| Please note that this page is archived from 2012. We do not currently have any Cocoa workshops planned. |
We are pleased to announce 20 scholarships to our annual AUC Cocoa workshop to be held at the UNSW Kensington campus from the 11 – 13 April 2012.
This workshop is aimed at developing an understanding and appreciation of Cocoa, iOS and other OS X development technologies and is for students (and staff) who have an interest in programming on OS X or iOS.
Another objective of this event is to provide means for people of like minds to meet and interact with one another.
The cost of the workshop is $150 for students and $300 for staff.
What is Cocoa?
Cocoa is an object-oriented application environment designed specifically for developing Mac OS and iOS applications. The Cocoa frameworks include a complete set of classes, and for developers starting new Mac OS X and iOS projects, Cocoa provides the fastest way to full-featured, extensible, and maintainable applications.
For further information visit Apple’s Cocoa Website.
Who should attend?
The workshop is aimed specifically at students who study computing science, computer engineering, information technology, mathematics or related disciplines and/or have an interest in developing software for computers. Staff from member Universities are also welcome to attend. It is expected that those who attend will have some computer programming experience using languages like but not limited to Java and C++. It is not expected that students have experience programming on the Mac OS X or for iOS devices.
What will I learn at the Workshop?
The Cocoa course is design for those who have never programmed in Cocoa before but already have some programming experience with preferably C or Java. You will learn the basics starting with the Objective-C language and the Foundation classes and build on that knowledge to implement simple form based applications that can load and save their own data.
Cocoa is built around object oriented design principles, so you will learn the importance of the model view controller architecture and its relationship to building robust, flexible software applications. You will then extend the ideas of building a basic application to one that supports multiple documents. In addition, you will learn about the view architecture and event driven applications to develop an interactive drawing application that also supports multiple documents.
A taste of Core Data and Bindings technologies is presented to demonstrate the potential that this new technology offers and how it augments Cocoa programming.
Finally participants will get an overview of using Cocoa for iOS based devices.
An outline of the key topics discussed during the workshop is outlined below.
Day One
- The Software Development Process
- Introduction to the Tools
- Introduction to Objective-C
- Source Code Management
- Strings, Arrays and Dictionaries
- Objective-C Memory Model
Day Two
- Debugging, Assertions and Tools e.g. Instruments.
- Model View Controller
- Contacts Example – A simple address book
- Widgets – How to use various controls
- Archiving
- Table Views
- Views, Windows and Window Controllers
Day Three
- Events
- Graphics Application Programming
- Mouse Event Handling and the State Design Pattern
- Menus and icons
- iOS Software Development Taster
Dates & Venue
The AUC Cocoa Workshop will be run on the 11 – 13 April 2012, 9.00am to 5.00pm each day.
The workshops will be held at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Kensignton Campus which is a 15 minute bus trip from the Sydney Central Business District (CBD).
CHI Laboratory, K17-G11Ground Floor, Building K17
School of Computer Science and Engineering
The University of New South Wales
Entry via Gate 14
Barker Street
Kensington NSW
A map of the UNSW campus can be found here.
Scholarship Inclusions
The scholarship includes a subsidy for return economy airfares, accommodation subsidy for three nights (four nights for WA, NT & FNQ attendee’s) and morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea for each day of the workshop.
In addition to this the scholarship includes an allowance to purchase the Aaron Hillegas’s ‘Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X’ text and notes from the workshop.
The accommodation and airfare subsidy are outlined below.
The AUC can NOT assist with organising flights or accommodation.
Applicants for the program will be required to place a deposit of $150 for students and $300 for staff when registering for the program. This deposit is fully refundable should an applicant not be successful. If they are successful the deposit will be used as full payment for the workshop.
Accommodation and Travel Subsidy
Recipients of the scholarship from eastern states (NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, TAS) are entitled to three nights accommodation subsidy. Recipients from more remote locations (NT, WA, FNQ & NZ) are entitled to an additional night of accommodation subsidy.
