Leaving Cert Summer Taster At CCT - How They Are Doing!

The sun has been shining here in Dublin, no better time to be inside... well, at least our students seem to think so!

Over the last two weeks we asked Leaving Cert students (some from transition year also) how they are doing with the taster course here at CCT and what attracted them to the course. For some students, it is love at first site (web site, get it?), for other students it is a love that progresses over time. We are happy to facilitate both types of people here at CCT.


A few faces have become familiar here at CCT, as some of the students have returned to finish of some unfinished business from the Taster Courses last year. We are glad to see them back for more. To try and gauge what kind of student we are attracting for the Taster Course  we asked, "What made you come try a Taster Course", here is what the students had to say...


"I did a taster course last year on game development and I want to learn how to make my own programs and learn other programming languages to help me to create games and software."


"I think I want to study Computer Science in college and I thought it would be good to try it out first to make sure."

"I've an interest in computers and web design but have never had the chance to develop that interest before."



Everyone has different reasons for trying a Taster Course here at CCT, but the most encouraging aspect of what the students have to say is that they are all here to try it out and see what it is all about. This inquisitive attitude is exactly what works well and helps students during their college learning experience.

A Look Inside The Web Development Taster Course at CCT

One of the hot topics in the IT world is with out a doubt, creating a web site. The Web Development Taster Course at CCT is designed to give third level students in Ireland an insight to what web development is by giving them a chance to get to grips with developing their own site. Students often think that the learning curve will be a little steep if they have not had any experience with web development, but that is never really the case.

A Little look at what we have been up to!

Starting from the ground up is one of the most important aspects of learning any new subject. The web development taster is no different. A really simple view of the web development cycle is outlined with some traditional HTML (seen above projected on screen!) to get the senior cycle students familiar with how the very fundamentals of web development work.

Some leaving cert students quickly get to grips with this however, waiting eagerly for what is coming next. Within a day or two, it does become time to move on to something a little different and students are introduced to the software available from Microsoft for developing their own web application.

In a world of infinite choice when it comes to web development, some decisions need to be made to get the students thinking about practical web development that can be used in everyday business. Students are introduced to ASP, C# and JavaScript to get the maximum out of their time. The development software provided by Microsoft, Visual Studio provides a quick and fun way to develop and deploy their own web applications.

For students who are more inclined towards making their website look great and not just function well, the fundamentals of style and design when creating a website are covered later in the taster. The Web Development Taster Course at CCT is designed to encourage students to get to grips with the industry standards of technology available to them.

And We Have Started The ICT Taster Courses!

Today marked the launch of the 2014 Summer Taster Courses here at the College of Computer Training, and what a great start it was.

To give an idea where they are from and what their current Information Communications Technology (ICT) background is, the day started off with a quick set of introductions from the students from a wide variety of different secondary school across Dublin.

Some students have just graduated from secondary school, some just entering 6th year getting ready for the Leaving Cert and even some transition year students taking an early look. There really is no better time to take a peek and see what the ICT world has to offer.

A large amount of the students have had no exposure to ICT at all, which is perfect as these courses are aimed for those who want to get involved and have no prior knowledge. Some others however have have had the chance to dabble a bit through self-tuition and help from friends, giving them an extra great start.

Getting started with ICT can be a bit of a leap for those who have never had a chance to get into the inner workings of a web site, setting up a network or the concepts behind making a game. Each of the students however were very eager to get to grips with their sample of the ICT world.

Each of the students is now on a path to equip them with the skills to achieve a CCT Skills / QQI-FETAC certification. Good luck to each of them!

Now that each student has started off on their free taster journey, we will be keeping this blog up to date with the progress of the students and making note of exceptional work that will no doubt follow over the next three weeks.

Welcome to CCT!

A nice break in the weather is a great way to get started for the summer taster courses here at the College of Computer Training!

For those who are just in the door, we got Simon at the front desk telling you which of the rooms you are in for the next three weeks!

What Courses Are Running This Summer?

• Programming - Dr. Brett Becker
• Networking - Michael Weiss
• Web Development - Kyle Goslin
• Mobile Development - Ricardo Iwashima
• Game Development starting tomorrow (Tuesday 15th)

Keeping You Updated!

Over the next three weeks we will be keeping track of the highlights from the summer courses. We hope you enjoy your stay here at CCT. If you have any questions or comments feel free to talk to your lecturer.

What Are The Summer Taster Courses?

The courses are designed for secondary school students in Dublin.

For students who have just finished the Leaving Cert and are interested in taking a look into what IT has to offer, now is the chance!  With a wide range of tasters to choose from, you can put your foot in the water with whichever part of IT you are most interested in!

These courses are designed for students who have no experience at all with IT, so there is no such thing as a silly question.

Get ready to start developing!