Publication Date: Jan 2016
RRP: $39.95
ISBN: 9781922235862
Format: Paperback
Size: 153mm x 234mm
Pages: 208
Category: Digital Cultures, Education

Digital Divas

Putting the Wow into Computing for Girls

Julie Fisher, Catherine Lang, Annemieke Craig, Helen Forgasz and Amber McLeod

Open Access

Also available as an ebook from your favourite retailer.


WINNER of the 2016 Leonie Warne Prize

The geek is male. Or so it seems. As is well documented, there is a distinct under-representation of girls studying computing at high school level and, correspondingly, going on to have careers in IT.

To address this problem in 2007 the authors of this book, with backgrounds in secondary teaching or IT, trialled a new and revolutionary program in schools: ‘Digital Divas’.

The Digital Divas program, based on the idea that it was possible to change girls’ perceptions of IT careers with educationally sound materials that tapped into their interests and were delivered in all-girl classes within the school curriculum, was a great success.

In Digital Divas: Putting the Wow into Computing for Girls, Fisher, Lang, Craig and Forgasz recount what they did and how they did it and reflect on the significance of this program, which has indisputably led to an increased self-sufficiency with IT amongst girls, challenged stereotyped understandings of IT as a male activity, and increased the pursuit of IT careers by young women.


Julie Fisher

Dr Julie Fisher is a Professor in the Faculty of Information Technology at Monash University, Australia. She has worked and conducted research in the information systems field for the last 20+ years. For most of this time Julie has researched the...
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Catherine Lang

Dr Catherine Lang is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Her research focus since 1996 has been on the under-representation of women in computing, which culminated in the national research project that is...
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Annemieke Craig

Dr Annemieke Craig is an Associate Professor in the School of Information and Business Analytics, Deakin University. Annemieke’s career and research journey has been focused on computing education at all levels; secondary, adult education, TAFE and tertiary education. Her research interests...
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Helen Forgasz

Dr Helen Forgasz is a Professor of education and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Education, Monash University. The focus of her research and teaching is on gender issues and the affective domain in mathematics education; technology use for mathematics learning...
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Amber McLeod

Dr Amber McLeod is a Lecturer in Education at Monash University. She has a BSc in Applied Biology at RMIT and worked as a microbiologist before completing a Diploma of Education at La Trobe University and a Masters in Linguistics at...
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