News

ComputeTY 2013 - Secondary Schools Get Involved in Computing

The School of Computing, in conjunction with CNGL, for the eighth year in a row, are running their successful ComputeTY programme for Transition year students.  The programme has run very successfully over the years, and has managed to directly recruit new students into the Faculty of Engineering and Computing.  

This year the programme takes place over a three week period in January and February 2013, with over 150 students attending each week.  The course structure is divided into two streams, Stream 1 (web design) and Stream 2 (an introduction to programming).  The overall content offers a broad range of computing skills from the creative aspect of website design to the problem solving challenges of the programming stream.

Academic Advisor for the course, Dr. Jennifer Foster said,

“This year we slightly changed the focus of the course to have a greater emphasis on the programming stream. Students are expected to choose computing as a third level option without necessarily having studied it at school. This programme gives our second-level students the opportunity to experience some core aspects of computing before they start to think about filling out their CAO forms.

Considering the IT skills gap in Irish industry, it is important we continue to encourage them into computing and digital technology.It is well known that women are under-represented in the tech world - in order to do our part to promote computer science as an exciting and creative career option for girls, this year we have also made a concerted effort to encourage greater female participation in the programming stream.”

Since its launch in 2005, ComputeTY has been completed by almost 3,500 Transition Year students from Dublin schools. The course enables students to develop practical computing skills and gain certification from DCU for their work. The initiative also aims to strengthen DCU's links with the local community by encouraging students who live close by or on a bus route to DCU to participate in the programme.

Run by DCU School of Computing, the course is supported by the Centre for Next Generation Localisation (CNGL), a world leading research centre, where researchers are producing advances in how computers can adapt software and digital content, including computer games, to different languages and cultures

If you would like more information for next year’s ComputeTY programme, contact Christine Stears at DCU Faculty of Engineering and Computing, christine.stears@computing.dcu.ie or telephone: (01) 7005237.