The dressCode Lesson Starter Tool is live!
Over the last year a team of volunteers at the Scottish Tech Army (STA) has delivered a searchable, web-based application, which allows computer science teachers to access and present free lesson starter exercises in their classes. The idea originated from Toni Scullion, founder of dressCode and a computer science teacher herself, to improve access to engaging teaching materials for computer science. Although the materials are tailored towards the Scottish curriculum, they have broader applicability for computer science teachers in other parts of the UK and beyond - they are available free of charge online at https://dresscodedev.org.uk.
It is widely recognised that Scotland has a great need for more computer science teachers, as well as for more software engineers. Inspiring the next generation is important, especially when it comes to giving girls and young women the confidence to see themselves as future programmers. Toni Scullion founded dressCode with the aim of encouraging more girls into computer science through creating a free, girls-only after-school programming club. To further increase her impact, she approached the Scottish Tech Army with the idea of creating an online, searchable database for lesson starters for computer science classes. Lesson starters are short exercises or discussion points, which are used at the very start of a lesson to engage pupils, for example, a picture with an evocative statement or a quiz.
What is the Lesson Starter Tool?
Rather than leaving every computer science teacher to develop their own set of lesson starters, Toni was keen to create a free resource for all teachers, broadening the range of lesson starters by collecting and sharing them more widely. Here is where the volunteers of the Scottish Tech Army stepped in. They created a single-page, web-based application, which combines a clear and engaging interface with a searchable database of lesson starter exercises. The aim was for the application to be easy to use as well as fast, and to allow teachers to select, earmark and display the exercises in school via a classroom projector. A mixed team of programmers and designers at the STA got stuck in and delivered the tool ready for the start of the school year in September 2023.
How can teachers use the Lesson Starter Tool?
Part of the mission of dressCode is to make resources for teaching computer science freely and easily available. To use the Lesson Starter Tool, all one needs to do is register at https://dresscodedev.org.uk. The interface displays all lesson starters with a cover image and associated search tags, as well as their popularity rankings. The exercises can be filtered by course level and type of activity involved. The tool allows teachers to browse through the exercises, preview them, select the relevant ones, and earmark them in a diary ready for easy access in school. They are then displayed via a computer and projector in class.
What are the next steps for the project?
Currently, there are 37 teachers using the Lesson Starter Tool. This is already a big percentage of all computer science teachers in secondary schools in Scotland. Both the Scottish Tech Army and dressCode are hoping to expand its uptake to 80% of teachers in Scotland and to increase the number of exercises that are available. The team of volunteers at the STA is also working on extending the functionality of the application by creating a portal for the upload of new exercises with a standardised review process, and an exchange forum which will allow for discussion between teachers. Implicit in the new tool is also the possibility of replicating its usage in other subject areas.
How to contribute to the dressCode Lesson Starter Tool
The best way to contribute to the Lesson Starter Tool as a teacher is to use it in class and to recommend it to colleagues. The rest of us can also support the project by spreading the word and linking to it. New material for a lesson starter can be submitted directly to Toni Scullion at https://www.dresscode.org.uk. Check out the existing lesson starters for ideas.
Contributing to the project has been a positive experience for volunteers at the STA, like Keith Sterling: ‘I have an 8-year-old daughter and I would like her to benefit from computer science in her education. I have enjoyed my career, travelled the world and worked for some great people and companies on some amazing projects, all because I had access to computers from an early age. dressCode and the Lesson Starter tool allow me to directly contribute to computer science being available to all pupils in school, and especially to close the gender gap, so that girls like my daughter have the same choices in studying computer science as anyone else.’
Both dressCode and the Scottish Tech Army are delighted to be contributing to inspiring the next generation through this project. If you would like to become part of the STA team of volunteers to contribute to this or any of our other projects supporting charities and NGOs in Scotland, please get in touch via https://www.scottishtecharmy.org/volunteers.
About dressCode:
dressCode is a charity run by Toni Scullion in her own time while also working as a computer science teacher. Its aim is to help close the gender gap in computing science. Amongst other things, dressCode is creating a network of coding clubs in schools, as well as opportunities such as online competitions for pupils in Primary and Secondary school. It hopes to bridge the gap between education and industry, and create opportunities for girls and young women to see their future in tech.
