Lavoce.info reports on how the Impact Evaluation Unit of the Collegio Carlo Alberto is assessing the impact of Project Coding Girls.
“In order to evaluate the effects of the programme, we have randomly subdivided a group of year three and four students in secondary schools in Turin. Half of the classes began the Coding Girls programme in December 2020 and completed it in March 2021, while the other half began in March and will complete the course by the end of the school year. The two groups were balanced in terms of student age and schools. The interviews were conducted at the first and final course meetings through a web-survey administered by the teachers.”
“The results reveal that the programme had a positive effect on a range of aspects. In fact, there was a significant increase in the ability to programme, a greater propension to start university and to opt for a STEM discipline. Moreover, a significant reduction was revealed concerning the most widespread STEM stereotypes and the status of female employment.”
“Coding Girls has made young men and especially young women more aware about gender issues. In the interviews, 46% of the young men agreed with the statement “on average men are more suited for STEM subjects,” while only 28% of the women were. The programme levelled the understanding of the young men with that of the young women on this issue.
Coding Girls: Computer Science Against the Gender Divide
by Daniela Del Boca and Chiara Pronzato
Lavoce.info, Jan. 17, 2021
