A model for the development of programming courses to promote the participation of young women in STEM

Abstract

There is a gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and this is a global problem that affects society. However, it is worth pointing out that the gap is not uniform in all STEM fields. Women’s underrepresentation is more marked in physics, engineering, and computer science fields. Nowadays, the labor market is becoming more competitive, technology-based and demands a diverse workforce. Therefore, it is important to continue promoting the participation of women in STEM, and the universities play a leading role in it. Previous research has shown that early learning experiences in STEM can show female students that they can succeed in this fields. This paper describes a model for developing programming courses for pre-university students to promote the participation of young women in STEM programs. The course was developed in one week, 25 students (16 girls and 9 boys) participated. The instructors of the course were four female professors. The programming language was Python, and the methodology used case-based learning. Both instructors and students gave positive comments on their experience in the course. The proposed model, including instruments, learning resources, and methodology, can be replicated and adapted to be used even in other learning fields