Gender Gap Running head: GENDER GAP IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

Gender Gap in Computer Science Michael Scott Alexander University of British Columbia ETEC 500 Section 65A Dr. Stephen Carey April 19th, 2009

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The number of females electing to take computer science and computer science related courses in post-secondary has been declining since it peaked in the mid-1980s. In some postsecondary institutions, the number of females taking computer science is critically low compared to the overall percentage of total females enrolled in post-secondary institutions across Canada and the United States. Research has documented the existence of a gap between boys and girls in math and science; more recently, research is addressing the gender gap in technology. Does it exist? Should it be a concern? What can be done about it? John Merrow, in The Merrow Report, National Public Radio, October 26, 1999, began his program by stating that through relentless and concerted effort, improvement was shown in advanced math participation and achievement among females between 1990 and 1994, but "it has not happened in computer science and so there is a gap." However, there is conflicting research on whether or not a gender gap occurs in technology. As a high school Information Technology Instructor and judging by demographics of students in my technology classes, I would agree that there is a gender gap based solely on the demographics of my classroom; in the 168 students enrolled in technology based classes from grades 9 to 12 at Mission Secondary School, only 52 of those are female students (30.1%). The gap is even higher at the senior level courses, elective courses offered to students in grade 11 and 12; only 23 of 110 (20.95%) students at Mission Secondary School enrolled in technology based courses are females. As an elective teacher, my program is based on numbers and if Im not reaching all of the students, some of my courses may be cancelled. Also, technology is a rapidly growing field and needs to attract the best and brightest students from both genders to fully maximize its potential. However, not all of the literature would agree with my observations, some suggest that the gender gap that once might have existed, has been narrowing and isnt as significant as it once was.

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The article "Middle School Students Technology Practices and Preferences: ReExamining Gender Differences" which is based on the work of three ladies from Rice University; Leslie M. Miller, Heidi Schweingruber and Christine L. Brandenburg, states that the gender gaps that once existed in regards to computer science are not as significant as they historically have been and the gap is narrowing. Their basis for this conclusion is based on their findings from 512 Middle School students in three areas; self-perception and acquisition of their computer skills, the students exposure to technology at home as well as at school and the students preference in media styles and content preferences. Miller et al (2001) found that much of the previous research was dedicated to the difference in learning styles between boys and girls and that this affected how each gender interacted with computers. Males tend to use the computer as a toy to play with while females tend to see it as a tool and use it more as a social device. Males tend to have a computer advantage over their female counterparts from an early age because they are typically exposed to it early and more often the females. Miller et al (2001) suggest that this historical gap is shrinking and with the advent of the Web, Americas youth may be responsible for less gender-bias technology outcomes in both school and the workforce. Miller et al (2001) surveyed eight middle schools in the Houston area between October 1998 and April 1999. 568 middle school students from both the private and public education sectors were selected; the students ranged in age from 11 to 15 years with the mean age being 12.59. The eight schools were recruited to obtain a diverse urban and suburban population representative as well as a diverse range of socio-economic status (SES). The data was compiled using small focus groups and a 68 item questionnaire that contained both open ended and closed questions. The pen and paper questionnaire typically to the students 30 minutes to complete.

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Miller et al (2001) concluded that students of all socio-economic backgrounds and both genders were becoming part of the digital culture. Females were becoming more confident in their computer use and they rated themselves on average towards the positive side of Expert in their Internet expertise; this contradicted previous studies that found that female were apprehensive to explore the computer, these studies even suggesting computer avoidance. The divide separating the confidence level of male and female adolescence is narrowing; they found that females were now using the computer to play games which also contradicted the previous research. Miller et al (2001) also claim that the divide in the types of games was narrowing as well which contradicted previous research that suggests that females choose less violent, more open-ended type of games. Jane Margolis and Allan Fischer in their article Unlocking the Clubhouse Women in Computing (2002) would disagree with this notion that the gender gap is narrowing; they would even suggest the exact opposite that women are out of the loop in terms of technology and technological development. They found differences how boys and girls interact with computers from a very early age and how boys are encouraged to use computers more than girls by both parents and teachers. Margolis and Fischer (2002) state although women surf the Web in equal numbers to men and make a majority of online purchases, few are involved in the design and creation of new technology. It is mostly men whose perspectives and priorities inform the development of computing innovations and who reap the lion's share of the financial rewards. As only a small fraction of high school and college computer science students are female, the field is likely to remain a "male clubhouse," absent major changes. Margolis and Fischer (2002) interviewed more than 100 computer science students of both sexes from Carnegie Mellon University, a major center of computer science research, over a

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period of four years from late 1995 to early 2000, as well as classroom observations and conversations with hundreds of college and high school faculty. The differences between how boys and girls interact with computers from a very early age are discussed by Marglois and Fischer (2002). Boys have a very early love affair with computers, and they are encouraged to use computers more than girls are by both parents and teachers; for example, the computer is usually in the boys room while girls tend to become involved by watching a male family member. Boys in adolescence join a group of computer nerds with the same interest they have. The group members learn from each other, and exclude everyone else from the group. Girls find the idea of being so involved with a computer distasteful and shy away from computer labs where the boys congregate. They have reported being harassed when entering the boys area. Boys find they make friends easier over a computer and it provides a place for them where they are socially acceptable. Girls interested in computers are torn between their interest and what they perceive the world expects from them. For them computers is usually one of many interests, where it is the boys sole interest and they always talk about computers all of the time. One third of girls reported being hooked by their first programming class in high school, so it is very important to get them to take the class. Girls face not only the High school boys computer club but the legacy of the myth that they perform poorer in math and science than the boys and unequal computer resources for girls in high school. Margolis and Fischer (2002) state that peers do better than they do with little effort, when they have to work really hard to achieve. Novices are left behind, as the majority knows so much. Men appear as if they know everything. At Carnegie Mellon of incoming students 25% of males and 4% of women had paid programming experience at the time of the research. Females are unsure of what they need to

