After School Computing Club: Executive Summary
This project aims to raise awareness of the exciting and economically vital opportunities associated with the discipline of computing. For many school pupils experience of computing is limited to the ICT skills curriculum. By exposing pupils to activities associated with programming computers the project will help to highlight discontinuity between ICT skills training for general computer use and the specialist practices involved in academic and professional computing.
The School of Computing at the University of Leeds will support two ICT teachers to establish after-school computing clubs for their pupils. The clubs are believed to be unique in that they aim to introduce participants to fundamental aspects of the discipline of computing, such as programming, in order to raise awareness and better prepare these individuals for further associated study.
By encouraging a broad mix of individuals to engage in a programme of activities directly related to the discipline of computing, as opposed to IT, it is hoped that those from groups currently underrepresented within Higher Education will be encouraged to consider applying for courses in this disciplinary area. The project therefore contributes directly to the University of Leeds Widening Participation Strategy.
ICT Teachers, supported by current computing undergraduate students who will be recruited as volunteer mentors, will run the programme of activities over eight sessions, including a taster session at the outset. The students will benefit considerably through the opportunities to rehearse and develop further skills which will set them apart from others on their course thereby increasing their employability. The educational institutions which will take part in the project have existing links with the School of Computing at the University of Leeds but this activity will serve to further underpin this relationship.
The project funding of £3000 will cover the costs associated with writing the programme of activities and subsequent reproduction of course materials. This investment will enable the first after-school clubs to be both established and run within a very short timeframe therefore the project will have a rapid and definable outcome. The potential for significant numbers of pupils to attend the clubs means that, provided this is achieved through effective marketing, the project also offers considerable value for money.
Once the after-school club programme of activities has been implemented for the first time, there are two potential continuation routes to extend the project: either through the provision of the programme at other local educational institutions; or provision of a second extended programme at the same institutions. While these options are not part of the present project plan, both would raise the profile of the University of Leeds in the region.