In his 20 years as an academic staff member, Professor Bell has inspired students with his enthusiasm, technical knowledge and innovative teaching methods. One PhD student who endorsed his nomination for the Teaching Medal described his ability to hold the attention of his classes as "uncanny".
Professor Bell has pioneered numerous innovations to enhance students' learning experiences. An example is the introduction of regular podcasts which expand on lecture content.
In 2006, Google Inc. contributed funding for the development of Professor Bell's Computer Science Unplugged programme which uses fun activities to demonstrate computer science to school children. A teacher's manual for the programme has been translated into Korean, Japanese and Chinese. About 10 other translations are currently being developed.