An Effective Model for Empowering Girls Worldwide to
Embrace Technology
Claudia Morrell and Bria McElroy
The Center for Women and Information Technology
The United States‘ economy is among the strongest in the world, thanks in large part to the
unprecedented productivity and number of new businesses and jobs that have emerged within
the burgeoning field of ICT. To maintain this preeminence, however, the U.S. government
and businesses recognize the importance of supporting the educational pipeline that feeds the
ICT workforce. An important component of this recognition is the understanding that there
has been an enormous shift in the composition of the workforce so that today two-thirds of
those employed are women and minorities (CAWMSET Report 2000). Specifically women
compose over 35% of the workforce, but only 15% of those likely to go into the science and
technology workforce (AAUW 2003). Of particular concern is the educational pathway to
ICT education. While girls are entering mathematics, biology, chemistry, and even selected
engineering fields in increasing numbers, ICT girls‘ and women‘s enrollment in computer
science and engineering classes has decreased substantially in recent years (Epodoi 2003).
Currently, women make up less than twenty percent of university graduates with degrees in
computer science and engineering (Olsen 2000). In 2001, women made up only six to eight
percent of the engineering and technological workforce in the U.S. (Bruning 2001).
On July 19, 2004, Hawaiian Senator Daniel Inouye brought to the attention of the United
States Congress the importance of increasing women‘s participation in technology
nationwide by recognizing its increasing relevance to homeland security and the future
workforce of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Congressional Record No.
100, Session of July 19, 2004, [Page: S8418]). A 2002 report of the National Coalition for
Women and Girls in Education, Title IX at 30, gave the federal government a D+ grade for
its efforts to achieve gender parity with regard to technology opportunities and made several
pertinent recommendations, but to date has not developed an organized national strategy.
Identified Challenges
Research has highlighted a number of reasons that girls do not consider the field and women
do not enter it.
1. Differences in the socialization patterns of boys and girls appear to have a direct
impact on their respective involvement and interest in technology. In fact, gender
differences in the deterrence or encouragement to use computers and learn about math
and science often begin as early as preschool (Spender 1997). Boys are encouraged
to play with toys that involve construction and mechanics, such as building blocks,
more often than are girls (Roger and Duffield 2000). At the same time, girls are
subtly discouraged from participating in activities involving computers and
technology by examples they see in toys, books, advertising and media imagery
(Jenkins 2003). Girls are also actively excluded from construction-related activities
1
by their male peers and adults of both sexes, including parents, family members,
friends, and school teachers (Roger and Duffield 2000).
2. Elementary school teachers are disproportionately female and are rarely well-
educated in the field of ICT (Roger and Duffield 2000). Hence, these teachers are
often poorly equipped to successfully address issues of gender inequality in the area
of ICT. Yet, many teachers believe they are addressing these issues in the classroom
and wrongly come to the conclusion that a lack of interest in ICT is a distinctly
feminine characteristic. If girls are not exposed to ICT‘s at the primary and
secondary school levels in the same way or to the same extent as boys, they are left
ill-prepared for technology and engineering classes available at the high school and
college levels.
3. The lack of women in the field of ICT means that girls rarely connect with female
role models in computer science and engineering (Roger and Duffield 2000). This
may be important for girls to consider careers in these areas. But while female role
models may be a necessary condition for girls‘ career exploration, it is not sufficient.
Anecdotally, the presenters here representing the Center for Women and Information
Technology (CWIT) have visited secondary schools throughout the country and heard
a common complaint form teachers and principals, ―I have a woman teacher, why do
I have no girls in my computer Science class?‖
4. At this critical point of transition, it becomes very important for girls to be reassured
by attentive guidance counselors and academic advisors and through well-designed
curriculum and work experience programs that they can succeed in rigorous computer
science courses and that these fields are not just for boys (Roger and Duffield 2000).
