CodePlus- Evaluating The Short and Long-Term Impact of a Computing Outreach Programme for Girls
Citation:
Lawlor, Grace, CodePlus- Evaluating The Short and Long-Term Impact of a Computing Outreach Programme for Girls, Trinity College Dublin.School of Computer Science & Statistics, 2022Download Item:
07573162 Grace Lawor PhD Submission Final.pdf (PDF) 5.828Mb
Abstract:
Women s equal and meaningful participation in the digital society is seen as both integral to the realization of women s rights in the 21st century, as well as the realization of a just, inclusive and rights based information society and to achieve global objectives around gender equality and women s empowerment by 2030.
(United Nations, 2015)
Addressing the underrepresentation of women in the field of computer science is a long standing challenge (Patitsas, Craig, & Easterbrook, 2014; Spertus, 1991). Key contributing factors to gender imbalance include; lower levels of confidence in girls concerning computing, ingrained negative stereotypes, a lack of visible female role models, and the traditional pedagogical practices of CS undergraduate courses (AAWU, 2000; Beyer, Rynes, Perrault, Hay, & Haller, 2003; Cheryan, Drury, & Vichayapai, 2013; A. Fisher, Margolis, & Miller, 1997).
For several decades, efforts to encourage women to pursue pathways in computer science have been ongoing across a range of educational levels and contexts. In the non-formal learning environment, a significant number of outreach programmes target the adolescent cohort where a sharp drop-off in girls interest is known to occur. Such initiatives share much by way of approach, including the use of all-female learning environments, providing relevant female role models, and contextualizing computing through engaging programming activities. Despite a considerable number of such initiatives, their impact is relatively under-explored from an academic perspective (Decker, McGill, & Settle, 2016).
This dissertation describes the approach of a non-formal CS outreach programme CodePlus , designed as an intervention programme to address factors that affect girls predilection to study computer science, computing and related undergraduate courses . The aims of this research are to provide a structured approach to evaluate the short-term and longitudinal impact of similar CS outreach programmes while also investigating the previously under-examined role of pedagogy in the design and delivery of such programmes.
The justification for this study and its approach are based on the researcher s review of the literature in the area of female underrepresentation in computing and computer science. In accordance, the intervention employed an all-female learning environment with relevant female role models while teaching computer science through a progressive team-based, technology-mediated, learning model Bridge21 (J. Lawlor, Conneely, Oldham, Marshall, & Tangney, 2018). It was hypothesised that the Bridge21 pedagogical model would contribute positively to the objectives of the intervention and could provide a viable framework for similar programmes into the future.
The study employs a mixed-methods, concurrent nested design strategy to measure the intervention s impact on participants perceptions of careers, self-efficacy regarding CS and intentions to study in the field of in CS. The research design involved two phases: (1) measuring the short-term impact of the intervention (2) measuring the longitudinal impact of the intervention. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to answer the research questions. Over 1,000 girls participated in the programme from 2015-2020 with 856 participating in the research element.
The results showed significant short-term positive changes in key attitudinal variables relating to the central phenomenon under investigation;
1. Computer self-efficacy
2. Perceptions of CS
3. Future intentions regarding CS pathways
and affirmed the efficacy of the intervention s design elements. The results of the longitudinal element of the study suggest that the intervention had an enduring influence on a number of participants electing to study a CS or related course against the backdrop of other contributory factors. This is inferred both from data that directly investigates the effect of the intervention and contextual data that highlighted the limited external CS resources and supports available to participants.
This thesis makes both academic and practical contributions to computer science outreach and the broader area of addressing gender imbalance in the field through; A structured meta-analysis of the all-female outreach space, a framework for short-term and longitudinal outreach evaluation and a deeper understanding of how the design elements of CS outreach interventions affect outcomes.
Author's Homepage:
https://tcdlocalportal.tcd.ie/pls/EnterApex/f?p=800:71:0::::P71_USERNAME:LAWLORGRDescription:
APPROVED
Author: Lawlor, Grace
Advisor:
TANGNEY, DenisPublisher:
Trinity College Dublin. School of Computer Science & Statistics. Discipline of Computer ScienceType of material:
ThesisCollections:
Availability:
Full text availableKeywords:
Outreach, Gender, Computer Science, WomenLicences: