Newcastle, NSW

Rusty Coding Club

Learn programming and mathematics with fun computer games

Rusty Coding Club is aimed at year 4-5 students interested in mathematics, computer games and programming.
  • Classes are held in school libraries, on school days, in the morning
  • Students write code to control a character in a series of increasingly difficult computer games.
  • Web based interface, with screens to write and compile code, plot shapes on graphs, play games, learn mathematical topics and answer questions.
  • Approximately 60% of the time is on mathematical theory, 20% coding and 20% games

Six Challenging Games

  • Maze Game
  • Battleships
  • Parking Game
  • Flood Game
  • Bacteria Game
  • Robot War
More screenshots and videos
First Game - solving a maze

Topics covered

  • Decimal points, floating point numbers
  • Cartesian co-ordinates
  • Positive/negative numbers on the X/Y Axis
  • Plotting lines representing x = 2, y = -3
  • Greater than and less than on a graph
  • Boolean logic
  • Structure of a program
  • Structure of a function
  • Conditions in a function
  • Compiling a program
  • Enumerated variables in Rust
  • Angles
  • Velocity
  • Calculating distances using Pythagoras' Theorom

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should a child learn programming?
Much of this club focuses on teaching mathematical concepts, and using the concepts in games. It also teaches thinking logically, analysing the structure of the commands, and boolean logic.
Is this too ambitious for year 4 and 5 students?
This club is recommended for students with a strong interest in Mathematics. While the mathematics is advanced for their level, the current students are engaged and learning, and feedback from parents has been positive, indicating the material was within their capabilites. Students with no intrinsic interest in Mathematics will struggle
Could this course be given to older students?
Yes, their mathematics will be more advanced, so they would progress faster. If there is interest, classes for older students can be arranged.
What programming language do you teach?
Rust. The syntax is similar C and the skills transferrable to any language. The Rust compiler is very thorough, giving informative error messages. Once compiled, a student's program will run without errors causing it to crash. Technical detailed explanation
Can my child practise at home?
Although the children use a web based interface, it is not publically available, because they are writing code for multi-player games displayed on the main screen. Instead of starting from "Hello World" basic programs, they are modifying functions, which has observable effects in the games, and makes learning more enjoyable. Parents are welcome to install Rust on computers at home for their children to experiment with.
Where is the club held?
Currently at New Lambton Public School
What are your future plans?
I'm planning an adventure style web-based single player game, to teach more advanced programming concepts, including structures, mutable variables, and strings
Can parents watch?
Yes - feel free to sit in and watch the classes