Developing an Inclusive K-12 Outreach Model

Karen Nolan, Roisin Faherty, Keith Quille, Brett A. Becker, Susan Bergin

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

This paper outlines the longitudinal development of a K-12 outreach model, to promote Computer Science in Ireland. Over a three-year period, it has been piloted to just under 9700 K-12 students from almost every county in Ireland. The model consists of a two-hour camp that introduces students to a range of Computer Science topics: addressing computing perceptions, introduction to coding and exploration of computational thinking. The model incorporates on-site school delivery and is available at no cost to any interested school across Ireland. The pilot study so far collected over 3400 surveys (pre- and post- outreach delivery). Schools from all over Ireland self-selected to participate, including male only, female only and mixed schools. The no-cost nature of the model meant schools deemed "disadvantaged", to private fee-paying schools participated. Initial findings are very positive, including the balance of male and female participants, where in the 2017-18 academic year it was 56:44 and in 2019-20 (to date), it is 35:65 respectively. Once the model is validated and tweaked (based on survey data), the model will be published (open access) for other institutions to implement the model locally. In addition, the authors intend to link schools (that the team have worked with over the three years) with local institutions, thus developing a sustainable ecosystem for the program to continue. This paper describes the model structure and outlines early findings.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationITiCSE 2020 - Proceedings of the 2020 ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
Pages145-151
Number of pages7
ISBN (Electronic)9781450368742
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jun 2020
Event25th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2020 - Trondheim, Norway
Duration: 15 Jun 202019 Jun 2020

Publication series

NameAnnual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE
ISSN (Print)1942-647X

Conference

Conference25th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2020
Country/TerritoryNorway
CityTrondheim
Period15/06/2019/06/20

Keywords

  • K-12
  • computer science education
  • computing camps inclusive
  • female student
  • outreach
  • perceptions

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