Digital Divas: Designing approaches to enthuse girls' interest in ICT studies and ICT careers

Girls' declining interest in Information Communication Technology (ICT) is clearly evident by senior secondary school, and is contributing to even fewer women participating in the ICT industry. Short-term initiatives have failed to change girls' attitudes. The Digital Divas project will explore a long-term strategy to encourage girls to study ICT. Using action research and school based case studies it will investigate how to engage girls with ICT. Research outcomes will include identifying materials most likely to stimulate girls' interest, how effective a curriculum based, longitudinal program is and understand if the program impacts on girls' attitudes towards ICT and ICT careers.