Computer Clubs for Girls CC4G

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Computer Clubs for GirlsCC4G

• Melody Hermon

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Agenda

• e-skills UK
• The Challenge
• Computer Clubs for Girls CC4G
• The CC4G courseware
• The impact
• Evaluation
• Case study Pembroke School
• Further evaluation

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e-skills UK

• Sector Skills Council for IT and Telecoms
• Employer led
• Not for profit
• Research
• Skills supply IT Management and Business
• Workforce development
• Skills for the Information Age
• Business IT Guide
• Sector attractiveness
• User skills e-skills UK Passport

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The Challenge
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The future workforce

• IT and Telecoms account for just under 1.4
  million of the UK's total workforce
• Growth over the next decade
• Central to the UK's economy
• Significant numbers of people will be needed
• Changing skills
• Market forces

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Women working in IT

• Women represent 46 of the UK workforce
• Women represent 19 of IT and Telecoms workforce
• 18 of IT managers are female
• 12 of IT strategy and planning professionals
• 14 software professionals
• 58 database assistants

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Women in IT education

• At 16
• 44 of applicants were girls
• Girls performed better than boys
• Numbers increased since 2003
• At 18
• 39 of applicants are female
• ICT v Computing
• Higher education choices
• 58 of HE places go to women
• 24 of places on IT and related courses

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Why?

• Department of Trade and Industry research
• British Computer Society Research
• e-skills UK a negative perceptions
• The type of people who work in technology
• Male dominated
• Influence of school experience
• Knowledge of IT careers
• Lack of strong role and relevant role models
• HE courses not attractive
• Changes between 10 and 14

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Positive Action

• Women working in IT
• Networking Groups
• Employer Diversity Programmes
• IBM 'Respect for the Individual
• Accenture 'Women's Networking Forum' and 'Global
  Women's Initiative'
• Recruitment and information websites
• www.wherewomenwanttowork.com
• National awards
• CC4G

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What is CC4G?

• Out of hours school club
• Web-based activities and challenges
• Courseware meets the needs of
• Employers
• Schools
• Girls aged between 10 and 14
• Courseware introduces a range of ICT skills
  within a familiar and exciting context
• A website to support girls and teachers

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What is CC4G (cont.)

• Club materials
• Support
• Regional organisations
• Employers
• CC4G Helpdesk

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The story so far

• Pilot and roll-out across to state funded schools
  across England
• Pilot in Northern Ireland
• Programmes in Scotland
• Programmes in Wales

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The CC4G courseware
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What teachers say - Delivery

• 89 said the quality of guidance was absolutely
  brilliant or pretty good
• 79 said it was easy or pretty easy to get
  started with CC4G
• 81 said it was easy or pretty easy to
  facilitate
• 65 said CC4G should remain girls only

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What teachers say Impact

• 98 said that members IT confidence levels
  improved
• 96 said that members IT skills are improved
• 97 said that membership will have a positive
  impact on members achievements in IT
• 88 said that membership will have a positive
  impact on members achievements across the
  curriculum
• 52 said their level of confidence in IT has
  improved
• 55 said their level of skills in IT has improved

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Girls

• 67 said that CC4G had made them more likely to
  want to work in a career involving technology
• 86 said that CC4G should stay girls only
• Girls who are not comfortable in other clubs
  (music, sport) often find their niche in CC4G
• Cross-curricular gains are made, particularly
  when girls realise that ICT can help them in
  different contexts
• Evidence suggests ICT skills learnt in the club
  environment are more enduring, and girls
  correlate these more easily than those learned
  in a classroom.

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CC4G in practice
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Pembroke School why CC4G?

• To promote improved transition links
• Work on existing business and education links
• Uptake of qualifications
• Girls under-achieving
• Girls in Y6/Y7 switching off ICT
• Complementary
• Potential growth of the IT industry in Wales of
  20-30
• Local regional support

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Pembroke school what?

• Pilot
• Three centres
• Transition years primary to secondary
• 6th formers as mentors
• Girls
• Girls from rural primary schools
• Lack of IT at home
• Mid year exams identified as under-achievers
• How it worked
• Training
• Celebrity visits
• Created a chill zone
• On-going evaluation

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Impact

• Performance has overtaken boys
• Improved transition
• Attendance
• 85 reported increased confidence
• 90 more likely to do and ICT exam
• 66 said used skills elsewhere

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What next

• More mentors, centres and girls
• Older girls
• Links to other programmes
• Further evaluation
• Spread good practice
• Encourage parental participation
• Qualifications for girls and teachers

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Further evaluation

• Analysis of discourse
• High percentage of exploratory and cumulative
  discourse
• Little or no off-task discourse
• Outcomes better than any individual student could
  produce alone
• Members consistently fully engaged
• Peer support older girls supporting younger
  effectively in Clubs
• Exploratory approach girls more likely to
  engage with and explore courseware and the
  related software

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Further evaluation 2

• Increasing confidence with ICT
• Growing self-esteem
• More relaxed and happier than in class
• Special educational needs students making gains
• 10 year olds outperforming students from the year
  above

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Future developments

• Community environment
• Navigation
• Topic refreshes
• New topics

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Agenda

• e-skills UK
• The Challenge
• Computer Clubs for Girls CC4G
• The CC4G courseware
• The impact
• Evaluation
• Case study Pembroke School
• Further evaluation