TECHNOS

August 21, 2008

TECHNOS QUARTERLY Fall 1994 Vol. 3 No. 3

No Girls Allowed!

By Melissa Koch

It's a noisy sixth-grade classroom, and it's vibrating with energy. Mr. Calhoun announces a trip to the computer lab—half the class will go to the lab with Ms. Karlov, the computer coordinator, and the other half will stay with him. Marka, a bright and generally enthusiastic learner, groans. She has begun to dread these trips to the computer lab because she feels the computer programs have little relevance or purpose and the boys dominate the machines.

Once inside the lab, the five boys lunge for the computers. Ms. Karlov calls out: “All right, everyone! You will need to share a computer.” The boys don't move from their claim; they have already begun to manipulate the software and play video games. Ms. Karlov gives basic instructions on computer programming and reminds students to take turns developing their programs.

Marka hesitantly joins Billy, who is writing a code at the computer. When Marka sees what he has done, she becomes interested. With Ms. Karlov's reminder, Billy pushes the mouse toward Marka. Worrying that she will appear dumb, Marka writes a few lines while Billy moves about restlessly in his seat. Sensing his impatience, she grows more and more nervous and reaches a mental block. Billy grabs the mouse from her, opens his own program, and begins to write. Marka settles back and pretends that she doesn't care.

Later, Ms. Karlov lets the students use the math software, and the boys again dominate. After several attempts to discover the reason for a program's error message, Sam shouts his frustration from across the room. Ms. Karlov answers without moving towards him, “Try rebooting.” Marka, who is still nervous, has difficulty getting the math program launched, so Ms. Karlov reaches for the mouse and opens the program for her. The boys become very excited about scoring and try to advance to the next level. At the end of class, Ms. Karlov rewards the three highest scorers—John, Brian, and Seth—with stickers.

But for Marka the energy has faded.

Girls are often turned off of computers for a host of social, psychological, attitudinal, and environmental reasons. They are socialized to view technology and technically literate people as belonging to a particular culture—the hacker culture. Sherry Turkle, author of The Second Self, states, “There are few women hackers. This is a male world.”

Women may also see the world of technology as precise and unforgiving, often lacking in creativity and having little connection to people. Lorri Neilsen, director of teacher development at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has discovered that girls often feel that if something goes wrong while they are using high-tech equipment, it is their fault, whereas boys are more likely to blame the machine. Her research also shows that girls and women are less confident than boys and men about their computer abilities.

For girls, many of these feelings of incompetence and alienation from technology start or are reinforced in school. How girls and women relate to technology and the value that they bring to it are often ignored or devalued in education.

Once administrators, educators, and engineers begin to understand how girls are getting turned off of technology and to appreciate the different learning style of each gender, we all can make strides in supporting girls and women in choosing computer-related careers and using computers as a medium of expression.

Regarding Gender

In psychology, there are four genders: male, female, undifferentiated, and androgynous. The male gender is defined by stereotypical male characteristics: analytical, aggressive, etc. The female gender is also stereotypically defined: nurturing, emotional, etc. These female and male characteristics are not necessarily assigned to the female and the male sex, respectively. The undifferentiated gender has few specifically male or female characteristics, while the androgynous has both. Although men and women can display the characteristics of any of these four genders, in our society women are socialized to be of the female gender. Because of society's perception of the female gender, this classification frequently harms women's self-confidence and ability to pursue their dreams.

It's a Turnoff
Instead of enticing girls to use technology, educators are turning them off, both subtly and forcibly. In Failing at Fairness, authors Myra and David Sadker comment on the short-circuiting of girls' technical abilities that begins as early as kindergarten. They tell of research done two decades ago by Lisa Serbin and Daniel O'Leary which documented the way teachers gave boys extended directions on how to accomplish tasks themselves while often completing tasks for girls. This same short-circuiting occurs in the kindergartens of the 1990s. Marta Cruz Janzen, according to the Sadlers, observed a teacher's aide instructing the boys how to use a VCR for their project but running the VCR himself for the girls. This is an all-too-familiar situation.

Computers and other high-tech equipment have been used in and considered part of math and computer science, still predominantly male domains. Girls aren't encouraged to go to higher levels in these disciplines by teachers. They are often discouraged by their peers as well. “While there is no sign on the computer room door announcing NO GIRLS ALLOWED,” says Jo Sanders, coauthor of The Neuter Computer, “females and male students place it there themselves.”

