Contrasting women's experiences in computer science at different institutions

ABSTRACT

The SIGCSE community has produced much analysis of the dynamics causing women to choose Computer Science in disproportionately low numbers. In truth, we have learned that the factors are complex and contextual. This panel presents dynamics affecting women in four different institutions and explores the possibilities for common solutions to unique contextual problems.In the last five years, there has been extensive attention paid to the gender-gap in computer science courses (e.g., [1, 5]). Women are not succeeding in our introductory computer science courses, nor are they continuing in the curriculum, at the same rate as men. The reasons why have much to do with the context of individual courses, which can differ markedly between institutions. This panel explores how markedly different institutions can have similar outcomes, and how there may be some cross-institutional contextual issues that we might address.We will begin presenting an analysis of the results found in one university regarding the success of women in CS. Then we will present how classroom climate and the way CS is sometimes taught can lead to negative experience of studying CS at a different institution. We will suggest that interventions are necessary while students are building images of CS. We will end by presenting such an intervention that changes the classic CS1 course, and leads to changing the focus of what we're teaching.

REFERENCES

• 1: AAUW--America Association of University Women. (2000.) Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the New Computer Age. New York: AAUW Education Foundation.
• 2: Eccles, J. S., Barber, B. L., & Jozefowicz, D. (1998). Linking gender to educational, occupational, and recreational choices: Applying the Eccles et al. model of achievement related choices. W. B. Swann, J. H. Langlois, & L. C. Gilbert (Eds.). Sexism and stereotypes in modern society: The gender science of Janet Taylor Spence Washington DC: American Psychological Association. 153--192.
• 3: Margolis, J. and Fisher, A. (2002). Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• 4: Lauren Rich , Heather Perry , Mark Guzdial, A CS1 course designed to address interests of women, Proceedings of the 35th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, March 03-07, 2004, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
• 5: Eric S. Roberts , Marina Kassianidou , Lilly Irani, Encouraging women in computer science, ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, v.34 n.2, June 2002 [doi>10.1145/543812.543837]

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION

General Terms:
Design

Keywords:
CS1, gender issues, success rates