Short and Sharp: Challenging Girls to Become Programmers

1. Short and Sharp: Challenging Girls to Become Programmers Alison Hunter Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand Raewyn Boersen Eastern Institute of Technology, New Zealand

2. Where is New Zealand? Population 4.5 million, nearest large neighbour Australia, 3 hours flying away, area about same as UK.

3. Background 1: NZ Women Programming Professionals

4. Background 2: NZ Women Programming Students (1 x university)

5. Programming Challenge 4 Girls (PC4G)One NZ initiative to address imbalance • First one 1989, introduced programming to 16-18 year old girls, ran 11 years, champion retired (COBOL) • Redesigned and refocused in 2008 by some of the same initiators • Now 13 x NZ sites, 12 x international sites • Expanding organically by those who are passionate about girls and programming • www.pc4g.org.nz or info@pc4g.org.nz

6. Targets 14 year old girls (year 10) Name of event Judging PC4G Carefully Designed Organisation structure Format Industry involvement Teaching materials Rewards Publicity Timing Host sites Programming language

7. NZ Educational Environment • 5 years of High school, (years 9-13) ages 13-18 • Two types - single-sex & co-educational • Majority public i.e. government run, minority privately owned • New Digital Technology curriculum for examination years (Years 11, 12 & 13)with five IT strands • Low uptake • 55 x Programming & Computer Science (P&CS) • 507 x Mathematics • Girls studying P&CS strand relatively low (23%, 24% and 31% respectively) • Majority of schools use criterion-based assessments

8. Research Questions • What evidence is there that participation in the PC4G encourages girls to consider a career in programming? • Sub-questions: • How did the girls’ respond emotionally to the Challenge; was it an encouraging experience? • What were the girls’ perceptions of gender capabilities and stereotyping? • How effectively did the Challenge increase the girls’ understanding of programming?

9. Methodology • Small pilot study • Written survey to collect quantitative and some qualitative data – six sections • Ethical implications substantial due to age of girls • Participants • 12 of 13 schools • 23 of 40 girls • Response rate of 58% (incentivised)

10. Analysis • Quantitative data • Frequencydistributions of responses in percentage format • Easiest for reading • Demographics of the 23 participants • 22 use a computer at home • 22 own their own device • 20 had programmed before • Findings from 3 of the 6 sections presented in 4 tables

11. What evidence is there that participation in the PC4G encourages girls to consider a career in programming?

12. How did the girls’ respond emotionally to the Challenge, was it an encouraging experience?

13. What were the girls’ perceptions of gender capabilities and stereotyping?

14. How effectively did the Challenge increase the girls’ understanding of programming?

15. Conclusions • A positive experience • PC4G increased the girls’ understanding of programming • Stereotypical views although persisting, are minimal, little negative impact • Majority believe that they would be as capable at programming as boys • Being labelled a geek ok • Girls able to rate their preference for three of programming’s component tasks Fun + a sense of achievement + wish to repeat = evidence PC4G encourages girls to consider a career in programming

16. Future Research • The pilot will be refined and areas of limitations addressed • The research is to be extended to more sites and in more countries • A longitudinal study may also be undertaken to see how the girls’ interest in programming is either nurtured and developed or wanes