5. There is further evidence that women are deterred from the field because of the
perceived lack of practicality or applicability to real-world problems many feel is
characteristic of ICT. Male-oriented pedagogical methods are the norm in STEM
courses at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Connecting science,
technology, engineering, and math to the arts, humanities, and social sciences could
be effective in attracting more women to ICT (Olsen 2000; Roger and Duffield 2000).
If images and ideas of ICT are constructed to be more gender-neutral, young women
may be drawn to the discipline as a career (Bruning 2001).
Addressing the Gender Gap through an Effective Intervention
Outreach and invention programs can be some of the most effective tools with which to
attract young women to STEM subjects and the field of ICT (Virginia Space Grant
Consortium 1999). While the goals and methods of various intervention programs are
similar, Elkjaer (1992) notes that the causes of and solutions to the under-participation of
girls and women in ICT cannot be addressed without careful reflection and research. With
this in mind, CWIT at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) revived a
unique program, Computer Mania Day. The program began originally in 1995 in the public
school system of Howard County, Maryland. Between 1995 and 1998, when the program
ended, Howard County reported that the percentage of high school girls enrolled in elective
ICT classes increased from twenty to fifty percent; however, that percentage has declined
rapidly since the end of the program.
2
Howard County‘s enrollment numbers reflect the national statistics of the U.S. The more
rigorous the ICT program, the fewer the girls. Nationally, only eleven percent of girls took
the more challenging Advanced Placement Computer Science test in 2004. Commonly, only
five to seven percent of students in elective high school computer science classes are girls.
CWIT reestablished Computer Mania Day to provide a half-day of technology-related
activities geared for middle school girls, their parents, teachers, and community members.
This program is designed to offer a broad-based introduction to the many different career
paths available to students with a strong knowledge of information and communication
technology. At the same time, the event is focused on educating parents and teachers about
ICT‘s and gender equity issues in education. Computer Mania Day at UMBC ran for the first
time in 2003 and continues to be the Center‘s largest annual event. Each year, participation
on the part of students, adults, sponsors, and volunteers has grown significantly. The success
of the program is attributed to its unique approach in that it: (1) explicitly addresses the
under-participation of girls and women in ICT, (2) serves students and adults (including
parents, teachers, counselors, business professionals and community members) affected by
the under-representation of girls and women in ICT in separate learning environments, (3) is
outside of the students‘ traditional academic environment, (4) is not presented in the form of
an after-school or summer program, (5) specifically addresses applications of ICT in a hands-
on environment, (6) presents role models to young girls in the form of female high school
and college students, faculty members, and business professionals, and (7) has already
demonstrated success in the Howard County Public School System.
The Center seeks to spark new interest or reinforce present interests in ICT to encourage girls
to take more ICT courses in middle and high school. Computer Mania Day transfers learning
outside of the students‘ traditional academic environment into the college atmosphere to
familiarize students with the college environment, while teaching students without the
barriers present in a traditional classroom setting. Furthermore, girls learn from women in
the ICT workforce about the variety of opportunities available to women in ICT fields.
Recruitment
Computer Mania Day is open to any U.S. middle school student (ages 10 – 12), although
most are from Maryland and the surrounding states. In 2005, posters and flyers for the event
were distributed to representatives from fifteen partnering school systems, along with a
contact for home schooled children. In many of these districts, every middle school student
received a flyer to take home. Additionally, CWIT made use of public media, including
television, radio, and print advertising, to heighten community awareness about the program.
Many local papers and television stations ran pre-event news stories and public service
announcements. Students were bussed in and driven by parents from throughout the region;
the Center agreed to support two busses for each of the major partnering school systems. Of
particular importance was keeping the event free and open to the public. Since many
participating students come from economically disadvantaged homes and communities,
CWIT recognizes that Computer Mania Day must remain free of charge in order to be
accessible to all students.
