acoustic Emotion Analysis for Novel Detection of Alzheimer's Dementia, Sviderski , M., Barakat , B., Allen, B. 28 Aug 2024, The 29th International Conference on Automation and Computing , Piscataway, NJ, IEEE
• Multi-Task Learning with Acoustic Features for Alzheimer's Disease Detection, Sviderski , M., Barakat , B., Allen, B., MacFarlane, K. 28 Aug 2024, 29th International Conference on Automation and Computing, Piscataway, NJ, IEEE
• A Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Approach to Adaptable Digital Musical Instrument Development, Allen, B. 4 Dec 2023, CHIME Proceedings of the CHIME Music and HCI Workshop 2023, Milton Keynes, The Open University
• Immersive Learning Environments: Do They Improve Student Skills or Cause Cognitive Overload? A Literature Review, Allen, B., Graham, P., Murray, J. 5 Jul 2023, 15th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, Valencia, Spain, IATED
• Co-Constructing a Community of Practice for Early-Career Computer Science Academics in the UK, Crick, T., Davenport, J., Hanna, P., Hayes, A., Irons, A., Miller, K., Prickett, T., Ward, R., Allen, B., Patil, B., Payne, S. 6 Jan 2022, Proceedings - 6th Conference on Computing Education Practice, CEP 2022, New York, ACM
• Measuring the Difference Between Student and Staff Perception of Self-Efficacy and Confidence Using Online Tools, Allen, B., Heels, L., Devlin, M. 2 Sep 2021, 2021 United Kingdom and Ireland Computing Education Research (UKICER)
• Toward a Framework for Teaching Artificial Intelligence to a Higher Education Audience, Allen, B., McGough , A., Devlin , M. 1 Nov 2021, In: ACM Transactions on Computing Education
• Using the One Minute Paper to Gain Insight into Potential Threshold Concepts in Artificial Intelligence Courses, Allen, B., Devlin, M., McGough , S. 7 Jan 2021, CEP '21: Proceedings of the 5th Conference on Computing Education Practice, New York, NY, United States, ACM

• PhD December 09 2022
• MSc May 31 2016
• BSc (Hons) May 31 2015