Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2011

grammar gazette SPRING 2011

IT Needs Girls

MRS MAGGIE GOLAWSKA-LOYE, TECHNOLOGY STUDIES FACULTY

Attracting girls to take up computing subjects has proven to be a significant challenge for education institutions worldwide. Studies indicate that the main impediments discovered in engaging and retaining women in computer sciences were feelings of “an experience gap, confidence doubts, interest in curriculum and pedagogy, and peer culture” Blum, 2001

At Girls Grammar the Technology Studies Faculty is continuously developing all facets of the Computer Studies curriculum and pedagogy to enhance learning outcomes and future pathways for our young women. This is achieved through placing a particular innovations as well as highlighting the diverse career opportunities available for women within the IT industry. There is general industry consensus that there is an ongoing and growing demand for IT workers with leadership, interpersonal and high order communication skills. Qualitative research indicates that many women in technology are attracted to the “combination of technical and non-technical work, making them potentially well suited to meet the new competitive demands of technical work” (Simard, 2007). Gender diversity in the IT workplace has also been suggested to be important focus on girls’ interests and contemporary technological

which they can later showcase to the School community. We believe that girls need to be encouraged and positively supported in their technology endeavours as the authors of Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide (Cooper and Weaver, 2003) claim that the lack of participation of females in computing excludes them from the “new economy”, which calls for sophisticated computer skills in exchange for high salary positions (Cooper and Weaver, 2003). With the unprecedented march of technology permeating all aspects of modern life and work we take our obligation to empower and equip our young women with the capability to “light the skies” with their technical prowess as the priority of our educational mandate.

and beneficial to the process of decision making, promoting increased creativity and innovation (Simard, 2007). Our Computer Studies curriculum focuses on delivering pertinent technical skills and familiarity with contemporary software applications in combination with effective problem solving and project management methods. Studies show that ‘women in computer science classes who work in pairs are more likely to feel confident about their programming and to go on to major in computer science’ (Laurel School, 2009). Throughout their course of study students have the opportunity to develop a wide range of creative technology projects both in an individual capacity and in group work settings. This approach is designed to emulate the environments that the girls are likely to encounter post school and is intended to promote the life-wide learning philosophy of Girls Grammar.

Surveys of high school students in Vancouver, Canada totalling 7,411 participants (SWIFT, “Supporting Women in Information Technology”, 2000) and responses from our students over the years also point to female students having a propensity to believe that they lack the understanding and skill set required to be successful in the wide ranging fields of computing. In direct response to this issue the Technology Studies Faculty endeavours to highlight successful female role models through guest speakers, excursions to universities and industry to strengthen the girls’ perceptions of their abilities and therefore enhance their prospects in IT fields. Additionally, we promote a positive IT peer culture, essential in facilitating successful and ongoing learning of technology, by providing dynamic and co-operative learning environments that allow students to create and reflect on technology challenges and innovations,

References: Blum, L. (2001). Women in Computer Science: The Carnegie Mellon Experience. Retrieved from http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~lblum/ PAPERS/women_in_computer_science.pdf Cooper, J. and Weaver, K. (2003). Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide. Philadelphia : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Chan,V. Stafford, K., Klawe, M. and Chen, G. (2000). Gender Differences in Vancouver Secondary Student’s Interests Related to Information Technology Careers. Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved from http://www.cs.ubc.ca/labs/swift/survey_stats/career_choice_survey/SurveyPaper.doc Teaching Girls to Tinker. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.laurelschool.org/about/documents/TEACHINGGIRLSTOTINKER.pdf Simard, C. (2007). Barriers to the advancement of technical women. Retrieved from http://anitaborg.org/files/womens-tech- careers-lit-reviewfinal_2007.pdf

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