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International Perspective of Women and Computer Science

International Perspective of Women and Computer Science. Elizabeth S. Adams , James Madison U., USA Orit Hazzan , Technion – IIT, Israel Hrafn Loftsson , Reykjavik University, Iceland Alison Young , UNITEC, New Zealand. Introduction.

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International Perspective of Women and Computer Science

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  1. International Perspective of Women and Computer Science Elizabeth S. Adams,James Madison U., USA OritHazzan, Technion – IIT, Israel HrafnLoftsson, Reykjavik University, Iceland AlisonYoung, UNITEC, NewZealand

  2. Introduction • The topic of women in computer science has recently been getting attention: • Special issue of the SIGCSE Bulletin inroads (Vol. 34, Number 2, June 2002). • Margolis, J., & Fisher, A. (2002). Unlocking the clubhouse – Women in computing. MIT press. • The panel aims to highlight the topic from multi-national perspective.

  3. Panel Overview • Panelists’ presentations (12 minutes each) • Discussion with the audience (25 minutes) • Identify common interests • Check an international • agenda • research framework with respect to the topic

  4. Panelists Elizabeth S. Adams,James Madison U., USA OritHazzan, Technion – IIT, Israel HrafnLoftsson, Reykjavik University, Iceland AlisonYoung, UNITEC, NewZealand

  5. Overview • The Israeli hi-tech industry • Israeli women in CS • Tmura (Change) Project activities

  6. Hi-Tech in Israel • Population of Israel: 6,458 Million • In the 1990s, Israel emerged as a leading center for technology start-ups and innovation • In the hi-tech peak: • About 3000 startups. • July 2000: There were 700 openings for every software engineer.

  7. Hi-Tech in Israel – Why? • National security and military needs: • Many of Israel's high-tech entrepreneurs got their start in the Israel Defense Forces • The IDF influence of the Israeli hi-tech • Technological influence: reserve forces • Social influence: machoism, network, improvisation • Immigration of Russian engineers from the former Soviet Union in last decade. • Highest number of engineers per capita (worldwide)

  8. Hi-Tech in Israel Currently: • The worldwide economic crisis • The political situation in the Middle East

  9. Data from Israel • High schools: • Levels, other subjects, different schools • Universities: • Technion, Bar-Ilan

  10. Israel:CS Matriculation exam - % of female 5 units(high) 3 units (low) 26.6%53.2% 51.9%27.1% 51.9%27.3% 46.4%26.2% 46.0%27.3% 47.0%29.5% 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

  11. Data from Israeli high schools:Matriculation exams ‘99 - Highest level

  12. Data from Israel • 3 schools • The data were gathered by teachers • Public (Jewish) sector • Arab sector • Religious sector • The previous data (25% learn 5 units) is not reflected in all schools • Specific sectors change the balance. • Note: Not all schools were checked. The observation is correct with respect to all schools that were checked.

  13. Data from Israel Number of students who learn 5 units Public high-school in Tel-Aviv

  14. Data from Israel Number of students who learn 5 units Arab high-school in Nazareth

  15. Data from Israel Number of students who learn 5 units Religious high-school in the north of Israel

  16. Data from IsraelTechnion: CS graduates

  17. Data from IsraelBar-Ilan university • Religious university • 2002: Major in Computer Science • Total: 337 student • # of female students: 128 • % of female students: 38%

  18. Data from the World 37 • USA: The shrinking pipeline 1994-19832002-1993 • Mauritius: 2K km from Africa (talk in the next session) High and increased %s (~50%) 18 16 28

  19. Data from the World • Similar to US: Scandinavia, German countries. • Similar to Mauritius: Greece,Turkey • Does the phenomenon of minority of women in Computer Science characterize cultures that are influenced by the US? • If yes – why?

  20. Tmura (Change) Project activities • Data collection (by us and by teachers) • Workshops for teachers • Interviews • Questionnaires • Class Observations

  21. Teacher workshop: Activities Factors that encourage/discourage girls and boys from choosing CS.

  22. Some data • Example from one of the workshops: # of factors that influence the selection of CS in high school

  23. Some Data • Example from one of the workshops: • Factors that influence the selection of CS in high school

  24. Some Data • Factors that discourage girls from learning CS: • A technological field • The male image of the field • Culture (boys get Lego, girls get Barbie) • Principals, teachers, advisors’ influence • Requires a lot of work • Fear of learning a topic that they will not succeed in • Connection to the kind of work in the future

  25. Findings • Teacher explanations: Why do girls not choose CS? • Emotional (e.g., fear from failure) • Cognitive (e.g., it’s difficult) • Pedagogical (e.g., the learning environment) • Social (e.g., the nature of the profession) • Teacher explanations of these kinds appear in all activities.

  26. Findings • Central factor: The Future Workplace • The tendency to examine the future workplace is unique for CS (usually it does not exist in Mathematics, Biology, Physics). • eXtreme Programming: • Agile SDM • 12 practices, one of them is 40-hour week • Brooks’ law

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