In Failing at Fairness, one sixth-grade teacher comments that she formerly let students choose whether they wanted to use computers during recess. The boys crowded the computer room, while few girls tried to enter what had become the boys' domain. When some girls did try to enter, they were met by rude comments from the boys. The teacher decided to change her tactic and require that each student spend a certain amount of time each week in the computer lab. As a result, the lab became integrated, with almost equal numbers of boys and girls using it.

There are many factors in and outside the classroom that result in girls' being turned away from computers. Such things as the media depicting men as experts in technology, societal expectations of different life goals for boys and girls, the structure of learning tasks, the nature of feedback in performance situations, and the organization of classroom sitting are a few factors. Often, teachers ask only the boys technical questions, and the boys mock girls' ignorance of technical terms. Also, programming courses are scheduled at the same time as music or art classes, thus discouraging participation. Add to these conditions the facts that the home computer often is placed in the boy's room, not in a common area, and that parents don't usually send girls to computer camp or technology programs, and it is little wonder that girls are turned off.

Because these factors are often subtle, they go unnoticed. The gender gap is not closing, according to Jo Sanders, who says it “is a deeply ingrained pattern on the part of teachers and kids.” Gender bias penetrates all aspects of society.

The Game's the Thing
The gender bias of the computer-game market contributes to girls' lack of interest in computer games and inhibits their access to computer technology. These games introduce children to the basic technology, allowing them to interact and explore. Kids who play the games have an advantage over kids who don't. Currently, the majority of computer-game players are boys. Many researchers argue that this is due to the types of games on the market; the software appeals to boys rather than girls. Boys are more attracted to products that depict violence, emphasize competition, and demand strong hand-eye coordination. Most games written for boys contain stereotypes of masculine and feminine. While some girls play with these products, many feel alienated.

In the past, many of the software designers were male; thus they created games that appealed to boys. This situation is changing as more female designers enter the industry. However, most publishers—the controllers of the industry—fail to recognize the gender bias in their products, not to mention the female market potential. Heidi Danglemaier, a computer-game designer in New York City, has made it her mission to make publishers aware of gender bias and to involve females in digital interactive media. “When we as an industry truthfully believe gender differences exist,” she says, “we will make the first step toward creating video games for girls and boys.”

Danglemaier says that the majority of video games are competitive, have strict rules, and require achieving supremacy for the player to be successful. Given a choice, boys tend to choose this type of game 70 percent of the time, while girls choose it only 30 percent of the time. In general, girls prefer purposeful games that involve practical, real-world problem solving, have strong female main characters, and give a sense of completion. Girls often remark that video games are a waste of time; boys see these games as a venue for their game goals: competition and scoring.

With girls making up 30 percent of all new game players and 52 percent of the general population, some publishers are beginning to see dollar signs. Sanctuary Woods has created “Hawaii High,” a CD-ROM game with two female main characters who solve a mystery on Hawaii using historical and cultural clues. “Madeline,” which is in development at Electronic Arts, also has a strong story line with the title character and a male character creating a puppet show to raise money to help a neighbor.

Maria Klawe, director of computer science at the University of British Columbia and a noted authority on gender and computers, believes that computer games are a good way to entice kids into using computers. “Currently, it is the boys' culture that is addressed in computer games,” she says. “It is important to include girls' culture as well. Computer games can be intellectual activities that help children learn by making learning more attractive to them.”

Let's Go On Line
What about telecommunications? Do walking through the Internet and visiting sites and people along the way appeal to girls? Given the communication aspect of telecommunications and the ability to make on-line activities purposeful, this field would appear to appeal to girls. Some preliminary studies on girls and telecommunications indicate that having telecommunications as a collaborative activity in classrooms actually heightens girls' interest in computing. In addition, gender differences in the types of on-line activities that appeal to boys and girls are evident. While boys gravitate toward games, girls use e-mail and USENET. From her work on the Learning Connections Project, Lorri Neilsen observes, “[Girls] used newsgroups and listserves as well, but one-to-one e-mail was their primary use. On listserves, they tended to lurk.”

Tracy LaQuey Parker, author of The Internet Companion, says that while the Internet began as primarily a male domain, that is changing. “The Internet is a community and an open collection of resources for everyone. Because the variety of groups on the Internet is growing, there are attractions for girls and boys.” The growth of women's networks and on-line groups such as Systers and Women's Wire are indicative of the on-line space women are creating for themselves.

Because of the relative youth of this field, several educational research institutions plan to conduct research on network use by girls and women. According to a recent study by Alnaaz Kassam of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, “It is the active encouragement of female participation and a reflection of female needs and interests that will bring about any lasting improvement in the inclusion of females on an equitable basis.”

Wake-Up Call
Look around your schools and homes. What signals about gender are you sending to the children you encounter? Do you see both male and female gender learning styles being valued and addressed? Awareness is the key.

