Unveiling the Exciting World of Computer Science: Empowering Girls to Break Barriers
By Carlotta Sophia Hölzle — Technical University Munich
Why are there so few female computer scientists? Personally, I answer this question with: because society still paints this field as “male”.
Computer science, often seen as a realm of complex algorithms and endless lines of code, and from society colored as a man’s world, scares young girls. But we need more female power, their insights, creativity, problem-solving skills, and innovational thinking to tackle the challenges of tomorrow and avoid biases in the process of digitalisation.
As a female Computer Scientist (CS), who had not encountered a line of code before commencing my studies, I was met with the skepticism of many who believed I couldn’t possibly succeed. Yet, I defied those doubts and earned my Bachelor’s degree in CS. Today, when I share this accomplishment, it often draws surprised reactions, not rarely do I hear that this degree doesn’t really fit the expectations of what my profession should be.
Breaking Through Barriers
I believe my own journey mirrors the hurdles many high school girls face. In high school, I had not one course teaching anything related to CS. I knew of no female engineering role model which could show me girls can do Informatics. The only reason I managed to start and complete my studies was through my personal ego and the support my family gave me. However, during all of my studies and also after completing them, I encountered the feeling that a girl is not a “real” Computer Scientist just because of her gender. The frustration about this out-of-place feeling encouraged me to partner with a TUM-sponsored project to craft a one-day program for high school girls in Munich’s suburbs to empower young high school girls to embrace the challenge of Computer Science.
But how do you make this dull-sounding male-dominated subject appealing to girls aged 12 to 17? How do you motivate the tears and frustrations of working on code? I wanted to find a way to showcase that arriving at a working solution and tackling bug after bug can be exhilarating and fun. Above all, I wanted to show that CS is teamwork, creativity, inspiration, and so much more than sitting in front of a computer in a basement writing code. With this article, I want to give an overview of the one-day concept I have designed to motivate girls to get into CS.
Bridging Theory and Practice
One of the greatest struggles is merging the theoretical and practical facets of CS. How do you convey the value of knowledge and real-world insight while keeping the fun alive? My personal solution is to keep the whole day as interactive as possible. No 5 minutes should go by without an activity, from interactive word clouds to thought-provoking questions, games or practical coding, each theoretical aspect is always paired with a practical experience.
To understand the CS-knowledge of the girls, I make them fill out several word clouds and mood scales at the beginning of the class.
Word Cloud:
1. Where is Computer Science in your day-to-day life?
2. What does it mean to be a “good” computer scientist?
Mood Scales:
1. I know a famous female computer scientist
2. I think that Computer Science is interesting
3. I think I could be a good computer scientist
Over the past project runs, I discovered that most of the girls are unaware of how extensively their daily lives are influenced and shaped by algorithms. Looking at the word clouds, most of them have no clue that CS is more than just coding and mathematics; nearly none of them thinks about including “teamwork”, “communication” or “creativity” in the second word cloud. The analysis of past mood scales showed that most of the girls had no particular interest in CS and thought they wouldn’t make a good computer scientist. The fact that only one out of fifteen girls knows a famous female computer scientist frustrates me the most.
Unveiling the Unsung Heroes
I strongly believe having role models who inspire, guide, and encourage is of utmost importance. Role models not only provide inspiration and a goal but also a sense of belonging and reachability in a profession that is still dominated by men. Therefore, I start each course by introducing three female figures from the past and three from today’s world who shattered the glass ceiling of CS and excelled in this field. I usually pick three women from each category and together with a picture introduce these inspiring women and what they achieved.
From the past my favourite female engineers are:
1. Ada Lovelace
2. Grace Hopper
3. Margaret Hamilton
4. Katherine JohnsonI like to vary the role-models I present, I commonly choose between the following:
1. Mira Murati
2. Cynthia Breazeale
3. Jade Raymond
4. Shafi Goldwasser
5. Gwynne Shotwell
6. Megan Smith
7. Jeannette Wing
Building Blocks: Hardware and Software
Before diving deeper into the theoretical backgrounds of Computer Science, I always make sure that the girls feel comfortable asking any question that comes to their minds. I try to establish a very close relationship with the girls by introducing myself and getting to know them by asking them to explain their passions. At this point, I often ask where CS might be hidden in their free-time activities.