Those who live within the Sydney Metropolitan area are not entitled to an accommodation subsidy.
The following table summarizes the maximum claimable subsidies.
| Departure Point | Maximum Accommodation Claimable |
| Western Australia (PER), NT (DAR) & FNQ (Far North Queensland) & NZ (4 Nights) | $600.00 |
| All Others (3 Nights) | $450.00 |
The above accommodation subsidy of $150 per night is based on budget accommodation in the Sydney region. It is the responsibility of the individual to arrange accommodation. UNSW is a 15 minutes bus trip from the Sydney Central Business District. Receipts should be kept to support your claim for funding.
Airfare Subsidy
For recipients of the scholarship the AUC is offering to susidise return economy airfares up to a maximum amount as detailed below. We encourage you to use advance purchase and discount airfares to keep your airfare under the maximum airfare claimable if you are allocated a scholarship.
| Departure Point | Maximum Airfare Claimable |
| Western Australia (PER) | $600.00 |
| South Australia (ADL) | $450.00 |
| Victoria (MEL) | $300.00 |
| Tasmania (HOB & LCN) | $400.00 |
| Queensland Far North (TSV/ROK/CNS) | $500.00 |
| New South Wales (BHS/ARM/WGA/LSY) & ACT (CNB) | $300.00 |
| Brisbane (BNE) | $300.00 |
| Northern Territory (DAR) | $600.00 |
| New Zealand (AKL/CHC/DUN) | $500.00 |
Use WebJet or WotFlight to compare fares from all airlines.
Textbook Subsidy
Recipients of the scholarship are entitled to a maximum $75 allowance to purchase Aaron Hillegas’s ‘Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X’.
This allowance can be claimed at the end of the program providing appropriate proof of purchase is provided.
Application Process
To apply for a scholarship simply visit apply online by the 16th March 2012 (5.00pm Sydney time). On registration you will be required to place a deposit of $150 for students and $300 for staff to ensure your application is considered.
The AUC will review all applications using the following criteria:
- Demonstrated experience in programming and software development.
- A clear plan/ vision as to how the workshop will benefit the applicant.
- Commitment to sharing the outcomes of the workshop with the broader AUC community.
Applicants will be notified by the 20th of March 2012 as to the success of their application. If your application is successful, you can book your flights and accommodation.
Should you not be successful in obtaining a place the deposit will be fully refunded. The AUC appreciates circumstances change and as a consequence refunds will be permitted in accordance with the refund statement below.
To register as student your should be enrolled in at least a 50% full time student load. Staff employed full time or part time by their University must register as staff.
If you have any questions regarding the AUC’s Cocoa Workshop then please contact:
Refund Statement
The AUC understands situations change and as a consequence there may be a need to refund the $150 – $300 deposit. Refunds of the deposit will be granted in accordance to the following.
- If a candidate is not selected to participate in the program their deposit of either $150 or $300 will be reimbursed within 7 days of being notified.
- Up until March 5pm March 27, 2012 successful candidates have the right to cancel their registration and attendance to this program and receive a full reimbursement of the deposit within 7 days of being notified.
- Any cancellations post March 27 will NOT receive a refund of the deposit. The AUC however reserves the right to refund the deposit post March 27 on the basis of documented medical or compassionate grounds on a case by case basis.
Claims
Claims for the above travel and accommodation subsidies must be sent within 3 months of the Cocoa workshop to the AUC.
Claims will not be accepted until after the workshop to confirm attendance. Under exceptional circumstances the AUC may reimburse prior to the workshop commencing. You should contact the AUC Programs Manager if you require such an arrangement.
In order to make a claim you must attend each day of the workshop. Again we appreciate there may be exceptional circumstances and as such will consider exceptions on a case by case basis. You should contact the AUC Program manager if your circumstance during the event does not allow you to participate in the entire program.
Please download the AUC Claim form, complete and attach copies of original Tax Invoices and Receipts. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your claim and payment will be made within the following 2-3 weeks.
Incomplete or unsubstantiated claims will be delayed until rectified.