Exposure to technology. Girls need more exposure to technology, particularly during the critical middle-school years, when they often turn away from science, math, and technology in droves. It's important for kids to be introduced to computers in a variety of capacities before they reach puberty, when students often resist venturing out of their prescribed gender roles. Katherine Hunt, computer specialist for grades kindergarten through eight at Nueva School in Hillsborough, California, has this advice for teachers: “Give kids as much exposure to computers as you can. Do different types of activities. Open-endedness in projects engages girls, thus leading to their success.” Parents must be included in the process of encouraging girls to explore and become comfortable with high-tech equipment. Teachers should invite parents to conferences to discuss their daughters' use of technology and to project nights at the school.
Preferences. Girls often prefer collaborative to individual work. Teachers can help by setting up their classrooms and designing activities to promote cooperation. Girls tend to demonstrate a learned helplessness in regard to technology, but by teaching them to do things themselves rather than doing things for them, teachers can foster girls' comfort and confidence in using technology. Whereas boys tend to tinker, girls usually want to accomplish a task when they sit down at a computer. While learning to use time wisely is an important skill, tinkering—on the part of both girls and boys—often leads to new discoveries and a better understanding of the technology. Centering instruction on programming appeals mainly to boys. Girls respond better when applications, rather than programming, are stressed. Girls are fully capable of programming, although they are often turned off by its apparent regimented nature. Teaching programming as a creative process with many solutions can entice girls, as can integrating computers into the curriculum and using them for a variety of activities. Associating computers only with math and science may turn many girls away. For example, girls can transfer math anxiety to computers if they are placed only in the context of mathematics. Instead, teachers can use computers in a variety of subject areas (reading, history, literature) and for a variety of purposes (word processing, research, design).
Education reform. Looking at many girls' preferences for using technology, one might infer that gender was part of education reform. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Myra Sadker, David Sadker, and Sharon Steindam found that only one out of 138 articles on educational reform published between January 1983 and January 1987 discussed gender. The reform movement was not designed with gender in mind. To make a difference in regard to gender and technology, educators must make it a priority.
Appreciating both genders. In a study conducted by the Center for Children and Technology in New York City, researchers asked both male and female technical experts to imagine future technological developments in their field. Their responses indicated clear gender differences in perceptions of technology. The women envisioned devices that connect people, improve communication and collaboration, integrate public and private lives, and improve upon existing technologies. Many talked about portable devices. The men imagined unlimited power, tremendous speed, and absolute knowledge. The men were fascinated with the equipment itself and sought major technological advances. Both sets of values and concerns are needed. The male gender has greatly advanced technology, although sometimes forgetting the needs of the user. On the other hand, the female gender focuses on the users and improving current technologies. Appreciation for both genders' learning styles and addressing them in instruction will help draw girls into technology.

Although teaching to a female-gender learning style is important, it is easy to fall into the equity trap. Jo Sanders explains that to attract girls to technology, teachers often feel they must appeal to sex-role stereotypes, thus reinforcing the status quo. However, if an attempt is made both to attract girls to technology and to broaden their horizons, they will probably not respond. “The only solution I know to the equity trap is the incremental one of stretching girls' interests a little at a time,” Sanders concludes.
Choosing software. Software should be reviewed for gender bias and stereotyped sex roles. Today, with many women at the helm of educational software companies, most of the educational software products appeal to girls because of their purposeful nature. “However, many educational software developers want to take advantage of video game appeal, such as in ‘Mathblaster,’” remarks Maria Klawe. “But, for the most part, girls are interested in educational software, since it has purpose and is often collaborative.” Klawe also thinks it is a positive sign that “women have participated at least equally in the leadership in this field.”

