“CodePlus”—Measuring Short-Term Efficacy in a Non-Formal, All-Female CS Outreach Programme

Abstract

The provision of all-female computer science outreach programmes is a common strategy used to foster greater interest in the subject for high school aged girls. Based on key factors that affect girls’ interest in computer science (CS), outreach programmes often share much in their approach. Nonetheless, there is criticism from a research perspective concerning how programmes evaluate their efficacy, and how the role of pedagogy is under-explored. This article describes the design of CodePlus, a non-formal CS outreach programme based in an Irish University, Trinity College Dublin, and the methods by which the programme is evaluated. This article aims to contribute to this area by reporting on a social constructivist pedagogical model for all-female CS outreach activities, evaluated with a structured research approach. The results from the large sample size ( n =856) are positive, with participants showing statistically significant changes in key attitudinal and intentional variables concerning girls’ interest in studying computer science.

Disrupting Computing Education: Teen-Led Participatory Design in Libraries

“…Research findings highlight the need for creation and delivery of curriculum that is not only administered by facilitators who are technically competent, but who also look like the youth they are serving or who are trained to be socially-just educators [50,67]. As Lawlor et al [33] state, informal computing learning initiatives aimed at increasing participation are often designed and executed within university settings. This is an issue because computing learning initiatives led by community members can be more sustainable and responsive to community historical contexts.…”

“…This is an issue because computing learning initiatives led by community members can be more sustainable and responsive to community historical contexts. Past initiatives have focused on creating affinity-oriented learning environments, providing women role models, and teaching girls through projectbased learning [33]. Clarke-Midura et al [8] examined a summer informal learning program with the interest in broadening the participation of girls in computing.…”