WILL MY DISKETTE FIT INTO YOUR MACHINE? Erica H. Buchanan Computer Science Department Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois 61455 muehb2@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu Dr. Jeff Zadeh Computer Science Department Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois 61455 mfjz@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu ABSTRACT An important aspect of computer science is the ratio of females to males in the field. The focus of this paper will be a general discussion of the under-representation of women in computer science. The review will address underlying reasons for fewer women in the computer science field, available computer software for young females, sex-role identification, and possible solutions to the question of equal access. INTRODUCTION It was 8:00 am on a Wednesday morning. As a dedicated computer scientist, I sat down at a computer in a lab on the college campus that I attend. It was the perfect time to work: early in the morning, and not many students had ventured to the lab yet. I was working on a program in Pascal that was due that week. The main focus of the program was a multi dimensional array sort. As usual, I had a bug that needed to be fixed. I was working to find the problem when a man about my age sat down beside me. I noticed that he was very interested in what I was doing. He didn't even log into his computer, but was just staring at my screen. Trying to focus on my work, I just kept plugging away. After a few minutes, he asked me what I was working on. "Multi dimensional arrays.", I replied. Back to work I went, as he continued to watch what I was doing. He then commented, that "Those can get rather complicated." I told him that the assignment I was working on really wasn't too bad; I just had a bug in it that I was trying to fix. As soon as I got the words out of my mouth, he was asking me if I needed help. Even after I told him I did not need help, he persisted as if I would eventually need some. To some people this scenario might not sound like a bad situation. Someone simply wanted to help with something that wasn't working. My very first thought after he asked me if I needed help was that he thought I wasn't able to do it on my own; I wasn't intelligent enough to figure it out for myself. I felt he thought that way because I was a female working on a complicated computer program. I may have been jumping to conclusions that day regarding that man's intentions, but I am a woman trying to succeed in an area dominated by men! My feelings that day might be reflective of the questions raised by the scientific community regarding equal access for women. It was statistically known that in recent years women suffered in scientific fields of education in the United States, and computer science has been no exception. Between 1987 and 1988, women made up more than half of the U.S. population, and 45% of the work force, but only 30% of employed computer scientists were women. [5] On the doctoral level, only 10% of the people employed in computer science were women. [7] As further evidence of the equal access disparity, the National Center for Education Statistics reported percentages for bachelor's degrees awarded to women in 1991 as the following: Computer Science 29.57% Science & Engineering 43.93% All Fields 54.07% [9] These statistics showed that the numbers of women in computer science were clearly lower than in other areas. REASONS FOR CONSIDERATION This under-representation of women in computer science needs to be considered for two reasons. The first reason is that these statistics raise the possibility that the field of computer science in some way hinders or prevents women from becoming a part of it. Many research endeavors have been written focusing on this idea. Secondly, the general public should be concerned about the under-representation of women in computer science due to the current demographical trends in the United States. Current trends suggest a significant decrease in the number of white males entering college over the next decade and an increase in the number of jobs requiring scientific training. If these trends persist, a labor shortage will soon be a problem. [7] HINDRANCE FACTORS A workshop held at the National Educational Computing Conference in June of 1991 examined "the premise that the decline in the number of women selecting computer science majors can be attributed to a male-oriented paradigm in the field." [5] This workshop was organized and chaired by assistant professor, C. Dianne Martin, from George Washington University's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department. Martin noted that much research has concluded that the computer science culture is uncomfortable for many girls and women. Females have been observed to be uncomfortable with this field that seems to encourage a "highly focused, almost obsessive behavior" as being the key to success, as commented by Eric Roberts at a Washington student society meeting. [5] It is believed that women started shunning computers because of experiences they encountered in the public classrooms at early ages. Lesley S. Klein, a female instructor of information systems at Pace University and computer science teacher in middle school and high school, has observed that girls tend to demonstrate more insecurity and lack of self-confidence in math and science areas during transitional periods of their education which occur when they are young. According to Klein, boys that are in middle school like to use pirated software, while the girls tend to follow school rules and seem to only be in the boys' way. [8] Within this same age group, it has been noted that the boys tend to monopolize computers, and the girls do not take the time or effort to fight for computer time. Klein feels a more structured teacher training requirement should be placed on schools, which in turn would help improve computer skills of the students and the motivation of the young female students which seems to be lacking. [8] Another avenue of life that tends to mold a young persons' view of computers is the computer software that is available. Computer software is everywhere these days and is used by people of various ages, races, and sexes. All computer science software involves selection by those who feel most comfortable with its use. To test students reactions to software, boys and girls from ages 8 to 12 were asked to play video games so that researchers could observe them. These studies have shown a sex bias in numerous packages of educational software that are on the market and are being used in schools today. "When they told the children that they were going to play a game like Missile Command, the boys got very excited but the girls were unenthusiastic." The girls would respond by saying I don't want to play that, I can't play that, or I'm not good at that. [5] The researchers found that the girls were actually quite good at playing the video games. They found they were just as good as the boys were, but it was their reactions to the games that were very different. The girls said that the games made them very nervous, and that they especially did not want to play them in front of people. [5] The girls who were observed tended to have less self-confidence and much higher anxiety about their skills in such areas as math and science. The reason for this low self-confidence in young girls was unique to the female students. They did not attribute their perceived lack of skill to being female, rather to an individual inability or disinterest. As a whole, they felt that women in general were capable, but