Gender Diversity In Computing Research Articles

Gender Diversity in Computing and Immersive Games for Computer Programming Education: A Review

This paper provides a review of the current state of the gender gap in computer science and highlights how immersive games can mitigate this issue. Game-based learning (GBL) applications have been shown to successfully incite motivation in students and increase learning efficiency in both formal and non-formal educational settings. With the rise of GBL, researchers have also used virtual reality to provide pupils with a more immersive learning experience. Both GBL and virtual reality techniques are also used for computer programming education. However, there is a paucity of applications that utilize these techniques to incite interest in computer science from a female perspective. This is a cause for concern as immersive games have been proven to be capable of inciting affective motivation and fostering positive attitudes towards specific subjects. Hence, this review summarises the benefits and limitations of GBL and virtual reality; how males and females respond to certain game elements; and suggestions to aid in the development of immersive games to increase female participation in the field of computer science.

The Grad Cohort Workshop: Evaluating an Intervention to Retain Women Graduate Students in Computing.

Women engaged in computing career tracks are vastly outnumbered by men and often must contend with negative stereotypes about their innate technical aptitude. Research suggests women's marginalized presence in computing may result in women psychologically disengaging, and ultimately dropping out, perpetuating women's underrepresentation in computing. To combat this vicious cycle, the Computing Research Association's Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W) runs a multi-day mentorship workshop for women graduate students called Grad Cohort, which consists of a speaker series and networking opportunities. We studied the long-term impact of Grad Cohort on women Ph.D. students' (a) dedication to becoming well-known in one's field, and giving back to the community (professional goals), (b) the degree to which one feels computing is an important element of “who they are” (computing identity), and (c) beliefs that computing skills are innate (entity beliefs). Of note, entity beliefs are known to be demoralizing and can lead to disengagement from academic endeavors. We compared a propensity score matched sample of women and men Ph.D. students in computing programs who had never participated in Grad Cohort to a sample of past Grad Cohort participants. Grad Cohort participants reported interest in becoming well-known in their field to a greater degree than women non-participants, and to an equivalent degree as men. Also, Grad Cohort participants reported stronger interest in giving back to the community than their peers. Further, whereas women non-participants identified with computing to a lesser degree than men and held stronger entity beliefs than men, Grad Cohort participants' computing identity and entity beliefs were equivalent to men. Importantly, stronger entity beliefs predicted a weaker computing identity among students, with the exception of Grad Cohort participants. This latter finding suggests Grad Cohort may shield students' computing identity from the damaging nature of entity beliefs. Together, these findings suggest Grad Cohort may fortify women's commitment to pursuing computing research careers and move the needle toward greater gender diversity in computing.

Personal Reflections on Gender Diversity in Computing

The motivations of IT professionals who spend time trying to improve gender diversity in computing include both those oriented toward helping society and others that are more individual and personal. This is one of five articles providing personal perspectives on gender diversity in computing. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/Khh0DlVW9kk is a video interview in which Robert B. Schnabel, dean of the School of Informatics at Indiana University Bloomington, discusses the importance of gender diversity in computing with Alfred C. (Alf) Weaver, the director of the University of Virginia's Applied Research Institute.

Returning to My Inner Nerd: Following the "Social" Disruption of Computing

An unusual career trajectory led to the intersection of computer science and social sciencea#x2014;and a new perspective on gender diversity in computing. This is one of five articles providing personal perspectives on gender diversity in computing. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/S8OFA0J7iR4 is a video interview in which Kate Starbird, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design aamp; Engineering at the University of Washington, discusses the importance of gender diversity in computing with Alfred C. (Alf) Weaver, the director of the University of Virginia's Applied Research Institute.

More than Gender: Taking a Systemic Approach to Improving K-12 Computer Science Education

An often-neglected classroom-level view of how equity issues impact both students and the teachers seeking to engage them offers insights into the need to develop a systemic approach to resolving these issues in K-12 computer science education in the US. This is one of five articles providing industry perspectives on gender diversity in computing.

Broadening participation: The why and the how

There are many reasons for striving to increase the representation of women in the computing field, but the most compelling one is the enhanced quality of the solutions diverse contributors can achieve. This is one of five articles providing industry perspectives on gender diversity in computing.

Increasing Female Participation in Computing: The Harvey Mudd College Story

Over a four-year period, Harvey Mudd College dramatically increased the number of female computer science majors by implementing three innovative changes that other institutions can easily replicate. This is one of five articles providing industry perspectives on gender diversity in computing.

Fostering Gender Diversity in Computing

Computing and information technology are among the fastest growing US industries, and participating in efforts to attract and retain a diverse workforce will provide a valuable contribution toward meeting future demands in these professions.