Designing Access?! Critical Reflections on Gender-specific Educational Initiatives in Computing

Participatory approaches in human-computer interaction traditionally center around the co-creation of digital systems and on the empowerment of lay users. This position paper sets a different focus and reframes participation as a means of access to design itself. Hence, it is not about designing technologies, but about reflecting on how to create conditions under which marginalized groups — specifically young women — can access computer science education. The paper is motivated by a current research project that seeks to increase young women's interest in studying computer science (CS). Situated within the broader goal of diversifying the field of computing, the research project interrogates how digital fabrication and didactic reconstruction approaches to CS education could support increased representation of women in CS study programs. What we present here is not so much about the didactical approaches as such but a reflection on the broader setup of the project through the lens of intersectional gender research and the question of participation.