they personally were not. [4][5] This difference in girls and boys self-confidence in computer usage might be due to the way that software programs were written. Software that was written for both boys and girls, meaning students as a whole, was typically geared toward the boysū interests. These interests usually centered around themes of war, battles, crimes, destruction, and male-oriented sports. Whereas, when a program was written specifically for girls, the program would be classified as a learning tool and not as a game. This type of program was rarely seen used by young boys. [5] Computer games typically involved lots of shooting and dying. These were things that boys liked, but were not a choice of the girls. [5] Boys and girls were equally interested in computers until they reached the fourth grade, according to University of Minnesota sociologist, Ronald Anderson. [6] After that point, boys' interest in computers tended to rise significantly and girls' tended to drop. Anderson equated this with sex-role identification. Many girls quickly put computers on the list of not-quite-feminine topics, like car engines and baseball batting averages. [6] Young girls view computer science as a male subject area, just as girls that were observed tended to view class subjects, such as math and science, as more masculine in nature. It has been observed that although young girls scored just as well as young boys in these areas that were considered of a masculine nature, the girls lacked the self-confidence that the boys had. [6][8] The myth that girls are not as good as boys in math and computing has been disproved in studies, but another belief also impacts female students success with computers. This belief is that math is important to computer science. This is another factor that has been hindering girls from pursuing the computer science field. As Valerie Clarke has noted in her essay Strategies for Involving Girls in Computer Science: "Computers are not inherently mathematical. In fact, most work with computers involves manipulation of information and communication with people, which relies as much on verbal and interpersonal skills as on mathematical abilities. For example, the primary role of a systems analyst is to enter an organization, find out about its organizational needs, and design a computing system that will meet those needs." [3] If young girls could see at an early age that computer science isn't just hacking away at the computer for hours on end every night, and that, it can be related to social or communication activities, they may have a more positive outlook on the field. After experiencing all these social signs as to what computers are for and how they are used, boys and girls tend to mature differently into their ideas of what computers mean to them. Boys are usually motivated by a social structure that implies that males need to be the dominate one, otherwise someone else will dominate them. Men apply this type of thinking to their relationship with their computers. Computers seem to love to defy the user. A user types something in and it refuses to do what is wanted. Many boys and men love having this type of relationship with their computer. They want to show it who is the boss and make it submit to doing the work they expect it to do. Women, on the other hand, tend to take a totally different approach to computers. If the computer is not doing what she required, a female will usually just want to get away from it. [6] It seems that most women view computers as working tools and are not generally excited by tinkering with modern technology, spending long nights debugging code, or having the biggest computer. There are always exceptions to this, but in general women tend to want one thing out of their computers--to work. Information is the main focus for women, since they are not so worried about the challenge of getting their computer to submit. This has been noted first hand by people in the computer field. For example, a computer hardware repair man wrote on E-mail that when he helps men with their computers, they want to be involved with the repairs he does. [6] This repairman had once installed a hard drive for a man who wanted to be right by his side with screwdriver in hand while he was installing it. He finds women, however, usually are not interested in what he is doing and just want him to get the computer functioning and ready for work. [6] This reinforces the idea that if women do not see signs of the computer being an effective tool, they may lose all interest in it, and therefore eliminate it from their lives as much as possible. It has been established that women have a barrier to overcome so that they may acquire the desire, confidence, and dedication necessary to computer science. The second factor that needs to be considered when discussing a lack of women in computer science is the fact that the demographic trends in the United States are leaning towards needing more women in the scientific areas. These trends suggest a significant decrease in the number of white males that will be entering college during the next decade. At the same time, the number of jobs requiring scientific training will be increasing, and this will include the area of computer science. Because white males have traditionally constituted the vast majority of trained scientists and engineers in this country, experts have predicted that a critical labor shortage is likely early in the next decade. This labor shortage could be lessened with an influx of women in the scientific fields. [10] Overall, it seems that the sciences are facing a serious problem with their shortage of women. It has been observed that people in general are not consciously trying to discourage women from science and engineering fields. Usually, people's behavior towards the subject is often subconsciously influenced by stereotypes that they might not even know they have. This may seem like a simple case problem situation, but it only means that the problem is harder to find and harder to fight. It also means being faced with changing individuals subconscious ideas, thoughts, and stereotypes, and influencing people in such a way that they will form open and positive attitudes towards the area of computing. [2] RECOMMENDATIONS Obviously the area of computing needs to make some changes to help ensure that women will be a part of the field. One recommendation focuses on the curriculum of public school systems concerning the area of computing. A more ambitious, comprehensive curriculum should be stressed through the twelfth grade. The design of this curriculum should include a focus on drawing females to computers. This curriculum should also keep in mind the resources schools have to work with. Itūs fairly useless to devise a curriculum that assumes you'll have one computer per two or three children when schools have nothing of the sort. [3] Due to the lack of adequate educational software and teacher training, many teachers may feel a lack of confidence and self-esteem concerning their computer science classes. They may also have a looming fear that their students may know more than they do. This lack of self confidence in teachers can be another hindering factor for young females since they are faced with role models that lack assurance in computing. It is important to keep in mind the need for a well-rounded curriculum, but one must not forget that a sound curriculum is not all that is needed. The teachers need to have the confidence and knowledge to make the curriculum viable, and they must feel that they are sufficiently in control of what they are teaching. [5] