Dundee to host `App-a-thon’ Guinness World Record attempt
Published On Tue 9 Jun 2015 by Roddy Isles
The University of Dundee will be part of a Guinness World Record attempt this weekend when locals can boost the effort to reach the largest number of people simultaneously learning to code an Android app.
The 'App-a-thon’ is open to anyone and does not require specialist computing or programming knowledge.
The event is being run by BCSWomen, part of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. The record attempt will be held on Saturday 13th June in locations across the UK. The Dundee event takes place in the Queen Mother Building at the University of Dundee, from 10am on Saturday.
Dr Karen Petrie, from the University’s School of Computing, said, “We’re delighted to be taking part in the BCSWomen App-a-thon event. Giving young people the opportunity to make their own apps unleashes the creativity that is very much a part of modern day Computing Science.
“If they wish that their phone contained an app to help them in any part of their daily life and cannot find exactly what they want in the app store than they can just make it themselves. Events like this are creating the Computing entrepreneurs of the future.”
Gillian Arnold, Chair of BCSWomen said, “Within the IT profession, there is a real skills shortage in the UK that we need to address now. The BCSWomen App-a-thon event is a great way for lots of people to learn how to code at the same time, engage with those who are considering a career in IT and give every generation an opportunity to try their hand at coding.”
The event aims to break the record, but also to encourage young people, particularly girls, to consider a career in IT. A recent BCS survey of IT professionals found that 79% believe the profession would benefit from having more women working in it. Currently, women account for just 16% of IT professionals; a figure that has fallen significantly in recent years.
Gillian continued, “It is imperative that we encourage more women to enter the IT profession. Women and girls are massive users of technology however, they don’t realise they could be part of the profession that generates that technology. This is a real issue. We need to appeal to young girls and women and get them involved. IT is at the heart of everything we do these days; this is only going to continue to grow therefore the opportunities are almost limitless. It’s a profession that women are good at. We just need to encourage more women to be part of it!”
The event will be led by a member of BCSWomen who will teach participants how to build Android apps using MIT AppInventor. The sessions will be a mixture of talks, activities and hands-on coding.
The BCSWomen App-a-thon event will take place in the University of Dundee’s Queen Mother Building on Saturday 13th June 2015, between 10am – 4pm. To register for your place on this free event, please visit: http://www.bcs.org/content/ConWebDoc/54583
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head of Press
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
MOBILE: 07800 581902
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk