{"id":237009,"date":"2025-06-18T12:55:06","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T12:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/techmate\/?page_id=237009"},"modified":"2025-09-16T22:01:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T22:01:59","slug":"free-female-only-courses-action","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/techmate\/actions\/free-female-only-courses-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Female Only Courses &#8211; Action"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset3&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=&#8221;Free Short Programming Courses for Current Female Students&#8221; button_one_text=&#8221;Back to All Actions&#8221; button_one_url=&#8221;https:\/\/ascnet.ie\/techmate\/actions\/&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; title_font_size=&#8221;25px&#8221; 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_builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Description&#8221; module_id=&#8221;action-desc&#8221; module_class=&#8221;content-block&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;gcid-body-color&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;15px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; background_color=&#8221;RGBA(255,255,255,0)&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-100px|||&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;RGBA(255,255,255,0)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-body-color%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>What is the Action?<\/h3>\n<p>Promote and\/or offer free programming courses to existing non-computing female students.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Facts&#8221; module_id=&#8221;action-facts&#8221; module_class=&#8221;content-block&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;gcid-body-color&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;15px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; background_color=&#8221;RGBA(255,255,255,0)&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-100px|||&#8221; custom_css_free_form=&#8221;||&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;RGBA(255,255,255,0)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-body-color%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>Quick Facts to Support this Action<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Free female coding courses <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2110.06090\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">are extremely popular among existing non-computing university students<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"testimonial-box\">\n<p>These courses can provide a great exposure to programming, as well as to trainers who can become computing role models.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li>They can be a great recruitment tool into computer science, as for example in TU Dublin, <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2110.06090\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">100% of girls participating in a set of free coding courses said that they would consider a career in technology<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;implement&#8221; module_id=&#8221;action-implement&#8221; module_class=&#8221;content-block&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;gcid-body-color&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;15px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; background_enable_color=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-100px|||&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;RGBA(255,255,255,0)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-body-color%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span>Ways to Implement this Action<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A collaboration with a social enterprise provider of coding courses might be the most straightforward way to allow existing university students to learn to code for free. An example of a provider is <a href=\"https:\/\/codefirstgirls.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CodeFirstGirls<\/a>, who only offer free trainer-led courses to their female members.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, set up an initiative at the university where free coding courses can be organised.<\/p>\n<p>Free online introductory computing courses are readily available at universities such as, for instance, <a href=\"https:\/\/pll.harvard.edu\/subject\/programming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harvard<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/codeinplace.stanford.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stanford<\/a>. These can be attended by anyone online. While the Harvard offers self-paced free courses, Standford has a teacher-led program set for several weeks, with mandatory attendance online. If implementing at another institution, access can be restricted, for instance, allowing to participate if you are a female student only, or by those with strong motivation etc.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;impact&#8221; module_id=&#8221;action-impact&#8221; module_class=&#8221;content-block&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;gcid-body-color&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;15px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; background_enable_color=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-100px|||&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; border_color_all=&#8221;RGBA(255,255,255,0)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-body-color%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3><span>Evaluation Approach<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>To get an idea on how the course is being perceived is to keep track on students&#8217; engagement, for instance, in forum discussions, and their assignment submission and performance. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Get feedback from students who attended the free coding course, about their career aspirations and\/or impressions from programming. Additionally, where possible, track numbers of those students who changed their majors to computer science following the offered course.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Example of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/short-courses\/staff-resources\/after-course-has-finished\/review-your-course-and-get-feedback\/sample-survey-questions-evaluating#:~:text=Examples%20of%20questions%20you%20can,To%20measure%20course%20design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">questions that can be asked in a feedback survey (UCL Resource)<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rate your overall experience of the course (from very good to very poor)<\/li>\n<li>How likely are you to recommend this course to a friend\/colleague? (from very likely to\u00a0very unlikely)<\/li>\n<li>How did this course develop you professionally?<\/li>\n<li>What will you do differently now you&#8217;ve attended the course?<\/li>\n<li>As a result of taking this course, how likely are you to\u2026..? (include some of the learning outcomes that are relevant)<span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;References&#8221; module_id=&#8221;action-references&#8221; module_class=&#8221;content-block&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;gcid-body-color&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;15px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; background_color=&#8221;RGBA(255,255,255,0)&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-100px|||&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;RGBA(255,255,255,0)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-body-color%22:%91%22text_text_color%22%93}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"boxed\">\n<p>CodeFirstGirls. About Us. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/codefirstgirls.com\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> https:\/\/codefirstgirls.com\/about-us\/ <\/a><\/p>\n<p>McKeever, S. &amp; Lillis, D. (2021). Addressing the Recruitment and Retention of Female Students in Computer Science at Third Level. Retrieved 09\/03\/2025 from <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2110.06090\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2110.06090<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Piech, C., Malik, A., Jue, K., &amp; Sahami, M. (2021, March).<a href=\"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1145\/3408877.3432562\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Code in place: Online section leading for scalable human-centered learning<\/a>. In\u00a0<\/span><i>Proceedings of the 52nd acm technical symposium on computer science education<\/i><span>\u00a0(pp. 973-979).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Free computing courses at Harvard: <a href=\"https:\/\/pll.harvard.edu\/subject\/programming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/pll.harvard.edu\/subject\/programming<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Free intro-coding course from Stanford:<a href=\"https:\/\/codeinplace.stanford.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/codeinplace.stanford.edu\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the Action? Promote and\/or offer free programming courses to existing non-computing female students.Quick Facts to Support this Action Free female coding courses are extremely popular among existing non-computing university students. These courses can provide a great exposure to programming, as well as to trainers who can become computing role models. 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