This Thursday, the students staying in Balliol College had the fantastic opportunity to explore new areas of interest and collect some new skills while doing so at the eagerly anticipated Insight Masterclasses.

The Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) team had students donning full forensic suits to examine a mock crime scene, complete with blood spatters and finger prints. They analysed blood samples, scrutinized the finest of details and matched finger prints to aid in the resolution of a crime scene simulation. Students thoroughly enjoyed dressing up in the suits, feeling as though they really were participating in an active crime scene.

The Chaos Coding team made up of app and game developers, set the task of a simple design challenge, to come up with an idea for a mobile or console game and then share their ideas with the rest of the class. The programme is designed to make the students think about how games really work, and to break down the component of a game before getting hands on with the coding process. Students then dived straight into coding fundamentals such as variables and functions, animating objects and changing their size and rotation. The students loved the creative freedom involved, being able to generate anything they wanted.

Lastly, some students participated in Stock Market Challenge. Students competed against the market and other teams in the room, creating the same buzz experience as on the trading floor on Wall Street. The time pressure and competitive nature of the exercise ensured students developed their communication and team working skills.