COMPUGIRLS: A Culturally Relevant Technology Program for Girls

亚利桑那州立大学(ASU)与凤凰城联合高中学区、斯科茨代尔联合高中学区、罗斯福学区、东谷男孩和女孩俱乐部-萨卡顿、英特尔、应用学习技术研究所、教师和管理人员动态教育领导力(D.E.L.T.A.)、亚利桑那州立大学计算与信息学院、亚利桑那州立大学视频游戏设计营以及亚利桑那州黑人工程师和科学家委员会计算机营(ACBES)合作，正在实施一项与文化相关的多媒体项目战略-COMPUGIRLS。这项课后和暑期计划借鉴了三个有据可查的框架，即与文化相关的教学实践(CRP)、社会正义青年发展框架和未来时间展望，旨在为来自凤凰城几个高需求地区和学校的100名青少年(8-12年级)女孩培养与IT/STEM相关的成果。COMPUGIRLS在两个地点举行，亚利桑那州立大学和东萨卡顿山谷的男孩和女孩俱乐部。已经有40名女孩完成了为期一年的项目。该项目将该计划扩大到包括另外60名学生、他们的家长、亚利桑那州立大学的研究生和在职教师以及同行导师。COMPUGIRLS提供实践技术体验，包括实习、先修学分、会议和社区演示以及家长研讨会，最终将发展参与者对现实世界问题的技术-社会分析技能。作为体验的一部分，学生访问亚利桑那州立大学。对许多人来说，这是他们第一次来到大学校园。学生们参加了6门多媒体课程：1)社会正义与媒体，2)Scratch，用户友好的计算机编程，3)模拟模拟的建模，设计，修改，和简化的模拟故障排除，4)3-D的选择，编程，和角色设计，5)3-D，编程，和角色设计的高级选择，以及6)团队合作，使用所学的所有技能在模拟城市创建社区。参与者的项目将通过社区仪式、网页和演讲每半年传播一次。该项目建立在一个试点项目(2007年夏季至今)的基础上，该项目容纳了来自凤凰城大都市区资源不足地区的40名女孩。COMPUGIRLS项目是一个为期两年的课程，使用多媒体活动作为鼓励计算思维的一种手段。该项目增进了人们对如何鼓励女孩(包括代表人数不足的群体的女孩)攻读信息和通信技术领域的理解。它建立在既定研究的基础上，包括评估对参与者的计算思维、技术-社会分析技能、对在信通技术/STEM领域继续深造和从事职业的态度和兴趣的影响。目标是：1)利用多媒体活动作为鼓励计算思维的手段；2)提高女孩的技术-社会分析技能；3)为亚利桑那州代表性不足群体的女孩提供成功穿越信通技术和/或任何劳动力路线图的基础。对该项目的评估采用了混合方法(定性和定量)，包括使用调查工具、学生期刊、重点小组、访谈、文件审查、观察和深入的案例研究。在测试前和测试后的设计中加入了一个比较/控制小组，以确定参与者的技能、知识、态度和行为相对于他们没有参与项目时的变化程度。

Arizona State University (ASU) in collaboration with Phoenix Union High School District, Scottsdale Union High School District, Roosevelt District, Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley-Sacaton, Intel, Applied Learning Technologies Institute, Dynamic Educational Leadership for Teachers and Administrators (D.E.L.T.A.), ASU's School of Computing & Informatics, ASU's Video Game Design Camp, and Arizona Council of Black Engineers and Scientists Computer Camp (ACBES), are conducting a culturally relevant multimedia program strategy, COMPUGIRLS. Drawing on three well-documented frameworks, Culturally Relevant Pedagogical practices (CRP), Social Justice Youth Development Framework, and Future Time Perspective, this after-school and summer program fosters in IT/STEM related outcomes for 100 adolescent (grades 8-12) girls from several Phoenix high needs districts and schools. COMPUGIRLS takes place at two sites, ASU and the Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley-Sacaton. Already, 40 girls have completed one-year of the program. This project expands the program to include another 60 students, their parents, ASU graduate students and in-service teachers, and peer mentors. COMPUGIRLS provides hands-on technology experiences that include internships, Advanced Placement credit, conference and community presentations, and parent workshops that will ultimately develop participants' techno-social analytic skills for real world problems.As part of their experience, students visit ASU. For many, this is the first time they have been on a college campus. Students participate in 6 multimedia courses: 1) social justice and the media, 2) SCRATCH, user-friendly computer programming, 3) modding SIMS, designing, modifying, and troubleshooting simplified simulations, 4) choice of 3-D, programming, and character design, 5) advanced choice of 3-D, programming, and character design, and 6) teamwork to create neighborhoods in Sim City using all skills learned. Participants' projects will be disseminated semi-annually through community ceremonies, web pages, and presentations.The project builds upon a pilot program (Summer 2007 to present) that accommodated 40 girls from under-resourced districts in the Phoenix metro area. The COMPUGIRLS program is a two-year curriculum using multimedia activities as a means of encouraging computational thinking. The project advances understanding of how to encourage girls (including girls from underrepresented groups) to pursue ICT fields. It builds upon established research and includes evaluation of the impact on participants' computational thinking, techno-social analytical skills, attitudes about and interest in pursuing further education and careers in ICT/STEM fields. The goals are:1) To use multimedia activities as a means of encouraging computational thinking; 2) To enhance girls' techno-social analytical skills; and 3) To provide the building blocks for Arizona girls from underrepresented groups to successfully traverse an ICT and/or any work force roadmap. The evaluation of the project consists of a mixed-methods approach (qualitative and quantitative), incorporating the use of survey instruments, student journals, focus groups, interviews, document review, observation and an intensive case study. A comparison/control group is incorporated into the pre- and post-test design to determine the extent the participants' skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors changed relative to where they would have been without participation in the project.