SciGirls Code: Computational Participation for Middle School Girls

SciGirls Code is a project which used the principles of connected learning with 16 STEM outreach partners to provide 160+ middle school girls with computational thinking (CT) and coding skills within informal education spaces. Programs completed 3 curricular strands (Mobile Apps, Robotics, E-Textiles) between September 2017-May 2018. SciGirls Code integrates a computational participation framework with connected learning. The research study investigates the ways in which computational learning experiences impact girls' development of CT; interest and attitudes toward computer science; and their understanding of how participation in technology creation impacts themselves and the world around them. This study utilizes an interpretive multi-site case study design. There are multiple data sources with different data collected at focal and participating sites. The seven (7) focal cases represent an array of settings (rural, suburban, urban) as well as a variety of programming contexts (museums, community centers, after school). The remaining nine (9) sites comprise the participating cases. Notably, interviews (in-person) from focal sites and shorts (videos) from participating sites were collected at three moments in the programming (beginning, middle, end) to document changes in understandings and skills. Content analysis was conducted, and further triangulated in teams, to develop themes for each case and cross-case comparison. Thus far, the study has found that a connected learning approach boosted the development of middle school girls' CT skills, positively impacted attitudes towards computing pathways/careers, and increased understandings of computational participation.