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Kids learned how to code through the WeSpeakCode campaign of Microsoft
New research shows most students in the Philippines recognize value of coding for future careers, and enjoy relatively strong support and opportunities from parents and schools
Microsoft today released the results from a new Asia Pacific study which revealed that the majority of students in the Philippines recognize the value of coding in their education and the potential it creates for their future careers. Additionally, the study also found that students enjoy relatively strong support from their schools and parents in their interest for coding, signaling an increasing awareness of the skill as an important part of their future.
Conducted in February 2015 in line with the Microsoft YouthSpark #WeSpeakCode campaign, the survey polled 1,850 students under 24 years old from across 8 countries in Asia Pacific[1], including the Philippines, on their sentiments towards coding or software programming. They were also asked about the learning opportunities for coding that are currently available to them. The student respondents came from a variety of academic backgrounds, including arts & humanities, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), business, and other general fields of study.
According to the survey, a vast majority of students in the Philippines (97 percent) want to know more about coding, and 96 percent wish that coding could be offered as a core subject in their schools. This suggests that coding has the potential to be a highly engaging subject that can capture the attention and imagination of students, leading to positive learning outcomes.
The study also underscores the broad understanding amongst students in the Philippines about the impact of technology on businesses and the society – 96 percent of students say that coding is important to their future careers, and 92 percent agree that coding will be relevant to all careers in the future, regardless of areas of specialization.
“The results from the Microsoft survey clearly show that the vast majority of students in the Philippines no longer question the value of coding. These youth fully recognize its importance in helping them acquire fundamental 21st century skills and prepare them for success in the future,” said Karrie Ilagan, Microsoft Philippines General Manager. “As our world continues its evolution into one that is mobile-first and cloud-first, it is important for educators in the region to stop asking whether or not to offer coding as a subject – but how it can be integrated into the curriculum as soon as possible.
Other noteworthy results from the study include:
- On the benefits of coding, 81 percent said coding helps them better understand the digital world that we live in today, and 63 percent said coding can make it easier to find a job in the future;
- Although commonly regarded as a male-dominated field, the survey nevertheless shows that a very high proportion of both boys (96 percent) and girls (95 percent) in the Philippines think of coding as important to their future careers;
- Reinforcing the finding that students in the Philippines are fully aware of the growing importance of an education in technology, an overwhelming 98 percent of students who specialize in the arts and humanities – an area that is conventionally far removed from science and technology – wants to learn more about coding.
Along with the widespread enthusiasm and interest in coding, the survey also revealed that students in the Philippines enjoy relatively strong support from their parents and schools for coding: 72 percent said they have an opportunity to learn coding in school, whether as a core subject or an extracurricular activity, and 82 percent of students say their parents think coding is important to their future.
For the schools and parents on the other side of the fence, there is an urgent need to quickly reflect on how they can better support the younger generation in taking their first coding steps, especially when 93 percent of students said they would be willing to take up coding classes outside of regular school hours. In fact, 39 percent of students in the Philippines have already looked beyond the classroom and picked up coding on their own through online tutorials.
To help educators sustain and further this positive trend, the Microsoft YouthSpark #WeSpeakCode campaign is back for its second year in Asia Pacific. Kicking off today, this year’s movement promises to be more exciting than ever, with local events in more than thirteen countries throughout the region. Aimed at inspiring youth in Asia Pacific to try their hand at coding and become creators, the campaign will connect aspiring student coders of all skill levels with the tools, resources, and experiences they need to turn their innovative ideas into reality – whether they only have an hour, a whole semester, or an entire year’s worth of time to invest.
Microsoft Philippines celebrates #WeSpeakCode by teaching coding to select schools within and outside of Metro Manila with the help of Microsoft Student Partners (MSPs), college student volunteers who have been trained for free in Microsoft technologies and serve as Microsoft evangelists in their respective schools. A mall activation at SM Megamall also offers fun and easy coding lessons to kids and adults alike using popular games such as Minecraft, Angry Birds, and animated movie, Frozen, as a platform to teach coding and make it more accessible.
Ilagan added, “It is heartening to see so many students in the Philippines understand the importance of coding and are taking action to ready themselves for the future. We at Microsoft believe that code is a language that anyone can learn and computational thinking is an essential foundational skill that should be taught in all schools – regardless of age, gender, or your current field of study. Writing code and creating a program of your own is not complicated or difficult, and more importantly, it’s fun! More than 82 million people of all ages around the world already tried coding last year through the global Hour of Code event. Through the Microsoft YouthSpark #WeSpeakCode campaign, we’re bringing the movement here to Asia Pacific and the Philippines, empowering youth here to innovate, create, and unlock the best opportunities for their future.”
The countries involved in this study are: Australia, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.