Programming Basics

Students in the Year 8 and 9 Programming Basics elective recently completed their Website Design & Development unit, combining website coding skills with contemporary design principles. As part of Visionary Design Academy (VDA)’s DICE (Design, Innovation, Creativity, Education) Pilot Program, students participated in a series of sessions delivered at the school by Lachlan Miles from VDA (based in Blackburn), who introduced students to the fundamentals of effective and engaging website design, including user experience, visual communication, and design thinking.

Complementing these sessions, students developed their HTML and CSS coding skills in class, applying their learning to create functional and visually appealing websites. The combination of industry-informed design learning and classroom-based programming provided students with an authentic experience of the website development process, with students demonstrating creativity, problem-solving, and technical skill throughout the unit.

In the final session, students showcased their work to peers and staff, sharing their completed website projects. In recognition of their participation and completion of the pilot program, students were awarded certificates of completion along with a small showbag.