23-year-old Mette Langkilde Madsen fell for the programme because she learns about software from start to finish.
“I like that I, here on this course, get all aspects of it so it is not just about programming. At the same time I gain a lot from using the knowledge we get in practice. In that way we get a deeper understanding of the theory and it does not feel like a waste of time when you know what to use it for,” says Mette who currently studies at her second semester:
“I knew nothing about programming in advance, but have become slightly hooked. It is fascinating because it is a small bit of text that is essential to a program. If you can write the correct text, you can get a programme to do exactly what you want it to.”
Fun to Work with Users
Last semester Mette and her project team were assigned the task to produce an app that would motivate 4th graders during Danish lessons. The group chose to focus on grammar, because they considered grammar a real bore, when they were children.
“We had a user group in a school, and when we visited them, it was confirmed that they could do with a new one. One of the problems was that the students needed a quick feedback on grammar exercises, but the teacher needed time to correct assignments. Therefore, we created an app that could give the children feedback faster.”
The group started making a prototype in cardboard so they could test the design and structure. Then they developed a prototype for a tablet, which they also tested on the children to see how the pupils responded.
“It was great to get feedback from the user group, which also came up with new ideas. The children were very excited and thought it was fun. At the same time the teacher was positive towards our solution, so it was really nice.”
Inspiring Study Environment
Mette spends a fair deal of hours daily to prepare for lectures and project works:
“I do not mind. I think it is fun and exciting to read about and work with software in theory and practice. I also study with my study group and discuss solutions,” she says and continues:
“We have a great team spirit in the group and sometimes we sit for hours and talk, both professionally and privately. At the same time, we know each other very well because so much of our work is group-oriented. Just now, we have started new groups and then you get to know new people.”