The first theoretical idea of CS I want to deliver is the difference between hardware and software. I use the analogy of a kitchen as an example to make the differences easy to understand. After giving them one example, I ask the girls to come up with a similar example which also mirrors the concept of hardware vs. software.
Just as you need pots, pans, and utensils (hardware) alongside recipes (software) to craft a delicious meal, a computer requires physical components and instructions.
The Power of Layers
The next theoretical concept I convey is the one of computer layers. To make the concept tangible, I introduce the example of an office building.
Picture the basement, a foundation supporting air-conditioning, heating, and power systems — without this, the building falters. This mirrors the hardware layer, which relies on physical and electrical components to breathe life into the computer.
Ascend to the ground floor, where the reception orchestrates appointments and access, like the logical layer that navigates power and executes computations using 1s and 0s.
On the upcoming levels, different teams do their work, akin to architectural layers in computers. These teams, mirroring memory components, bus systems, input/output mechanisms, and computational units, resemble distinct groups collaborating in an organization.
The company strategy is representative of the operational system combining all components in computers, facilitating their smooth functioning.
Managers overseeing their divisions on the top floors, aware of their teams’ endeavors yet not comprehending every detail — mirroring different applications which specialize for different tasks with tailored languages.
The boss sits at the final floor, overseeing all without full insight into every department’s workings — echoing the computer user who interacts with apps without knowledge of their programming intricacies.
While illustrating these layers, the girls actively participate by arranging printed paper pieces, each named after a layer, to end up with a full computer stack structure. I use the different layers to also make the girls understand the variety of computer science and that every scientist, even though all are computer scientists, do not need to understand everything from the other layers. Some might be good on one layer while others excel on other layers.
Navigating the Binary World
With the above foundations set, the next step is to explore the binary system, which forms the heart of computer operation. By linking the binary and decimal systems, I showcase the beauty of the binary code.
To fully understand the binary concept, the first real game of the day is a hands-on creative exercise. I have each girl craft a unique piece of jewelry, translating a special date into the binary system using three pearl colors, one color for 1 and 0 and one for a space character. The result? A tangible reminder of their newfound knowledge and a fun memento of the day.
Embarking on the Journey of Programming
Programming is the climax of the workshop. I chose Swift as the introductory language and use the “Playgrounds” app to teach coding through an interactive game, “Get started with Code”. Working in pairs, the girls navigate the coding landscape and experience firsthand the fun of creating and stringing together instructions that computers understand.
From Virtual to Reality: The Robot Game
To drive home the concept of programming, and deploy physical interaction, I take the girls outside to play the “Robot Game”. This game mirrors the complexities of real-world coding.
One girl slips into the role of the programmer, directing the other girl, who is blindfolded, as the robot through a chalked marked labyrinth. The programmer has to write down a a fixed instruction set consisting of the methods: step forward, backward, over, turn right or left and grab, to lead the robot to the goal field which has a sweet on it.
Just like debugging code, when the robot does not make it through the labyrinth on the written down instructions, the programmer has to rewrite the code and start over. The goal is to teach the girls the nuances of programming and adaptability but also the joy in completing a challenging task.
Crafting Dreams: The Final Challenge
The day concludes with the most exciting task — creating an app. The girls team up to select a topic close to their hearts and design a scrollable application with their chosen theme. After helping them finalize their apps each group showcases their newfound programming powers and creativity to the class.
After completing multiple of these days, the diversity of ideas, the photos they took, and the stories they wove into their apps are awe-inspiring. There was never the same app, and the joy they expressed and the surprise over their powers were always heartwarming.
In the span of a single day, these young girls transformed from curious and sometimes scared school girls to empowered creators. In every single group, this workshop has broken the enigma of computer science a little bit and painted it as a source of fascination, fun, and endless possibilities.