Summer learning experience for girls in grades 7–9 boosts confidence and interest in computing careers

Academic exposure to computer science, encouragement to study computer science, and connecting personal interests to computing areas influence women to pursue degrees in computer science. Guided by these recommendations, we designed and offered a summer learning experience for girls in grades 7--9 in summer 2016. The goal of the program was to improve girls\u27 perceptions of learning computer science through academic exposure in the informal setting of a girls-only summer camp. In this paper we present a study of the girls\u27 perceptions of CS learning. Four constructs were used to develop pre- and post-survey items: computing confidence, intent to persist, social supports, and computing outcomes expectations. The camp appeared to have positively influenced the girls on two of the four constructs, by improving computing confidence and positive perceptions of computing careers

QuizPower: a mobile app with app inventor and XAMPP service integration

This paper details the development of a mobile app for the Android operating system using MIT App Inventor language and development platform. The app, Quiz Power, provides students a way to study course material in an engaging and effective manner. At its current stage the app is intended strictly for use in a mobile app with App Inventor course, although it provides the facility to be adapted for other courses by simply changing the web data store. Development occurred during the spring semester of 2013. Students in the course played a vital role in providing feedback on course material, which would be the basis for the structure of the quiz as well as the questions. The significance of the project is the integration of the MIT App Inventor service with a web service implemented and managed by the department

A review into the factors affecting declines in undergraduate Computer Science enrolments and approaches for solving this problem

There has been a noticeable drop in enrolments in Computer Science (CS) courses and interest in CS careers in recent years while demand for CS skills is increasing dramatically. Not only are such skills useful for CS jobs but for all forms of business and to some extent personal lives as Information Technology (IT) is becoming ubiquitous and essential for most aspects of modern life. Therefore it is essential to address this lack of interest and skills to not only fill the demand for CS employees but to provide students with the CS skills they need for modern life especially for improving their employability and skills for further study. This report looks at possible reasons for the lack of interest in CS and different approaches used to enhance CS education and improve the appeal of CS

Measuring the Usability and Capability of App Inventor to Create Mobile Applications

MIT App Inventor is a web service that enables users with little to no previous programming experience to create mobile applications using a visual blocks language. We analyze a sample of 5,228 random projects from the corpus of 9.7 million and group projects by functionality. We then use the number of unique blocks in projects as a metric to better understand the usability and realized capability of using App Inventor to implement specific functionalities. We introduce the notion of a usability score and our results indicate that introductory tutorials heavily influence the usability of App Inventor to implement particular functionalities. Our findings suggest that the sequential nature of App Inventor’s learning resources results in users realizing only a portion of App Inventor’s capabilities and propose improvements to these learning resources that are transferable to other programming environments and tools.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Google Research and Innovation Scholarship

Tools to develop end-user programming skills from primary school to higher education

Some years ago at the MIDK2013 Conference [16] we presented a concept regarding the use of a new generation of computer programming novice languages (in fact, an environment, called ‘block languages’). We showed how we imagine the use of this kind of language for different ages and at different levels of education. Now we would like to present the results of our projects related to this concept and our psychological and pedagogical experiences. Furthermore we would like to present further tools to develop end-user programming skills from primary school to higher education

Developing customised computer science courses for non-major students in informatics, computer science, or media: a case study on health psychologists

Learning how to effectively communicate in our media-centered digital world is crucial for all professionals. However, it holds even greater importance for health professionals, given their primary objective of improving people's health. Therefore, it is imperative to dedicate significant effort to designing Computer Science (CS) courses that cater to the specific needs of these professionals, equipping them with the skills and capabilities of modern digital communication. Developing CS courses specifically tailored for non-CS majors is particularly significant, as it reduces the likelihood of failure. In this study, I aim to outline the process of identifying relevant directions and tools, and designing a comprehensive course plan that enables professionals to acquire the necessary CS skills. By pinpointing topics that are directly applicable to their future professions, the course will teach professionals how to effectively utilize and design digital systems. To conduct this research, the doctoral degree course "Informatics for the Psychology of Health" at the University of Cagliari has been selected as a case study. Using qualitative methods, I assessed the satisfaction levels and perceived usefulness of the course among students. Through this investigation, numerous valuable directions were identified, along with a concise collection of free and open-source tools that will provide students with the knowledge they require to independently create and design digital interactive media. By adopting this approach, courses tailored to professionals can be designed, effectively reducing high dropout and failure rates