PROGRESS

Analysis of Article from Communications of the ACM January 2000/vol. 43, No.1 

Engaging Girls with Computers Through Software Games

     According to the ACM Committee on Women in Computing, there has been a significant decrease of women graduating with bachelor degrees in computer science.  Over the last decade there has been a 24% drop in women pursuing degrees in computer science.   There are many reasons why women are less likely than men to pursue an education in computer science.   One of these reasons is that girls are not introduced to computers the same way boys are.  From a very early age, boys are given computer games to play with and girls are not.  The majority of computer software that is manufactured is geared toward males.  The majority of the female population is not interested in the types of software games that are available.  One way to get girls interested in computers is to introduce them to software that they will find interesting.  This will enable them to have a positive experience while working with a computer.  If we are able to get girls interested in computing at a young age, the numbers of girls pursuing computer science degrees may increase.  Research shows that women account for 12% of multimedia game purchases despite the fact that women make up more than half of the U. S. population.  The reason for this may be that women are not interested in the types of software games that are available.  In general, the games are targeted to men with an emphasis on scoring and fighting. " Women and girls tend to prefer adventure and games with a narrative."  They would rather focus on creating than destroying.  Girls like to play games that require thought and puzzle-solving.  They like games that require them to socially interact with each other.  In November 1996, Mattel Media, Inc. developed software that was geared toward girls ages 5 years and up.  The software enabled them to create clothes for their Barbie doll and print them out on a light fabric using a laser printer.  The software was a complete success.  This shows that girls aren't turned off by computers, they are turned off by the computer software.  If we can show girls technology that interests them, we may be successful in recruiting computer science women.

    In the book, Does Jane Compute?, the author, Roberta Furger, gives us lessons to be learned for getting girls involved with computers:

• Lesson 1:  Make Them Experts:  Starting in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teach girls to use a wide variety of computer applications.  It is important to target the girls during the middle years because this is when girls are turned off my math and science.  

• Lesson 2:  Make It Mean Something:   The students need to feel that what they are doing has a purpose.  Students will take more away from a project when they are doing something worth while.  

• Lesson 3:  Make It Fun:  Students learn more when they are having fun.  The education does not seem like work when they are enjoying what they are doing.

     Furger also gives us strategies for change:

• Encouragement at home:  Home is the first place to start shaping a girl because home is the first place that patterns of behavior are set and where girls first begin to understand their true potential.

• Be aware of inequitable patterns of computer use.  Make sure that the computer is accessible to everyone in the house.  Computer time needs to be distributed evenly.  

• Encourage exploration.  Do not walk a girl through a new computer game.  Let her explore it on her own.  

• Involve your daughter in software purchases.  

• Be familiar with the computer games your children play.

• Be a positive role model.  It is important that girls see women using computers for work and fun.

• Ask your daughter for help.  The more questions you ask, the better she'll feel about herself and her abilities.

• Look for activities you and your daughter can do together.

• Take your daughter to work.

• Introduce your daughter to technical women.  The technical women can tell them the fun, as well as the practical side of their career choice.  They can tell her what is the most exciting or challenging aspect of their profession.  If they travel.  Who they've met.  If they've been associated with any of the products your daughter has used.  They can tell her what courses in school were the most helpful in preparing for their career.  

• Take advantages of resources in your community.  Libraries have computers available to the public.

• Plan a trip to the museum.  Museums have hands-on activities and exhibits designed for children and teens.  

• Attend an Expanding Your Horizons conference.  These events are usually held on college campuses and include a variety of workshops where girls get to participate in hands-on science and math activities. 

• Look for fun, "cool" computer activities that adolescent girls will enjoy.  

• Encourage your dauther in her efforts.  All girls need to be complimented and encouraged.  

• Spend time exploring the Web with your daughter.  

• Set up an e-mail account and investigate chat areas.

Encouragement at School

• Encourage girls to take the highest level math and science courses available to them in school.  These courses help students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that are important in most professions.  

• When necessary, provide girls with extra help in advanced math or science classes.

• Find out about the computer activities at your daughter's school.  If they don't already have a club, encourage the school to consider forming a girls' computer or technology club.  

• Investigate the type of educational software available at your daughter's school.

• Be on the lookout for inequities in the classroom.  Teachers need to be aware of how their teaching style contributes to a girl's success or failure in a class.  

• Make sure all students benefit from computer use.  

• Be careful to plan lessons that appeal to girls and boys equally.

• Design collaborative activities.  Group projects can be an effective way of getting girls excited and interested in math and science.

• Exploit the Web.  Girls are interested in the Web.  Create a Web-based lesson.  

• Promote girls as experts.  

• Emphasize the importance of computer skills.  Make sure girls understand the critical role computers play in our society and all of the jobs that involve the use of computers.

• Highlight the accomplishments of women.

Some useful sites that are listed in the book:

• http://www.girltech.com -- games, chats, message boards, and research on girls and computers.

• http://www.cybergrrl.com -- links to Webgrrls, a national organization for women in Web-related jobs.  

• http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/women -- designed to encourage girls in math and science by providing real-world examples of women in these fields.

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