Who says coding isn’t for girls?
Besides knowing code, computer programming requires patient problem-solving, creativity and an ability to work with others, all skills that girls excel at.
Women make up more than half of the U.S. workforce but only 26 percent of professional computing occupations, one of the fastest-growing fields in the nation, according to the latest statistics from the National Center for Women & Information Technology.
The group advocates providing encouragement, positive early experiences and role models as ways to address the gender disparity.
Douglas and Mary Kiang, both experienced teachers in Honolulu, are doing just that by offering a computer coding workshop specifically geared toward girls.
"There’s still a huge gender disparity in programming jobs," said Douglas Kiang, who teaches computer science at Punahou School. "There’s a definite need, and girls, I think, reach this point where they decide whether they’re a programmer or not. … It’s important to give them lots of opportunities early on."
The Kiangs held two sold-out app design studio workshops (limited to 20) in January, with two more scheduled for April.
Rather than starting instruction with how to create the specific lines of code (a sequence of letters, numbers or characters), the Kiangs use a more interactive, design-first approach they believe will appeal to girls, with an emphasis on storytelling and collaboration.
Girls tend to be more motivated to learn code if it serves a purpose, according to the Kiangs.
The Saturday workshop will begin with students brainstorming, then sketching out their ideas for an app with colored pencils and paper, including how it would look on the screen.
They come up with a concept and figure out how the app would be used, including how many taps, for instance, would be needed to use it.
"It’s actually a very good way to approach (coding), whether you’re a girl or a boy," said Mary Kiang, a former programmer for Houghton Mifflin who now teaches at St. Andrew’s Priory. "What problem are you trying to solve? What’s your solution going to look like? You identify the problem, brainstorm the solution, then come up with a design, test and evaluate it."
Students will get a hands-on introduction to programming through Swift, a coding language, and go home with a prototype of an app viewable on their iPhones or iPads. So, they will get a taste of what programming involves, but publishing would involve more steps than possible in a one-day workshop.
In the January workshop, students came up with several prototypes of apps, ranging from one called "Aloha Things," which listed local restaurants, to an anime-inspired personal assistant app that provides reminders. The girls also created entertainment apps — a "Baby StackIt" game, a virtual pet and a head-to-head soccer game.
Mary Kiang noted that in a coed coding class, usually with far fewer girls, the girls tend to cluster together. An all-girls class may provide a more comfortable setting for them, she said.
She also noted that contrary to what most people might think, computer programming is not an isolated activity. It requires collaboration, which girls tend to enjoy.
The Kiangs are hoping to show girls that creating code can be applied in many ways.
The class is in line with Google’s Made With Code initiative, a $50 million program launched last summer.
Google’s website, madewithcode.com, showcases the countless applications of coding, including games, music production and projects for kids. The website also tells the story of women who wrote code that is helping to refine breast cancer treatment.
Many girls are surprised to learn how coding can help people. Last year, a team of girls from Resaca Middle School in Texas created an app called Hello Navi to help guide visually challenged students around campus. Their app was one of eight winners of the Verizon Innovative App Challenge.
"We hope girls will come away with an understanding, first of all, of the complexity and challenges of coding an app," said Douglas Kiang. "Also, an appreciation of just how huge all those possibilities are. Pretty much anything you dream up, you can make happen in code."
