Project title: WE-Bridge-Program: Women in Electronics Engineering Program
Funding awarded: £70,000
Summary:
WE-Bridge-Program aims to bridge the gender gap in students joining the electronics engineering course at Ulster University. The main goals are:
- A deeper understanding of the current and perceived barriers for girls to follow electronics engineering as a career path.
- Influence school students to opt for mathematics, physics, chemistry, technology and design, design and technology, engineering and electronics subjects.
- Create role models using our women undergraduate students to inspire school students, particularly girls, to study electronics engineering course.
- Create awareness and influence parents to encourage their children to study electronics engineering.
- Train the teachers and create awareness about electronics engineering and physics so that they can be ambassadors for change.
- Have consistent sustainable growth in the number of high school students opting to study electronics engineering courses until gender parity is reached.
What need does the project address?
At Ulster University, the number of women students joining the electrical and electronics engineering course has remained relatively low. Though the numbers are steadily growing, women are significantly underrepresented. This has a negative knock-on effect on the representation of women in leadership roles in electronics engineering organisations. It is essential to understand root causes and plan effective early interventions at secondary school level to significantly increase the potential number of women electronics engineers in Northern Ireland. This is especially true as over the last 25 years, the proportion of girls studying A level physics has stayed stagnant, at just 20% of students.
The WE-Bridge-Program aspires to increase the number of girl students choosing A-level physics, thereby creating pathways for them to take electronics engineering courses at university.
What will the students experience?
The WE-Bridge-Program will expose students to the fascinating world of electronics engineering and the potential it has to help solve the global challenges. Participants will have the opportunity to get involved in co-creating enjoyable and relevant practical activities that will build their self-confidence, leadership and subject competence. It will equip them with the skills and interest to pursue physics, thereby creating pathways to studying electronic engineering at university. The project will include several activities specifically designed to attract and increase diversity, such as:
- An essay writing competition on ‘Barriers to STEM education for girls’, aimed at secondary school students.
- An online open session bimonthly meet-up to discuss problems and issues and how they can be solved.
- Inclusive workshops to adopt problem-based learning. These will be guided by the principles of Universal Design for Learning so that they are accessible for all, and the students will build a project based on what has been taught.
What are the expected outcomes?
Following completion of the WE-Bridge-Program, the expectation will be to have begun the process of bridging the gender gap within the electronic engineering course at Ulster University. By carrying out activities designed to better understand barriers faced by girls contemplating electronic engineering, methods will be put in place to train teachers and connect with future students. The aim of this is to create awareness, implement action and reach the final goal of having a gender-balanced course moving forward.