Paper Info
Title
Design and evaluation of a computer science and engineering course for middle school girls
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.
Year
DOI
Venue
2010
10.1145/1734263.1734344
SIGCSE
Keywords
Field
DocType
stem curriculum,computing course,united states,significant change,engineering course,group work,engineering project,best practice,computer science,hands-on work,significant focus,middle school girl,engineering-focused individual role,socio economic status,computational science and engineering
Best practice,Enthusiasm,Computer science,Knowledge management,Group work,Underrepresented Minority,Curriculum,Computer Science and Engineering,Structuring,Creativity
Conference
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
9
0.62
3
Authors
7
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Gabriela Marcu128626.89
Samuel J. Kaufman2292.42
Jaihee Kate Lee390.62
Rebecca W. Black4313.96
Paul Dourish58020900.72
Gillian Hayes61852155.64
Debra Richardson7949126.94