Women Lose Ground in It, Computer Science

Nagel, D. (2007). Women Lose Ground in IT, Computer Science. The Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2007/11/06/women-lose-ground-in-it-computer-science.aspx

In this article, David Nagel reports on the lack of women participating in informational technology and computer science. According to National Center for Women & Information Technology, women are a small minority in the IT and computer science and that minority get smaller as students continue into higher education (Nagel, 2007). Nagel claims that girl on average have more experience in math and engineering during their K-12 education but less than one percent of those taking their SATs state that they would like career in IT or computer science (Nagel, 2007). In all science related AP tests, girls were only a majority in the Environmental Sciences, Biology and Psychology categories. While women received 60 percent of all degrees, only 11 percent of B.A.s in computer engineering and 15 percent of computer science B.A.s were women.

Nagel reports that the reason women may not be interested in pursuing careers in IT or computer science is because they don’t properly understand what the careers in those areas entail. Nagel points out a study in a calculus class that said only two percent of their students could accurately describe what a computer science major was. To solve this, teachers must be aware of how they are presenting these subjects and make sure they appeal to a wide variety of learning styles while breaking down misconceptions.

The trend, unfortunately, is continuing and less and less women are taking degrees and/or getting into professions in IT or computer science. The higher the position goes in the profession world, the worse the numbers are for women. Some researchers point to an environment of “ridged hierarchies that emphasize the power of individual leaders and attention to task performance rather than outcomes” (Nagel, 2007).

In order to encourage more female participation in these careers, workplaces must be aware of the problem, empower their women with resources and recognizing their skills. Workplaces must also create an environment where cooperation and sharing of information and power is as equally important as individual performance.

Although I previously knew of the great disparity between men and women in the sciences, I had thought that this gap was closing. It was surprising to me that the gap was actually widening in the areas of computer science and IT. I think it’s important to be aware of this when we as educators teach technology. We must not misrepresent what working with technology is like and make sure that our teacher appeals to a wide range of levels and learning styles.