Finding the right fit: The women in IT dilemma (original) (raw)
Related papers
Journal for computing teachers, 2011
Lynch, Julianne 2009, Declining participation in computing education: An Australia perspective on the "gender and lT" problem, Journal for computing teachers, Spring, pp. 1-12. Participation in post-compulsory computing education has declined over recent years, both in the senior years of secondary school and at university. This trend has been observed in most developed countries, despite reported and projected skills shortages in Information Technology (IT) industries. Within the computing education enrollment mix, girls and women continue to be under-represented and recent years have seen female participation fall even more rapidly than that of males. This article reports on findings of an Australian study which explored secondary school students’ beliefs about and attitudes towards computing education and careers in IT. Factors that might discourage girls in particular from pursuing post-compulsory computing education and careers are discussed, along with broader implications for school education in an era when information and communication technologies are an integral part of our daily lives. Findings include the persistence among both boys and girls of inaccurate and outdated views of the field of IT and low expectations of both school IT curricula and pedagogy in terms of their relevance and interest for students. Many of the issues identified as discouraging students in general from pursuing computing education appear to have a greater discouraging effect on girls, and this is compounded by stereotypical views of the field as male-dominated and unwelcoming to women and girls.
Understanding women’s presence in ICT: the life course perspective
International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 2011
Considerable effort has been devoted to reaching a gender balance in ICT professions, apparently to little effect. Women still make up under 20% of ICT professionals in most OECD countries, and there is little sign of any substantial increase in their presence. Perhaps we have failed to properly understand the factors involved in women's absence, or to design appropriate remedial measures. We may need to reconsider our approach to the issue.
Effects of Gaming on the Gender Gap in Enrolling in High School Computer Classes
editlib.org
The United States is quickly losing its competitive Informational Technology (I.T.) edge to other nations who are better able to meet the demand for qualified I.T. workers. The United States will have only half the qualified graduates needed to fill the 1.5 million information technology jobs by the year 2012 (Bombardieri, 2005). Women make up half of the labor force in the United States yet only three out of ten computer systems analysts, engineers and scientists are female (U.S. Department of Labor, Women In High-Tech Jobs, 2002). We cannot afford to leave so much of the population behind in regards to the under-representation of women in high tech fields. In this study, 176 middle school girls were surveyed to explore possible relationships between their interests in various computer games and their interest in taking computer related classes. Significant relationships were found between their interest in playing "non-violent" social constructive games and in enrolling in Informational Technology classes. Thus, the increased use of "nonviolent" games for girls in preK-8 may be a way to encourage more middle school girls to become interested in IT related courses and careers.
International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction
This paper presents research in progress about the attitudes and experiences of women in computing. The study was conducted within female students, aged between 16 and 25 years old, and teachers in high schools and universities. A survey was also presented to professional women in the computer science area. The questionnaire was prepared with 18 questions concerning general information about the motivation to choose computer sciences and computing/informatics as a thematic area to be followed at university level; the context they had at home using a computer; the use by other family members; the influences they had to use a computer, either at home or in other places; and their thoughts about computing. To complement the data gathered, semi-structured interviews were designed. The conclusions were that the number of females in computer science studies are increasing comparing to male positions; however, more work should be done to improve their motivation. The main contribution of t...
Women and Men in Computer Science
Advances in human and social aspects of technology book series, 2014
Playing digital games is described as a pathway to computer science (CS) classes and majors, but not all gamers want to study CS. The goal of this chapter is to explore which gaming motivations and practices are most strongly related to an interest in studying computer science, and whether the connection between gaming and computer science is similar for men and women. The data are from 545 male and female gamers taking an introductory computer science class at one of 15 community colleges in the US. Survey responses were analyzed to provide a picture of what, how often, and why they play, and interviews from 39 of the most avid gamers were analyzed for why and how they play. The results show that, on average, men play more frequently than women, and there are gender differences in the type of games they like to play and why they play them. However, playing more frequently was not associated with greater interest in studying CS for either gender. Interest in CS was highest among men who were motivated to play in order to increase skills, be with friends, connect with the game features, and by the art or graphics. However, CS interest was highest among women who consider themselves to be more serious gamers, play racing and puzzle games, play on a game console, and are motivated by fun, relaxation and social interaction. The results can inform efforts to increase the number of women that pursue computer science. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research on how game play and interest in CS are related.