5 September 2000 Quartet's A-plus university success through South Otago High School

First class passes in university-level computing have come the way of four southern students doing a Lincoln paper through the University's Regional Education connection with South Otago High School.

As part of its Regional Education Programme, Lincoln University ran a computing course at South Otago High School during the first semester of the year.

This programme gives students throughout the country the chance to study tertiary level subjects without having to physically attend the Canterbury-based university. All the Regional Education subjects can be credited towards various degrees, diplomas or certificates of New Zealand universities.

For the first time, South Otago High School offered Lincoln University's Computing paper, using facilities within the school. Four students took the course – two Year 13 students at South Otago High School and two who are employed at the local Kiwi Dairy Company at Stirling.

The four successfully combined secondary study or full time work with their tertiary study and all gained A+ grades in results released recently.

Programme learning co-ordinator Tony Simpson, who teaches at South Otago High School, said that the results were a credit to the effort put in by the four students.

"They have done really well combining work or full time secondary study with university-level study to gain such great grades."

Lincoln University's Regional Education courses take place over a 12-week semester. Students work on specifically designed self-study resources and attend regular weekly meetings with a learning co-­ordinator. At these sessions the students discuss issues that have arisen during the week's study.

Lincoln's Computing course offered at South Otago High School is a core (compulsory) paper for all the University's Bachelor of Commerce degrees and for the Bachelor of Applied Computing qualification. It is an introductory course that provides the learner with basic computing skills in common word processors, spreadsheets, databases and browsers. In addition it provides a basic understanding of how computer systems work, how they are used and the good and bad effects they have in everyday life.

South Otago High School Principal Brian Davies said that tertiary study of this nature added a new dimension to the school offering students and members of the community the opportunity to gain qualifications which previously they could only have obtained by going to a tertiary centre.

In addition, it "provides able students with extra motivation and adds value to their last year at school," he said.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand