Are you interested in computers and electronics?

Secondary school students, when investigating tertiary study, have little opportunity to discover what a particular course has to offer and often have a poor understanding of employment options in that field. Further, many secondary schools have limited resources, and are thus unable to provide career advice in any detail. Whilst University Open Days' are a good opportunity for information seeking, we often experience parents driving the direction of the student's choice. In 1997 a program was initiated aimed at informing students about the “Bachelor of Digital System” at Monash University as a course option. Because the degree involves both digital hardware and computing, a project that offered both disciplines in a non-trivial task was desirable. The development of a computer controlled house in which electronic appliances could be monitored and operated via a computer was proposed. This system is known as the “Smart House”. In this paper we will discuss the concept of the Smart House with an overview of the equipment. Discussion of activities in the workshops, and feedback from participants, is also covered. One of the major outcomes mentioned by participants was that the construction of hardware and software was both fun and new, and lead to a real sense of achievement.