Published on: 14 November 2014


Six Year 10 boys successfully completed a first-year university computer science course with two scoring High Distinctions. Assistant Director of Studies Matthew Kameron presented the boys with their certificates at a recent assembly.

Over Terms 1 and 2, the boys completed the UNSW High Schools Computing Course with the assistance of Mr Kameron and University of New South Wales (UNSW) senior lecturer Richard Buckland.

Mr Buckland lectured Ben Anderson, Hector Morlet, Nicholas Pizzino, Matthew Overington, Samuel Thompson and Thomas Waring from interstate using UNSW course material and assignments. Mr Kameron said the boys had beaten the scores of many first-year university students, including Ben and Thomas who received High Distinctions.

Hector Morlet said the he enjoyed the course activities ranging from programming with fractals to writing Artificial Intelligence. “Mr Buckland’s unique teaching style made learning data structures and methods easy, relating them to seemingly unrelated ideas such as toast, balloons, cars, playing Connect 4 and Danish people.”

Hector said the course had elevated his programming ability. “It opened my eyes to how programming was just as much about humans and their interactions with computers, as it is about programming itself,” he said.

“Programming is about solving problems alongside thousands of people around the world and collaborating with others to make the daydreams you have about the future become real, all while sitting on the couch at home.”