Making computer instruction accessible: Familiar analogies for female novices

Abstract

While computers have become increasingly important in the workplace, there is growing concern that women tend to be underrepresented in computer-related fields. The present study was concerned with teaching computer skills to female novices. In particular, we were interested in designing an instructional manual that would facilitate learning computer skills and increase computer self-efficacy. An experimental instructional package based on a familiar but complex analogy was designed. It was compared to a control instructional package which was similar to commonly available computer learning packages. Twenty female undergraduate computer novices were given either the experimental or the control instructional package and were asked to reproduce a standardized letter. Results indicated that experimental subjects performed better in reproducing the letter and tended to make fewer requests for help than control subjects. Self-efficacy appeared to be influenced by subjective evaluations of success. Teaching novel computer tasks within the framework of a familiar analogy may offer an effective means of facilitating computer learning for female novices.