Women Lose Ground in IT, Computer Science

This was an interesting, albeit short, article that reported that women are falling further behind in information technology (“IT”), and computer science. It was written in November 2007, and paints a bleak picture of the situation in the United States. It says that girls, as well as women working professionals, are not pursuing careers or majors in information sciences. Although girls have an advantage over boys in coursework, in math (algebra, trig, pre-calc, and other math courses), they tied with boys in calculus and were behind in “computer math.” The article stated that there was a possible lack of awareness, combined with misconceptions about the field. It said that in one study only 2 percent of girls could accurately described what a computer science major studied.

I would have liked to have seen links to the studies that were reported on, as well as information and links that show how to use IT professionally, in the classroom. I would also have liked to know more about what a computer science major studied.

This article was of particular interest to me because I am not the most technically savvy person. In my Instructional Technology class, I probably have the least experience with computers and what they can do. Because of this, I will probably continue to take classes in IT to gain more understanding of how to apply technology in my classroom. IT is the wave of the future, so it’s best to get on this particular bandwagon!