3
Participants
In 2005, nine hundred and thirty (930) students registered for Computer Mania Day; six
hundred and thirty-four (634) of these students attended the event on April 9, 2005. Of the
six hundred and thirty-four students who attended, five hundred and seventy-eight (578) were
girls. Students were divided into thirty (30) groups or ―flocks‖ varying in size, but with no
more than twenty-five (25) students. Boys were grouped together into three of the flocks. In
all, 410 schools were represented by pre-registered students.
Two hundred and fifty-eight (258) parents, teachers, and community and business leaders
also attended a program providing information about causes for girls‘ low enrollment in
technology courses, what parents can do to encourage girls to embrace technology, how to
prepare students for college, and other topics of interest. More than two hundred and fifty
(250) UMBC students and business and community members volunteered during Computer
Mania Day.
The Program
The keynote speaker for the students was Brandi Chastain, soccer sensation from the U.S.
Women‘s National Team and Olympic Gold Medalist. Also presenting for the adult program
were Adriana Abate, Information Technology Officer for Howard County Public Schools,
Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, Linda M. Leukhardt, Chief
Financial Officer and Vice President for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, and
Claudia Morrell, Executive Director of CWIT. But it was Brandi talking about sports
technology that was the real draw for both the girls and their parents. Brandi‘s participation
helped CWIT to draw in students that might not normally think about ICT careers.
Computer Mania Day began at 10:00 A.M. with the viewing of a four-minute music video
developed by CWIT and funded by the National Science Foundation. The video was
released in September 2003 and subsequently won Gold and Silver World Medals at the New
York Festivals for Music/Lyrics and Motivation, respectively, in January 2004. The video
combines vibrant rock music, striking color, flashy images, and text to create energy and
excitement around the career possibilities for women in ICT and related technology fields.
The Role Model Sessions
Women designers and developers of ICT were selected based on their topic suggestion and
ability to interact with middle schoolers and were asked to serve as ―role models‖ for the
program. Each participated in a two-hour training session prior to participating in Computer
Mania Day. In addition, each role model was assigned a CWIT Scholar (college student on
scholarship for ICT at UMBC) as a helper in the classroom. See Table 1 for the titles of the
role model sessions.
4
Table 1: Role Model Sessions
Rock ‗n Roll Technology Apple Beats
Technology Toyland Biometrics: It‘s All About You
Microprocessor Masquerade Designing for Humans: Making Things Make
Sense
IM and the M&M Computer Cartooning
Get a Grip Seeing is Believing
Chasing Clouds: Prepare for Liftoff Comic Fun with IT
Using Technology to Touch the Stars IT Surprise
Hardware Rocks Having Fun with VisualBasic.Net
Web Wonders: Statistical Superstar Selector A Taste of Java
Shopping Maze Weaving a Web of Dreams
Students also attended an interactive panel discussion led by young associates from
Lockheed Martin Corporation (the Lockheed Martin Technology Troupe), which included
Brandi Chastain, keynote speaker for the student program, and two professional women from
the industry sector. Each member of the panel discussed the relevance of technology to their
area of work and then the discussion opened up for questions from the audience. This
portion of the program was important in giving students the opportunity to engage freely with
the role models and made ICT all the more accessible and relevant to them.
The Adult Sessions
In 2005, a new program was created for adult participants, which, in previous years, had
consisted simply of a series of speakers from the business and education sectors. One
criticism from adults who attended Computer Mania Day prior to the new program was that
they left without knowing what to do in order to be proactive about encouraging girls.
Therefore, breakout sessions were added to a shortened series of speakers so that parents,
teachers, and other concerned adults could visit in smaller groups about special topics. See
Table 2 for the titles of the adult sessions.
Table 2: Adult Sessions
Career Opportunities in IT from a Corporate It‘s Not Your Father‘s Tech Program:
Perspective Technology Education in Your County
Preparing Your Child for College: It‘s Not Too UMBC Campus Tour
Soon!
