Girls Creating Games: Increasing Middle School Girls' Interest in Technology

像“GameBoy”这样的产品的巨大成功传达了一个明确的信息：科技是男孩的领域。女孩创造游戏项目是一个示范项目，旨在通过教女孩设计和编写电脑游戏来挑战这一信息。这个项目的方法是独特的：它让女孩扮演技术生产者的角色，而不仅仅是消费者。180名中学女生将参与一项研究，以确定生产技术（电脑游戏设计）是否能提高女孩对技术学习的流畅性、兴趣、积极参与和持久性。具体的项目目标是a)增加女孩对计算机的知识、兴趣、态度和信心，b)增加成年人在技术方面支持女孩的能力，c)增加对各种计划和技术的研究，这些计划和技术可以增加中学女孩对技术学习和职业的兴趣和坚持。这个计划中的项目将在加利福尼亚的一个小城市县（70%是白人，21%是西班牙裔），在放学后和暑假期间，在一小群女孩中进行。它涉及四个实体之间不同寻常的伙伴关系：1)来自非营利健康促进机构（ETR Associates）的研究人员和项目开发人员；2)新布莱顿中学的学校工作人员和学生；3)来自男孩和女孩俱乐部的工作人员和青年；4)来自当地大学和公司的女性技术学生、教师和专业人士。这种伙伴关系对于建立知识（例如，确定有效的项目战略以提高女孩对技术学习的兴趣和坚持）和增加社会资本（例如，建立成年女性榜样、教师和工作人员提供支持性环境的能力）至关重要。教授电脑游戏设计作为一种提高女孩对技术兴趣的干预策略大有希望。事实上，互动游戏对技能和态度的早期影响是未来技术相关行为的最佳预测因素（Greenfield & Cocking, 1996; Levine & Donitsa-Schmidt,1998; Subrahmanyam & Greenfield, 1998）。只有另外两个已知的项目（针对小学和高中学生）将游戏创造作为干预策略或研究驱动议程的一部分（Kafai, 1995; Miller, Chaika, &Groppe, 1996）。我们的工作通过在非正式学习（校外）环境中与中学生合作，并使用基于女孩发展研究的理论和实证的项目活动，扩展了这一研究。我们的项目还具有创新性，因为它将身份形成作为项目的一部分，作为一种转变的方式，而不仅仅是对现有性别角色的回应（Cassell & Jenkins, 1999）。我们的节目策略是为吸引女孩而设计的。它们包括玩电脑；将技术与实际应用相结合；关注社会问题的游戏内容；采用协作教学模式；涉及技术女性榜样、学校教师和项目工作人员；评估游戏设计对参与者以及教师和工作人员的影响。建议的干预措施将使用准实验，前后测试设计进行评估。两个假设将被检验。首先，与对照组相比，干预组的参与者在解决问题和计算机技能、对计算机的兴趣、对计算机的积极态度、从事计算机研究的意向、使用计算机的信心、对技术职业的了解和对从事技术职业的支持方面会有更大的提高。其次，使用同伴合作和教师、员工和女性榜样指导的教学模式将增加成年人支持女孩积极参与技术的能力和兴趣，并挑战关于谁擅长计算机的刻板印象。数据将通过调查、访谈和学生笔记本收集。研究结果将产生一个可复制版本的项目，可用于提高女孩对技术的兴趣，以及成人在其他学校和课后环境中支持她们的能力。

The vast success of products like the "GameBoy" sends a clear message that technology isthe domain of boys. The Girls Creating Games Program is a demonstration project designedto challenge this message by teaching girls to design and program a computer game. This project is unique in its approach: it puts girls in the role of producers of technology, rather than simply consumers. One hundred eighty middle school girls will participate in a study to determine whether producing technology (computer game design) can increase girls'fluency, interest, active participation and persistence in technology studies. Thespecific project goals are to a)increase girls' knowledge, interest, attitudes, andconfidence with computers, b) increase adults capacity to support girls in technology,and c) add to research on the kinds of programs and technologies that increase the interest and persistence of middle school girls in technology studies and careers.The proposed project will take place with small groups of girls after school and duringthe summer in a small, urban county (70% White, 21% Hispanic) in California. It involves anunusual partnership between four entities: 1) researchers and program developers from a non-profit health promotion agency (ETR Associates); 2) school personnel and studentsfrom New Brighton Middle School; 3) staff and youth from a Boys & Girls Club; and 4) female technology students, teachers, and professionals from local colleges andcompanies. This partnership is essential for building knowledge (e.g., identifyingeffective program strategies to increase girls interest and persistence intechnology studies), and increasing social capital (e.g., building the capacity ofadult female role models, teachers, and staff to provide a supportive environment).Teaching computer game design holds great promise as an intervention strategy forincreasing girls' interest in technology. Indeed, interactive games have an earlyinfluence on theskills and attitudes that are the best predictors of future technology-related behavior (Greenfield & Cocking, 1996; Levine & Donitsa-Schmidt,1998; Subrahmanyam & Greenfield, 1998). Only two other known programs (with elementary and high school students) have used game creation as an intervention strategy or as part of a research-driven agenda (Kafai, 1995; Miller, Chaika, &Groppe, 1996). Our work extends that research by working with middle school students in an informal learning (out of school) environment, and using theoretically andempirically-based program activities that build on girls development research. Our project is also innovative in that it includes identity formation as part of theprogram as a way to transform, not simply respond to existing gender roles(Cassell & Jenkins, 1999). Our program strategies are designed to appeal to girls.They include having fun with computers; linking technology with its real-world application; focusing the game content on social issues; using a collaborative instructional model; involving technical female role models, school teachers and program staff; and assessing the impact of game design on participants as well asthe teachers and staff.The proposed intervention will be evaluated using a quasi-experimental, pre-post testdesign. Two hypotheses will be tested. First, compared to the control group, the participants in the intervention group will report a greater increase in problem-solvingand computer skills, interest in computers, positive attitude toward computers, intention to pursue computer studies, confidence using computers, knowledge about tech careers,and support to pursue a career in technology. Second, the instructional model that uses collaboration with peers and guidance from teachers, staff, and female role models will increase the adults' capacity and interest to support girls active participation in technology, and challenge stereotypes about who is good at computers. Data will be collected using surveys, interviews, and student notebooks. The findings will result in a replicable version of the program that can be used to increase girls interest in technology and adults capacity to support them in other school and after school settings.