Dr Charles Martin

Recipient, Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence

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College of Systems and Society

Synopsis

Dr Charles Martin teaches computing as a creative discipline. A musician before he was a computer scientist, he brings the intensity and collaboration of the music studio into computing classrooms at the ANU, where he has taught at every level, from first year to postgraduate, since 2019. Charles’ classes are built on a simple idea: students learn computing best when they are making something that matters to them. His students compose music in the raw language of a computer chip, perform in public concerts on musical instruments they have built, and design interactive technology for real people. Charles created the University’s Sound and Music Computing course, growing it from seven students to 180, and co-designed the Human Centred and Creative Computing programs, now the most gender-diverse study area in the School of Computing. He designed and delivers the training program that has prepared hundreds of tutors across his college to teach.

(Photo by Tangyao Zhang/Teaching Communities and Recognition team).