Security, Edge and Cloud Lab

Abstract

In the last few years, several initiatives based on extracurricular activities have been organized in many countries around the world, with the aim to reduce the digital gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields. Among them, the Digital Girls summer camp, organized every year since 2014 by two Italian universities with the aim to attract female students to ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) disciplines, represents quite a unique initiative for its characteristics of long-duration (3–4 entire weeks) and complete gratuitousness for the participants. The COVID-19 emergency imposed severe changes to such activities, that had to be modified and carried out in the online mode as a consequence of social distancing. However, on one hand, the general lack of high-quality evaluations of these initiatives hinders the possibility to understand the actual impact of extracurricular activities on the future academic choices of the participants. On the other hand, the availability of data collected over different editions of Digital Girls has allowed us to analyze the summer camp impact and to evaluate the pros and cons of in-presence and online activities. The main contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we present an overview of existing experiences, at the national (Italian) and international levels, to increase female participation in integrated STEM and ICT fields. Second, we analyze how summer camp participation can influence girls’ future academic choices, with specific attention to ICT-related disciplines. In particular, the collection of a significant amount of data through anonymous surveys conducted before and after the camp activities over the two editions allowed us to evidence the different impacts of in-presence and online extracurricular activities.

Year: 2021 | Pages: 1 - 15

ISSN: 2227-7102 | DOI: 10.3390/educsci11110715

Abstract

None

Year: 2023 | Pages: 65 - 73

ISSN: 2516-2810 | DOI: n/a

Abstract

In the last few years, the web-based interactive computational environment called Jupyter notebook has been gaining more and more popularity as a platform for collaborative research and data analysis, becoming a de-facto standard among researchers. In this paper we present a first implementation of Sophon, an extensible web platform for collaborative research based on JupyterLab. Our aim is to extend the functionality of JupyterLab and improve its usability by integrating it with Django. In the Sophon project, we integrate the deployment of dockerized JupyterLab instances into a Django web server, creating an extensible, versatile and secure environment, while also being easy to use for researchers of different disciplines.

Year: 2022 | Pages: n/a - 4

ISBN: 9781450391610 | DOI: 10.1145/3491418.3535163

Abstract

The last Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) report about the digital performance of the EU member states shows that a large part of the EU population still lacks basic digital skills, even though most jobs require such skills. The report also evidences the extremely low rates of females enrolled at computer sciences and information engineering academic courses, resulting not only in a massive loss of talent for companies and economies, but also perpetuating gaps in gender inequality in the ICT-related fields. To counteract these effects, the engineering and computer science departments of two Italian universities have organized, since 2014, an innovative form of summer camp, namely ‘Digital Girls’, dedicated to female students of the third and fourth grade of the high schools. The summer camp provides girls with a learning experience, based on a team-working and learn-by-doing approach, about coding applied to creative and innovative fields, such as video game programming or Arduino-controlled robot making, and with the exposition to inspiring female role models from academia and industry. For its scope, nature (free for the girls to participate) and duration (3-4 entire weeks), the summer camp Digital Girls represents a unique experience not only in Italy but also, at the best of our knowledge, in the world. The COVID-19 emergency imposed deep changes to the 2020 edition of the summer camp, that was carried out completely online and based on different activities with respect to past editions realized in presence. In this paper, we analyzed the summer camp experience through its different editions, highlighting the impact of such activity on girls attitudes and on their plans for future studies and careers. The availability of data on several and deeply different editions of the summer camp allows us to highlight pros and cons of different approaches in carrying out similar extra-curricular activities to reduce the gender gap in ICT education.

Year: 2021 | Pages: 104 - 113

ISSN: 2516-2810 | DOI: 10.34190/IGR.21.051

Abstract

Digital technology is increasingly central to our lives, particularly among young people. However, a severe concern remains about the existing digital gender gap: despite the demand for ICT professionals is more and more increasing, women are under-represented in the ICT sectors and their low participation rates can be traced back to school years with internalised gender stereotypes. The present work explores the summer camp “Digital girls” case study with the aim of involving women from an early age in traditionally male sectors. The summer camp is organized by the engineering and computer science departments of two Italian universities that from 2014 have decided to undertake work to disseminate and raise awareness of ICT issues to girls in high school. The summer camp offers a protected context in which participants learn the principles of computer programming and are exposed to workshops on social networks, free software, cybersecurity, and interact with female ICT experts. The paper focuses on the analysis of data relating to the correlation between previous programming experience and the choice of university studies and social perceptions of the work environment.

Year: 2021 | Pages: 193 - 205

ISSN: 2213-8684 | DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-84311-3_18

Abstract

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has acquired significant recognition in recent years, encouraging institutions, schools, and organizations to improve student involvement and readiness in these subjects. STEM education camps have evolved as a popular way to develop young minds and cultivate interest and abilities in STEM disciplines. Despite their popularity, there is a crucial gap in the sector. There have been no studies that have provided an evaluation instrument that can be immediately reused or readily adapted for extracurricular activities up to this point. Similarly, no research provides design or development instructions for such a tool. This research project addresses the challenges of designing, evaluating, and analyzing extracurricular STEM activities, specifically in the context of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) education, with a strong emphasis on promoting gender equity and countering stereotypes. Given the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), which predicted a scarcity of ICT professionals in Europe and stressed the critical need to expand ICT skills, it is critical to improve the efficacy of efforts targeted at addressing this skills gap. While programs like EU Code Week work to narrow the digital skills gap, the vast panorama of STEM education activities requires a methodical methodology to evaluate their effectiveness. This research project embarks on a multidisciplinary journey with three major contributions. First, a comprehensive review of existing extracurricular STEM activities is employed to categorize them based on age groups, duration, expenses, and other factors, laying the groundwork for a deeper investigation into the benefits of these projects and the development of assessment tools. Secondly, the research delves into data analysis, focusing on the relationship between camp characteristics and intended outcomes. Regression analysis is used to identify relationships and trends, providing valuable insights for program improvement. Finally, "NextPyter," a novel framework for facilitating collaborative research endeavours, is introduced. This platform incorporates Jupyter Notebook for data analysis into the collaborative file-sharing platform NextCloud, boosting interdisciplinary cooperation and project management and, as a result, improving the research experience. To summarize, this research project addresses the pressing need for comprehensive tools, insights, and collaborative platforms in STEM/ICT education evaluation and analysis. It provides a structured approach to assessing extracurricular initiatives, uncovers valuable insights for program design, and offers a user-friendly platform for data analysis and collaborative research. By bridging these critical gaps, it contributes to the advancement of STEM education and equitable participation in these fields.

Year: 2024 | Pages: n/a - n/a

DOI: n/a