Computer 101: A Hands-on Workshop for the Cyber Safety: Keeping Your Child
Novice Protected Online
Finding Fun Resources for Kids on the Internet An Overview of High School Programs of
Study in Career and Technology Education
Pathways to Success: Planning for Your Child‘s Cisco Systems, Inc.: Blending Internet-
Maximum Achievement enabled Learning, Corporate Responsibility,
and Gender Equity in Education
―I Hate Computers, Mom‖ Involving Parents in Their Children‘s Career
Development
5
Initial Research
In 2004, surveys were developed by Dr. Shelia Cotten, Assistant Professor of Sociology at
UMBC. She has extensive experience in research methods and survey design. The survey
instrument was based on a model from an earlier survey developed for CWIT by Loyola
College Center for Social and Community Research.
For the past two years, all students completed a registration form, a pre-evaluation survey
prior to the event, and a post-evaluation survey after participating in Computer Mania Day.
The pre-evaluation survey consisted of questions about participants‘ computer ownership and
usage, Internet experience, access, and usage, and attitudes relating to computers and
technology. The post-evaluation survey assessed participants‘ overall feelings regarding
Computer Mania Day, their feelings regarding the panel discussion, what they liked most and
least about the day, whether or not their knowledge of computers and technology improved
as a result of the event, whether or not they would recommend Computer Mania Day to a
friend, whether or not they would like to attend the event in the future, and their preferences
for future events. Students were also asked which two sessions they attended and what they
would rate those sessions. The final section of the post-evaluation survey consisted of eleven
of the same Likert scale items from the pre-evaluation survey.
Statistical analyses of data collected from these surveys in 2004 revealed that the intervention
had a strong, positive impact on students‘ attitudes and intentions. Eleven attitudinal items
included on both the pre- and post-evaluation surveys were used to form the Attitudes
Toward Technology Scale, developed by the Loyola College Center for Social and
Community Research and revised and updated by Dr. Shelia Cotten, Sociologist at UMBC.
Overall, participating in Computer Mania Day positively influenced students‘ general
feelings toward technology, their feelings regarding the usefulness and utility of computers
and technology, and their feelings regarding women‘s involvement in technology.
Furthermore, students reported that they were more likely to take a computer course and
consider a career in ICT after participating in Computer Mania Day.
A 2005 Update
Although in-depth, statistical analyses of data gathered from Computer Mania Day 2005 are
not yet complete, initial results point to the continued success of the program. The following
initial data taken from post-evaluation surveys show those students thoroughly enjoyed the
day:
1. 92% rated Computer Mania Day above average (either good or excellent);
2. 51% said it increased their knowledge of computers and technology a little, while
44.3% said it increased their knowledge a lot; and,
3. 91.9% would recommend this program to their friends.
This reflects the same positive impact we had on students in previous years and is all the
more impressive considering that our number of student participants increased by 98.7%.
6
At the same time, adults responded with the same enthusiasm about the event as the students.
According to their post-evaluation survey results:
1. 97% rated the program better than average (either good or excellent);
2. 57% said that Computer Mania Day increased their awareness about gender issues in
ICT a lot, while 41.1% said it increased their awareness a little;
3. 93.5% reported that they would change their actions as a direct result of the event;
and,
4. 99.6% would like to attend another event in the future.
We consider these to be outstanding numbers for our first complete adult program, which
included both speakers and breakout sessions.
Discussion
Many of the findings of this study support the claim that intervention programs like
Computer Mania Day increase positive attitudes among middle-school-aged students toward
computers and technology. These same programs can help parents and teachers also reflect
on their actions, behaviors, and attitudes. Research is currently being conducted using the
2005 survey data for both the students and parents, and the Center hopes to have the outcome
of that data soon. So far, we have noted that students tended to have positive attitudes prior
to attending the event, but these attitudes increased further after participation. Significant
differences existed in the pre- and post-evaluation responses on many variables. CWIT will
continue to monitor these students to see if participating in these events has a lasting affect.
To support its efforts, CWIT is also collecting data from the schools and looking at
enrollment trends over time. To date, four school districts are working with UMBC to
monitor enrollment in their ICT classes.