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know when starting the program. After the first year females exhibited a sharp drop in selfconfidence although there was not a big difference in marks compared to the male students. Women also were more vulnerable to poor teaching, inhospitable environments and unhelpful faculty than males. They report being accused by peers of being allowed into the coveted program because they are female and not because of their ability. Some were also told that they can get help from any guy because they have the goods. The fundamental problem that surfaces was lower expectations by society for the performance of females. Stereotyping played a huge role and led to stereotype vulnerability that resulted in poor performance. For some the result was a vicious circle of doubt followed by losing interest. Men on the other hand that did not have the same early exposure and prior knowledge of computers did not suffer the gender stereotyping or snide remarks to questions and performed better than the females. Women felt inferior, representative of their gender and became afraid to ask questions. So Margolis and Fischer (2002) contradict the findings of Miller et al (2001) that the gender gaps that once existed in regards to computer science are not as significant as they historically have been and the gap is narrowing. Margolis and Fischer claim that there is a gender gap starting at an early age and the gap widens as boys and girls progress through school and onto university. Esposito (2008) echoes that a gender gap does indeed exist from a study conducted by the Association for Computing Machinery in collaboration with the National Science Foundation: The number of bachelor degrees awarded in computer science has been dropping overall, for men and women, but the pace of decline has been more rapid among women. In the 1985-86 academic year, a peak of 41,889 Bachelor of Arts and

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Bachelor of Science degrees were awarded in computer science; 36 percent went to women. But by 1993-94, the number of degrees fell to 24,200, with only 28.4 percent awarded to women. Yet at the same time, women accounted for 54.5 percent of degrees awarded in all disciplines. In just under a decade in the United States, the number of bachelor degrees afforded to women shrank from 15,080 down to 6,872; almost a 45.6 percent reduction in 8 years. All the while, women were still prevalent in academia over that same period of time. This trend has continued over the past 14 years as well. As Stross points out in The New York Times (2008, November 16) reports a rapid decline in undergraduate degrees in computer science and engineering fell from 19 percent in 2001-02 to 12 percent in 2006-07 from institutions that grant PhDs in Canada and the United States; one could argue the North American leaders in developing technology. Does the future show any promise for an increase in the number of females entering the field of computer science? According the College Board (2008), in 2008 the number of girls that took the Advanced Placement Computer Science exam was 2,594 compared to 12,068 boys; girls accounting for around 21.4 percent of the participation rate. Allow this may not be exact prediction in the number of women in computer science over the next decades, one must feasibly see a strong correlation between the two; students currently enrolled in AP courses now compared to leaders in the industry next decade. These students are the future of computer science and it seems that the future has the potential to be dominated by men. Although Miller et al found that girls in middle school exposure and comfort level with computers had been increasing over the decade in the 1990s; I think it is haste to assume that this is causing the gender gap to shrink. If you look at the statistics as well as research after high

Gender Gap school, it becomes apparent that not only is the gender gap increasing as girls move through the education system, it is close to becoming that computer science is not seen as a viable career opportunity for girls. The number of women in high positions in industry or academia seems to be far outweighed by their male counterparts, if they even exist at all. Of the 40 Hall of Fame Inductees in the San Diego Computer Museum (2008), only one is a female, pioneer Lady Ada Augusta Lovelace; and her contributions to the computer field were long before the turn of the twentieth century. Of the 57 list of current inductees (2008), only one was a female; Sandy Lerner, the co-founder of Cisco Systems. To assume that girls are closing the gap based on a

study of middle school age alone, is doing a disservice to the cause to try and entice females into enrolling in computer courses at high school and universities. The availability of resources for girls in terms of computer access is not at the same level of boys in Canada. Studies conducted by Statistics Canada (2002, October 29) show that:

Findings from a detailed analysis of the relationship of access and use to students' background, based on PISA 2000, reveal that in Canada, 15-year-old girls were less likely than boys to have a computer at home and less likely to have Internet access at home.

The gender difference for 15-year-olds was consistent across OECD countries. In all countries, boys were more likely than girls to have a computer available at home for use almost every day, a few times each week or between once a week and once a month.

So much research exists that contradicts Miller et al and those of us in academia must not be satisfied with the comfort level and number of girls entering the computer science

Gender Gap field. This issue must be addressed if we are indeed going to close the gender gap as suggested by Miller et al.

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College Board AP Central National Summary Reports, Retrieved on November 2, 2008, from http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_dowlaods/about/news_info/cbsenior/yr2008/nationalreport.pdf Computer Hall of Fame, Retrieved on November 18, 2008 from http://www.computermuseum.org/hof/ Esposito, Andi, Steady Decline in Female Computer Majors is Troubling, Telegram & Business Editor, 2008. Kraft, Phillip, Programmers and Managers: The Routinization of Computer Programming in the United States, New York: Springer-Verlag, 1977. Margolis, J. & Fisher. A. (2002). Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Miller. L. M, Schweingruber. H., & Brandenburg. C. L . (2001). Middle School Students Technology Practices and Preferences: Re-Examining Gender Difference Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia 10(2), 125-140. Retrieved, 15 February 2009 from https://www.vista.ubc.ca/webct/RelativeResourceManager/Template/Module04/ module_4/MiddleSchlSurvey.pdf Statistics Canada, Retrieved on November 7, 2008 from http://www.statscan.gc.ca/dailyQuotidian/021029/dq021029a-eng.htm Stross, Randall, What Has Driven Women Out of Computer Science?, The New York Times, November 16, 2008, page BU4.