All posts by Hammad Kazi

What is the impact of attending a Code Club or CoderDojo?

Post Syndicated from Hammad Kazi original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/code-club-coderdojo-survey-2023/

We support two networks of coding clubs where young people around the world discover the countless possibilities of creating with digital technologies.

Three learners working at laptops.
Young people in a CoderDojo in India.
  • Code Club is a global network of after-school coding clubs for learners aged 9 to 13, where educators and other volunteers help young people learn about coding and digital making
  • CoderDojo is a worldwide network of free, open, and community-based programming clubs for young people aged 7 to 17, where they get the opportunity to learn how to create fantastic new things with technology

Every year, we send out a survey to volunteers at all the clubs we support. Today we share some highlights from the findings and what we’re planning next.

An educator teaches students to create with technology.
A Code Club session in the USA.

Why do we do an annual survey for clubs?

The simple answer is: to help make clubs even better for everyone involved! Educators and volunteers are doing a remarkable job in helping young people learn about computing and coding, so we want to know more about them, about how they run their clubs, and what impact the club sessions have for young people.

A group of children and an adult have fun using Raspberry Pi hardware.
A CoderDojo session in the UK.

By knowing more about clubs — how frequently club leaders run them, what resources they use, what they would like more of — we can continue to improve the learning experience for educators, volunteers, and young people involved in our clubs.

This year in March we sent out our survey to all Code Clubs and CoderDojos around the world, and we heard back from almost 500. As always, the results were very positive, and they also gave us a lot of useful information on how we can continue to improve our support for clubs all over the world.

Who is involved in clubs?

Based on the survey, we estimate that at the time, the network of over 4200 Code Clubs and 700 CoderDojos was reaching almost 139,000 young people globally. The global community of clubs has continued to grow since then, with a now even larger network of volunteers supporting ever more young people.

Three learners laughing at a laptop in a Code Club.
Participants in a Code Club in the UK.

According to the survey, the majority of young people attending clubs are aged between 8 and 13, but clubs host young people as young as 6 and as old as 18. It was great to hear about the participation of girls, and we’d love to see this rise even higher: respondents told us that 42% of their Code Club attendees and 30% of their CoderDojo attendees are female.

Respondents feel that attending club sessions improves young peoples’ interest and engagement in computing and programming, and increases their understanding of the usefulness of computing.

None of these young people would be able to attend clubs without the great work of teams of educators and volunteers. Based on the survey, we estimate that at the time of the survey, there were over 10,300 Code Club leaders and almost 4000 CoderDojo champions around the world. Many survey respondents said that they were motivated to start volunteering after attending a club themselves.

Students in a Code Club run by CSEd Botswana.
A Code Club session in Botswana.

Community is at the heart of clubs and the clubs networks: over 80% of respondents said that belonging to a global community of clubs helps motivates them to volunteer at their own club.

What is the impact of clubs?

Clubs focus on a wide range of topics and programming languages. Scratch is overwhelmingly popular, with over 95% of respondents telling us that they used Scratch in club sessions in the previous year. Micro:bit projects and Python-based programming were also very popular. Club leaders told us that in future they would like to offer more activities around AI applications, as well as around games and mobile apps. 

A bar chart.

Club leaders told us that being part of a Code Club or CoderDojo affects young people positively. Respondents feel that attending club sessions improves young peoples’ skills and interest in computing and programming, and increases their understanding of the usefulness of computing. Almost 90% of club leaders also agree that after attending a club, young people are interested in additional experiences of learning about computing and programming.

Attending also positively affects young people’s wider skills and attitudes, with club leaders stating that young people who attend improve their personal confidence, independence in learning, and creative thinking. 

Young people who attend improve their personal confidence, independence in learning, and creative thinking.

We were pleased to find out that most Code Club leaders, who run their sessions in schools, think that their clubs increase the visibility of computing within their school. Many also said that the attendees’ parents and guardians value their clubs as opportunities for their children.

What’s next?

We want to keep providing clubs with support to increase their positive impact on young people. Thanks to the survey results, we know to focus our work on providing training opportunities for club volunteers, as well as supporting club leaders to recruit volunteers and advertise their clubs to more young people.

You can read the survey report to dive deeper into our findings.

As we take an impact-focused approach to our work, we are currently partnering with Durham University on an evaluation of Code Clubs in UK schools. The evaluation will provide further insights for how we can best support people around the world to run clubs that provide welcoming spaces where all kids can learn to create with digital technologies.

The post What is the impact of attending a Code Club or CoderDojo? appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Help us understand UK students’ attitudes to coding

Post Syndicated from Hammad Kazi original https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/uk-schools-attitudes-to-coding-code-club/

Non-formal learning initiatives are a popular way to engage children in computing from a young age and introduce them to the fun, creative world of coding and digital making. As part of our commitment to an evidence-based approach, we are partnering with Durham University on an exciting evaluation project to study the impact non-formal activities like Code Club have on young people in UK schools. Your school is invited to take part in the project.

A girl codes at a laptop while a woman looks on during a Code Club session.

We’re inviting UK schools to take part

The project will explore students’ attitudes to learning coding, and to learning generally. We hope to understand more about how extracurricular activities affect students’ confidence and skills. If you’re a teacher at a UK school, we would love for you to register your interest in taking part — your school doesn’t need to have a Code Club to participate. Taking part is easy: simply have some of your students fill in a few short surveys.

Two young people working together on a tech project.

As a token of our appreciation for your school’s involvement, you will receive some cool swag and an exclusive invitation to an online, educator-focused workshop where you will explore digital making with us. We’ll even provide you with all the kit you need to make something great, including a Raspberry Pi Pico. Your involvement will contribute to better computing education for UK students.

Computing in UK classrooms and in Code Clubs

In the UK, computing is taught at school, providing children with the opportunity to learn the importance of the subject and its many applications from a young age. In addition, non-formal education can play a pivotal role in fostering a positive learning experience, particularly in computing. Research on computing education indicates that non-formal settings are linked to improvement in students’ self-efficacy and interest in computing. Through participation in non-formal computing education, learners can gain valuable hands-on experience and develop problem-solving, collaboration, and presentation skills.

A child codes a Spiderman project at a laptop during a Code Club session.

That’s the thinking behind Code Clubs, which offer students a relaxed environment that encourages creativity, teamwork, and self-paced learning. By providing students with project-based learning opportunities and access to resources and mentors, Code Clubs help foster a passion for computing while also strengthening their understanding of key concepts.

A previous evaluation showed that students who participated in Code Clubs reported improvement in their coding skills and a positive perception about their coding abilities. Code Clubs have already made a significant impact on learners worldwide, with over 3500 Code Clubs around the world currently reaching tens of thousands of young people and inspiring a new generation of digital makers.

Help us with this project

Your school’s participation in this project will help increase our understanding of what works in computing education. Together we can ensure that young people are equipped with the skills and confidence to realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies. 

To register your interest in joining the project, simply fill out our short form and we’ll be in touch soon.

I want to register my interest

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