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SIGCSE
2010
ACM

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

14 years 5 months ago
Design and evaluation of a computer science and engineering course for middle school girls
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. Preand 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 co...
Gabriela Marcu, Samuel J. Kaufman, Jaihee Kate Lee
Added 18 May 2010
Updated 18 May 2010
Type Conference
Year 2010
Where SIGCSE
Authors Gabriela Marcu, Samuel J. Kaufman, Jaihee Kate Lee, Rebecca W. Black, Paul Dourish, Gillian R. Hayes, Debra J. Richardson
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