Design and evaluation of a computer science and engineering course for middle school girls

  • Authors:

  • Gabriela Marcu;Samuel J. Kaufman;Jaihee Kate Lee;Rebecca W. Black;Paul Dourish;Gillian R. Hayes;Debra J. Richardson

  • Affiliations:

  • Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA;University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA;Brea Olinda High School, Brea, CA, USA;University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA;University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA;University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA;University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 41st ACM technical symposium on Computer science education
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

A significant focus in the United States recently has been to increase engagement and interest in STEM curricula, particularly among girls and underrepresented minorities [3]. In this work, we take an approach to teaching and learning that supports flexibility, experimentation, and play with technology. With this approach, we aim to make STEM curricula more comfortable and engaging for all types of children and teens, with a particular emphasis on lower socio-economic status female students. We designed and tested a computing course for middle school girls, and this work resulted in three best practices: hands-on work incorporating creativity through crafts into engineering and computing, the frequent presence of an audience to motivate engagement, and engineering-focused individual roles structuring group work. Pre- and post-surveys and exit interviews revealed significant changes in attitudes and an enthusiasm for engineering projects and careers as a result of participation in the course.