Learners are taught coding at UCT lab

A SIX-day #RoboCampCT run by UCT’s School of Information Technology and CodeSpace saw 65 Grade 10-12 learners building a foundation to further their technology skills.

#RoboCampCT also provided an environment for the learners to think about why they might want to learn to code. Several tech professionals joined the camp to share how they use technology and coding in their careers, from 3D printing and graphic design to medicine and finance.

Learner Luqmaan Rykliefw said: “It was a fun and engaging experience. You’ll learn valuable skills you didn’t know existed, and it will provide you with good insight into the careers you can pursue in the realm of technology.”

Professor Ulrike Rivett, director of the School of IT, said a key challenge for many schools remained the missing infrastructure to create coding classes. “Availing our labs during the university holidays is a good use of the facilities, but even more so, it allows learners to come to campus and get inspired about what is possible,” Rivett said.

The camp focused on the basics of the new language of technologym. UCT said the robotics part of the camp grabbed the learners’ attention because it was tactile and visual – writing a line of code made it possible to move an actual 3D object.

“Learners got their robots to ‘come to life’ and move around. The learners came from the Western Cape and beyond, with organisations such as the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation enrolling a group of learners. The camp focused on teaching them the basics of the new language of technology.

“Learners can begin to code in any programming language. Once they understand programming principles and how to do the basics, they can transfer that to the specific use of programming robotics. This is a crucial skill for future professionals, as it allows them to use technology to enhance whatever job they are doing,” UCT said.