On Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:31:52 +0000, Ghostrecon wrote:

On 9 Mar 2012 19:51:03 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:31:33 +0000, TheScullster wrote:

For those following the Raspberry Pi/Humble Pi threads, I thought it
might be interesting to try to get some feedback on the level of
interest in the device in schools. Granted this is only one teenage
take on the situation, but I asked my lad about them at dinner time.
He is 17 and a bit of an academic, not really interested in
engineering/product design etc. Even so, I expected he would know of
a few interested mates that would be getting involved with these.

Absolutely no idea! Hasn't heard of them and doesn't see why anyone
would be interested. Like most these days, he sees computers as
software engines only (Office, games etc) rather than controllers and
interface devices etc.

The people on our CS degree are the opposite (hardly surprising I
guess).

What really amazed me was when I questioned him about computer science
(as distinct from "IT") and whether the guys taking this course to A
level were likely to be interested. Apparently the school has dropped
this option as there were only 2 students interested in taking it!

Not at all surprising. It's a relatively hard A level, and all other
things being equal, it's likely to be about one grade harder than most
other subjects.

I have taught both computer studies and A level physics in recent years
and would have to say that they are on a par in terms of their
difficulty, in general I found that the more able students could
progress in both but that for those slighty less able physics was a
little harder. it did depend on the interest and motivation though but
some aspects of the CS course could be understood by some hard work by
these students but they would struggle with the physics even when they
put the work in


The school he attends is one of the top comprehensives in the area
with approx 2000 pupils, so maybe there is a leaning toward academia
(rightly or wrongly).

Schools don't like it because it affects their output stats (and thus
their sixth form funding, which is being drastically cut anyway).

+1


In answer to the oiginal poster :- on tuesday before last I brougght the
subject of the Pi up with my Level 3 diploma engineers (class of 12 year
12 students) and 9 had heard of it and 3 were preparing to get up for 6
o clock the following morning to try and get one of the first batch

That's why I said 'most'. I do see relatively few students who've taken
physics (I didn't take it myself, but did Nuffield Physical Science).



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