Gender in Computer Science
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Transcript Gender in Computer Science
Gender in Computer Science
26-Jul-16
SIGCSE
SIGSCE is the Special Interest Group in Computer
Science Education
I attend the SIGCSE annual conference each year
A common theme, this year and every year, is attracting
women to computer science—and keeping them
Many of these same comments apply to other minorities
I am very interested in this problem
What I can do
Not much :-(
Most losses occur during the second year
I can give you:
some facts and figures
some research results
some opinions
Figures
Enrollment in computer science programs reached a
peak in 1986, then declined until 1996
In 1986, female enrollment reached a peak of 40%
During the period 1986 to 1996:
There has been an upward trend from 1996 to 2000
We don’t have figures past 2000
Men majoring in computer science dropped by 33%
Women majoring in computer science dropped by 55%
Other minorities also dropped by larger amounts than white
males
Why?
Myths
Both men and women incorrectly believe that men in
CS have higher GPAs than women
Fact: There is no difference in GPAs
Fact: In my MCIT program, there is no gender difference in
GREs of admitted students
Women who succeed in CS are often viewed as
“exceptional”
Fact: Women and men are equally capable
Both groups do equally well on assignments
Both groups do equally well on examinations
Fact: Women do not have to be “better than men” to succeed
Myths II
Myth: Some people just have a “computer gene”
Fact: From a biological standpoint, it’s obvious that there is
no such thing
Fact: As with anything, there are individual differences in
ability
Fact: If you work hard, you will succeed
It is commonly believed (among teachers) that anyone can be taught
to program
No one is born with these skills
Fact: Many computer “hotshots” aren’t really very good
My belief: There is a positive feedback loop between
enjoying an activity and being good at it
Myths III
Myth: Computer programming is for “loners” and is
basically an antisocial (or at least nonsocial) activity
Fact: Prospective employers shun loners and look for
people who work well with others
Fact: Large programs are group efforts
Fact: Most programming methodologies are about how to
best organize the programming team
Fact: In an educational setting, we typically insist on
individual effort, mostly in an attempt to grade fairly—but
this does not reflect “real world” practice
Stereotypes
Stereotype: Computer science majors are intelligent but
lack interpersonal skills
Fact: Like all stereotypes, there are individuals who fit the
stereotype—but most do not
Stereotype: Successful computer science majors “don’t
have a life” but spend all their time at the computer
Fact: Almost all computer scientists do have a life
Fact: However, CS majors do spend significantly more time
on schoolwork than non-CS majors
In my personal experience: Obsessive programmers are less
likely to succeed
Gender NON-differences
Research results show no significant differences
between men and women in:
College GPA
ACT math, science, and composite scores
Interest in majoring in CS
Belief that CS is a worthwhile major
Number of hours per week spent on schoolwork
But: CS majors spend more time than non-majors
Age of first computer use
Knowledge of what CS is all about
More gender NON-differences
Estimate of how many hours computer scientists work
But: There are differences in estimated compensation
Fact: Women are, on average, not as well paid as men
Fact: The difference is much less in the computer field than in
most other, non-technical fields
Importance placed on having a family
Belief that family life and career would be compatible
for women
Stress level
Support and encouragement from others
Self esteem
Real gender differences
Research results show these statistically significant
differences
Men have higher educational aspirations
Men value extrinsic rewards (e.g. money) more
Men are higher in aggressiveness and dominance
But: No difference in kindness or nurturing
Biggest difference: Men are more confident of their own
ability
Confidence
Confidence in ability to write a computer program:
Students with high math ACT scores
Male CS majors: 63%
Male non-CS majors: 60%
Female CS majors: 48%
Female non-CS majors: 44%
Students with low math ACT scores
Male CS majors: 53%
Male non-CS majors: 49%
Female CS majors: 37%
Female non-CS majors: 34%
Especially interesting:
High-scoring female CS
students vs. low-scoring
male non-CS students
Why women drop out
According to one study, females suffer a loss of interest
in the field, preceded by a loss of self-confidence
Probable causes of loss of confidence:
Inaccurate belief that women have lower ability
Lack of awareness of excellent income opportunities
Conflict between a woman’s view of herself and (inaccurate)
stereotype of “computer nerds”
“Stereotype threat”: Fear of confirming the stereotype
Less playful and relaxed attitude toward computers
Factors undermining self confidence
(Note: These are opinions, not research results)
Computer science is hard—everyone has difficulty
Men are less willing than women to admit to
having difficulties, hence often appear more
capable than they really are
The field is wide as well as deep: “You’re a
computer science major and you don’t know that?”
In programming, virtually all your mistakes are
stupid ones—everyone’s mistakes are stupid ones—
and it’s easy to mistake this for a personal failing
Interesting tidbits
Percentage of women earning a bachelor’s degree is
significantly lower if the CS department is in the
College of Engineering rather than in the College of
Arts and Sciences
Under-representation of women in CS appears to be a
cultural problem
Not true in historically black colleges and universities
Not true in Greece, Turkey, France, Italy
In one study, 30% of self-rated “code warriors” failed
an assignment, compared to 15% of
“code-a-phobes”
Conclusions
These studies suggest that women lose interest in
computer science because of:
The misperception that they are not as capable as other
(especially male) students
The (accurate) perception that they do not conform to the
(mostly inaccurate) stereotype of computer “nerds”
The foregoing is presented in the hope that having
some actual information on gender differences will
help some of you in your college careers
The End