Play Like a Girl: A Look at Games and Coding Dr. Kari Stubbs @KariStubbs Vice President, BrainPOP Play Like a Girl: A Look at Games and Coding Dr. Julie Evans @JulieEvans_PT CEO, Project Tomorrow June 27, 2016

Play Like a Girl: A Look at Games and Coding Our exploration today: Gain a new understanding about using games and coding activities to engage girls in STEM learning Play games! Experience game play using a wide variety of game types and formats Learn how to evaluate gender sensitivity in games and other forms of digital content Share the experience with others in the workshop

(c) Project Tomorrow 2016

Use your devices to tweet your ideas or comments during today’s session – and play games! @JulieEvans_PT @KariStubbs #ISTE2016 (c) Project Tomorrow 2016

BrainPOP www.brainpop.com

Let’s talk about women in STEM! 24% 14% 9% 18% 37%

Let’s talk about women in STEM! 14% of senior management jobs in tech start ups Women hold 24% of STEM jobs: 9% of IT management jobs 18% 37%

Let’s talk about women in STEM! 14% of senior management jobs in tech start ups Women hold 24% of STEM jobs: 9% of IT management jobs 2015: 18% of CS majors are women 1983: 37% of CS majors are women

What is the state of the pipeline for girls in STEM?

What is the state of the pipeline for girls in STEM? Speak Up Research Project in Digital Learning Data collected from over 400,000 K-12 students in fall 2015 Annual research project – 4.5 million surveys submitted since 2003 Student are polled about digital learning and STEM career interests

What is the state of the pipeline for girls in STEM? Research findings from the Speak Up Project: Girls’ interest in STEM careers Ways to explore STEM careers Self-assessment of technology skills Digital game play as a gender equalizer

What is your level of interest in a STEM career field? N = 138,813 Gr 6-12 students

Different ways to explore careers What would be most helpful in exploring a career? Gr 6-8 Boys Gr 6-8 Girls Traditional Approaches: Get real life experience (job, volunteering) 66% 77% Take field trips to see career in action 58% 68% Work with mentors 40% 52% Digital Approaches: Watch videos/movies about different jobs 50% Play a digital or online game about a career 46% Use mobile apps or websites 42% Learn about careers through social media 37% Earn a digital badge 22% 13%

Self-assessment of technology skills Tech Skill Level Students: Grade 3 - 5 Grade 6 – 12 Girls Boys Advanced 22% 34% 19% 36% Average 61% 52% 77% Beginner 17% 14% 4% 3% N = 160,503, Gr 3-12 students

Playing digital games for learning Grades Girls Boys K-2 77% Gr 3-5 65% Gr 6-8 22% 24% Gr 9-12 16% N = 192,483 K – 12 students

Girls and boys value game play differently Games increase my interest in school Games provide a more interesting way to learn Games make it easier to understand difficult concepts I learn more through a game Games personalize my learning Boys: Games make it easier to understand difficult concepts Games increase my interest in school Games provide a more interesting way to learn Games adapt to what I know or need to know I am a better thinker and problem solver when I play games

Considers gender norms, role and relationships Defining gender sensitivity: Considers gender norms, role and relationships Takes into account impact of policies, projects and programs on women/girls and men/boys Tries to mitigate negative consequences of the gender impact

Evaluating the gender-sensitivity of digital content Questions for Consideration Guide (Worksheet) Characterization Are there differences in the types of roles or activities ascribed to the characters based upon gender? Imagery and Language Is the use of language, words and phrases within the content free of traditional stereotypes or gender bias? Are loaded words used? Storyline Are women/girls or men/boys represented as central characters within the content storyline or the game? Results What types of messages are articulated in the digital content about gender differences? Are those messages positive or negative?

Let’s play more games! Three sections – each section has a different set of games: https://www.brainpop.com/games/ Play the games individually or with an elbow partner Use the Project Tomorrow guide to evaluate the gender-sensitivity of the game

Let’s play more games! Jessica’s Joyride Medmyst Animal Alert LEFT: Jessica’s Joyride Medmyst Animal Alert Time Zone X: Ada Lovelace CENTER: After the Storm Win the White House Do I Have a Right? RIGHT: Monster SchoolBus Executive Command Time Zone X: Women’s Suffrage Let’s play more games!

Creating opportunities for new learning opportunities for girls JULIE - 10 minutes (use visuals in case of language obstacles)

Afternoon Quiz Time! FINAL

Here are your choices – please make one selection per row Who is most interested in learning how to code? Here are your choices – please make one selection per row Your answers! Students in K-2 Students in Gr 3-5 Students in Gr 6-8 Students in Gr 9-12 Students from urban communities Students from rural communities Students from suburban communities Students who say their tech skill level is advanced Students who say their tech skill level is average Students who say their tech skill level is beginner Boys Girls Source: Speak Up 2015 National Results from 415,686 K-12 students

Who is most interested in learning how to code? Here are your choices – please make one selection per row Your answers! Students in K-2 Students in Gr 3-5 Students in Gr 6-8 Students in Gr 9-12 Students in K-2 Students from urban communities Students from rural communities Students from suburban communities No difference by community Students who say their tech skill level is advanced Students who say their tech skill level is average Students who say their tech skill level is beginner Students with advanced tech skills Boys Girls Source: Speak Up 2015 National Results from 415,686 K-12 students

Let’s code! Find a partner and play together Think about gender sensitivity issues Think about how you would use this activity in your class

Connections to new ISTE Standards for Students

A featured collection from BrainPOP

Play Like a Girl – A Look at Games and Coding Extended Learning Resources http://www.tomorrow.org/PlayLikeaGirl_ISTE2016.html

Play Like a Girl: A Look at Games and Coding Our exploration today: Gain a new understanding about using games and coding activities to engage girls in STEM learning Play games! Experience game play using a wide variety of game types and formats Learn how to evaluate gender sensitivity in games and other forms of digital content Share the experience with others in the workshop

Your thoughts, ideas, questions FINAL

Thank you for joining this discussion today! Dr. Kari Stubbs BrainPOP @karistubbs kstubbs@brainpop.com Dr. Julie Evans Project Tomorrow @JulieEvans_PT jevans@tomorrow.org