Take on the blink challenge

SOS! Students are challenged to program an Arduino microcontroller to create an SOS signal.

Learn the basics of coding

Students gain hands-on coding experience building and testing breadboard circuits.

Prototyping electric circuits

Throughout the workshop, students use breadboards to test their electrical circuits due to the simple plug and play nature of the device.

Workshop overview

Year level 7-8
Capacity 16-32 students. If you want to bring more students, email highschool.workshops@qut.edu.au
When School days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
Duration Half day
Where QUT Gardens Point, Science and Engineering Centre
Cost
Free (late cancellation fees apply. See terms and conditions).

Workshop details

Students take the first steps into real programming using Arduino.

They explore the basics of electrical engineering and are introduced to programming logic and processes such as 'for loops' and 'if statements'. They will see how electrical equipment and software are connected, build a breadboard circuit and program their Arduino Microcontroller to flash the LEDs in the circuit. Their final coding challenge is to make the LEDs light up in an SOS signal.

Topics covered in this workshop:

  • coding
  • technology
  • electrical engineering.

Book this workshop

We’re now fully booked in terms 1 and 2, 2025. Bookings for workshops in terms 3 and 4 will be opening in term 2.

Curriculum links

Year 7

Digital Technologies

  • Design algorithms represented diagrammatically and in English, and trace algorithms to predict output for a given input and to identify errors (ACTDIP029)
  • Implement and modify programs with user interfaces involving branching, iteration and functions in a general-purpose programming language (ACTDIP030)
  • Investigate how digital systems represent text, image and audio data in binary (ACTDIK024)

Mathematics

  • Introduce the concept of variables as a way of representing numbers using letters (ACMNA175)

Year 8

Digital Technologies

  • Design algorithms represented diagrammatically and in English, and trace algorithms to predict output for a given input and to identify errors (ACTDIP029)
  • Implement and modify programs with user interfaces involving branching, iteration and functions in a general-purpose programming language (ACTDIP030)
  • Investigate how digital systems represent text, image and audio data in binary (ACTDIK024)

Mathematics

  • Describe events using language of 'at least', exclusive 'or' (A or B but not both), inclusive 'or' (A or B or both) and 'and' (ACMSP205)

Science

  • Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE135)

Contact us

If you have any questions, comments or feedback about the QUT High School Student Connections program, we'd love to hear from you.

3138 1801