CWIT believes that this inexpensive intervention is a promising practice for increasing
students‘, and particularly girls‘, interest in ICT. First, the half-day program requires
minimal time and effort on the part of the participant. Second, the event can have an impact
on large numbers of students in a relatively short period of time. Third, Computer Mania
Day is less time and resource intensive than after-school, summer, and weekend programs
and requires little equipment beyond what most colleges and universities can already
provide. We hope to share this model with organizations worldwide so that they can build
partnerships within their communities and establish local programs to teach students the
relevance and importance of ICT advancement.
7
REFERENCES
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Office of Public Programs. 2003.
―Affirmative Opportunity‘ Needed to Fill Science and Technology Gap.‖
Bolan, Sandra. 2002. ―Girls Learn IT Bits and Bytes.‖ Computing Canada March 28:18.
Bruning, Monica. 2001. ―High-Tech Careers Need Women Now as Never Before.‖ Women
in Higher Education 11:6.
Congressional Record No. 100, Session of July 19, 2004. S8418-8419. Remarks by Senator
Daniel Inoye.
Council of Economic Advisors. 2000. ―Opportunities and Gender Pay Equity in New
Economy Occupations.‖ Report. Pp. 1-11.
Elkjaer, Bente. 1992. ―Girls and Information Technology in Denmark—an Account of a
Socially Constructed Problem. Gender & Education 1/2:25.
Epodoi, Rita Mijumbi. 2003. ―Women in the Information Society: Bridging the Gender
Gap.‖ UN Chronicle 4:36-42. Retrieved July 16, 2004 (http://www.un.org.chronicle).
Jenkins, Courtney Reed. 2003. ―Attracting Young Women to Careers in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math.‖ Women in Higher Education 6:22.
Jenkins, Edgar W. 1997. ―Gender and Science & Technology Education.‖ UNESCO
International Science, Technology & Environmental Education Newsletter 1:1-2.
Kramarae, Cheris. 1997. ―Technology Policy, Gender, and Cyberspace.‖ Duke Journal of
Gender Law & Policy 1:149-158.
National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education. 2002. Title IX at 30: Report Card on
Gender Equity.
National Science Foundation. 2003. ―National Science Foundation & Women.‖ Women In
Higher Education 5:20.
National Science Foundation. 2003. ―New Formulas for America‘s Workforce: Girls in
Science and Engineering.‖ NSF 03-207.
Randall, Cindy, Barbara Price and Han Reichgelt. 2003. ―Women in Computing Programs:
Does the Incredible Shrinking Pipeline Apply to All Computing Programs?‖ Inroads-
The SIGCSE Bulletin 4:55-59.
Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science,
Engineering, and Technology Development (CAWMSET). 2000. ―Land of Plenty:
Diversity as America‘s Competitive Edge in Science, Engineering, and Technology.‖
Report. Pp. 9-11.
Rochester Institute of Technology. 2003. ―RIT Looks at Gender Gap in Info Technology.‖
Women in Higher Education 9:5.
Roger, Angela and Jill Duffield. 2000. ―Factors Underlying Persistent Gendered Option
Choices in School Science and Technology in Scotland.‖ Gender and Education
3:367-383.
Rosser, Sue V. 2000. ―Gender Equity Issues in Science Careers.‖ Women’s Educational
Equity Act Digest 2000:3.
Sherman, Richard C., Christian End, Egon Kraan, Alison Cole, Jamonn Campbell, Zachary
Birchmeier, and Jaime Klausner. 2000. ―The Internet Gender Gap Among College
Students: Forgotten But Not Gone?‖ CyberPsychology & Behavior 5:885-894.
8
Virginia Space Grant Consortium. 1999. ―Women and Minorities in Information Technology
Forum: Causes and Solutions for Increasing the Numbers in the Workforce Pipeline.‖
Report. Pp. 1-32.
9