Digital Divas: Putting the Wow Into Computing for Girls

Front Cover
There is ample literature detailing the general lack of interest that girls show in computing, particularly in their later teen years, along with the subsequent decline in the number of women who enter the information technology (IT) workforce. In 2007, to address this problem, a new and revolutionary program was designed by Australian researchers to excite girls' interest in IT. The program was called 'Digital Divas' and it was unique because it ran in schools as part of the school curriculum. The underlying philosophy of 'Digital Divas' was to provide educationally sound materials that tapped into the interest of girls, delivered in all-girl classes within the school curriculum so as to change girls' perceptions of IT careers. The pilot program was a success and this led to the design of a larger project, the outcomes of which are the subject of this book. A significant amount of pre- and post- qualitative and quantitative data was collected from both teachers and students. A number of focus groups were conducted, one or two years after the girls had undertaken 'Digital Divas'. As a result, the researchers were able to conclusively demonstrate, among other things, that such a program can increase girls' self-efficacy with IT, change their stereotypical image of IT being for men and boys only, and have them seriously consider IT as a career option. The book details the rationale and motivation for developing 'Digital Divas', the evaluation planning and framework which underpinned both the design of the program and the research, the research approach and data gathered, and the results. The wider impact of the program is also discussed. *** Librarians: ebook available (Series: Education) [Subject: Education, Computer Technology, Gender Studies, Youth Studies]

About the author (2016)

Dr Julie Fisher is a Professor in the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University, Australia. She has worked and conducted research in the information systems field for the last 20+ years. For most of this time Julie has researched the area of gender and IT and been part of teams which have implemented intervention programs designed to encourage girls into IT. This work contributed to the design of the Digital Divas research project which she led. Her other research has focused on usability and health informatics. Julie has published widely in leading journals and conferences. Dr Annemieke Craig is an Associate Professor in the School of Information and Business Analytics, Deakin University. Annemieke's career and research journey has focused on computing education at all levels - secondary, adult education, TAFE and tertiary education. Her research interests revolve around engaging students with and in ICT. There are a number of threads contributing to this overarching research umbrella including: increasing gendered participation in ICT, exploring the use of digital technologies to support teaching and learning; and improving student engagement in the ICT discipline within higher education programs. Dr Helen Forgasz is a Professor of education and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Education, Monash University. The focus of her research and teaching is on gender issues and the affective domain in mathematics education; technology use for mathematics learning has been an area of particular interest. Helen is a regular presenter at national and international education conferences. She has edited several books, and has authored numerous book chapters, as well as a wide range of scholarly and professional journal articles. Amber McLeod is an Assistant Lecturer in Education at Monash University. She has a BSc in Applied Biology at RMIT and worked as a microbiologist before completing a Diploma of Education at La Trobe University and a Masters in Linguistics at Monash University. Amber was awarded a PhD scholarship as part of the Digital Divas project. Her PhD thesis examined the relationship between community attitudes to ICT and the outcomes of the Digital Divas Intervention Project. Amber is also interested in cross-cultural understandings of ICT.