COMPUGIRLS: A Culturally Relevant Technology Program for Girls

亚利桑那州立大学（ASU）与凤凰城联合高中区、斯科茨代尔联合高中区、罗斯福区、东谷男孩和女孩俱乐部、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（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、亚利桑那州立大学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节目战略，COMPUGIRLS。利用三个有充分证据的框架：文化相关教学实践（CRP）、社会正义青年发展框架和未来时间展望，这个课外和暑期项目为来自凤凰城几个高需求地区和学校的100名青春期（8-12年级）女孩培养了与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谷-萨克顿的男孩女孩俱乐部。目前已有40名女孩完成了为期一年的课程。这个项目将该项目扩展到另外60名学生、他们的父母、亚利桑那州立大学研究生、在职教师和同伴导师。COMPUGIRLS提供实践技术经验，包括实习、大学先修学分、会议和社区演讲，以及家长研讨会，最终将培养参与者对现实世界问题的技术社会分析技能。作为他们体验的一部分，学生们参观亚利桑那州立大学。对许多人来说，这是他们第一次进入大学校园。学生参加6个多媒体课程：1)社会正义和媒体，2)SCRATCH，用户友好的计算机编程，3)建模模拟，设计，修改和故障排除简化的模拟，4)3- d，编程和角色设计的选择，5)3- d，编程和角色设计的高级选择，以及6)团队合作，使用所学到的所有技能在模拟城市中创建社区。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都会区资源不足地区的40名女孩。COMPUGIRLS计划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手段。该项目促进了对如何鼓励女孩（包括来自代表性不足群体的女孩）从事信息通信技术领域工作的理解。它建立在已有研究的基础上，包括评估对参与者计算思维、技术社会分析技能、对继续教育和在ICT/STEM领域从事职业的态度和兴趣的影响。目标是：1)使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能力；3)为来自弱势群体的亚利桑那州女孩提供基石，帮助她们成功穿越ICT和/或任何劳动力路线图。该项目的评价采用混合方法（定性和定量），包括使用调查工具、学生期刊、焦点小组、访谈、文件审查、观察和深入的个案研究。对比/对照组被纳入测试前和测试后的设计中，以确定参与者的技能、知识、态度和行为的变化程度，以及他们在没有参与项目的情况下的变化程度。

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.