For teachers who are concerned about gender bias in software, Jo Sanders offers this advice: “By all means, use any software that works and that isn't insulting to get the girls to the computer, but then introduce them to all the other challenging and rewarding ways in which people use computers.” Some developers are working on software with the purpose of motivating girls to investigate technology. Developers at the Center for Children and Technology created “Imagine” after interviewing children about new equipment they would like to create for themselves. “Imagine” lets kids design machines and animate the parts to show how they work. The purpose of the software is to validate girls' interests in design without needing previous knowledge of math and science. The design tool facilitates mental tinkering and spatial relationships to encourage girls to invent things.
Technology programs. Several educational programs have been set up across the country that engage girls in the use of technology. Educators can incorporate these programs into their curriculums or encourage girls to attend the programs after school or during the summer (see Technology Programs for Girls Sidebar).
All-girl classrooms. Many program administrators as well as researchers on gender bias in education support the use of all-girl classes (see Single-Sex Classrooms Sidebar). Bess Bendet, coordinator of the Eureka and SMART programs at Girls Inc. of San Leandro, California, says all-girl classes are critical because girls are more comfortable taking risks in these environments. They can, in the words of one 13-year old, “act smart without feeling dumb.” In mixed classrooms, boys tend to take over, answering all the questions and using the equipment first. In all-girl classrooms, girls are forced to take on a variety of leadership roles and look to other girls for leadership. Girls' consciousness of themselves and of technology is raised, and female role models are provided.
Role models. Because role models are critical but are often absent from girls' lives (see Who Are the Role Models? Sidebar), several programs have women from industry visit girls' classes to discuss their careers. The instructors of these programs also serve as role models for the girls. Tracy LaQuey Parker, a role model for all girls and women in computer science and networking, believes in the power of role models. “There aren't a lot out there. I think [they] are very important. Susan Estrada, an Internet expert and author of Connecting to the Internet, is my role model. Seeing her do things makes me feel I can do it.”

Do these programs and efforts help? In response to visits by role models from Women of Vision at the Technology Museum in San Jose, many girls write letters saying they've changed their minds about science and math and are considering careers in these fields. The Computer Equity Expert Project trained 200 educators from across the country. As a result of this training, at a school in West Virginia, the computer club went from five percent girls to 53 percent girls in about a year. At a school in Montana, in a year and a half the percentage of girls enrolled in programming went from none to 31. Furthermore, in a national field test of The Neuter Computer by Jo Sanders, girls' computer participation increased by 144 percent in only one term. So the programs do work.

Energy and vision are needed from all gender perspectives. These efforts at recognizing gender bias and seeking solutions can make females active participants in technology. The female perspective, which many educators have ignored or devalued until now, is, ironically, at the heart of current struggles in technological development: improving technologies for the user, making better communication tools, and creating collaborative environments. It's up to educators and anyone concerned with education to make the effort to involve a vital resource, the female gender. Can we afford not to?

Ms. Rose's noisy sixth-grade students are bursting with energy. Some are working with Ms. Rose on measuring the height of various playground objects; others are using spreadsheets and creating charts to describe the measurements they've taken. While Ms. Rose is on the playground with several of the students Mr Vaille remains with other members of the class to answer questions and to make sure that each two-person group receives ample time on one of the six computers. Mr. Vaille checks the operation of a computer that Marka said was giving her trouble when she tried to open her multimedia report for her technology design class. He shows Marka the cause of the problem and lets her operate the mouse to fix it.

Marka shows Mr. Vaille her presentation. She has worked on elements of it at home on the family computer, incorporating sounds that her brother makes playing the electric guitar. Marka, along with several other girls in the class, also attends all-girl classes conducted by Girls Inc. After meeting several women mathematicians and computer scientists at Girls Inc., they decided to research women in math and science. In the classroom, they have posted pictures and biographies of them. Marka and Shirabe are excited about next week's visitors, two computer scientists from a local company, Ms. Martinez and Mr. Carter.

The energy in this room stays high.

Computer illustration by Brenda Grannan.

For Futher Reading

Connecting to the Internet: A Buyers' Guide, by Susan Estrada (O'Riley and Associates, 1993)

Failing at Fairness, by David Sadker and Myra Sadker (Charles Scribner and Sons, 1994)

The Internet Companion: A Beginners' Guide to Global Networking, by Tracy LaQuey Parker (Addison-Wesley, 1993)

Mothers and Daughters of Invention: Notes for a Revised History of Technology, by Autumn Stanley (Scarecrow Press, 1993)

The Neuter Computer: Computers for Girls and Boys, by Jo Sanders and Antonia Stone (Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 1986)

The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit, by Sherry Turkle (Simon and Schuster, 1984)

Click here to access the Technology Programs for Girls Sidebar that accompanied this article.

Click here to access the Single-Sex Classrooms Sidebar that accompanied this article.

Click here to access the Who Are the Role Models? Sidebar that accompanied this article.

Melissa Koch is a freelance writer and educational technology consultant who lives in San Francisco. Previously, as a research associate with The Edison Project, she coauthored “Beyond the Lightbulb: The Promise of Technology in The Edison Project” in the Spring 1993 issue of TECHNOS. Prior to Edison, she was an intern at the Federal Communications Commission and a production editor at M&T Publishing. Koch earned her bachelor's degree in English with an interdisciplinary concentration in gender and women's studies from Grinnell College and a master of arts degree in mass communications and telecommunications from Northwestern University.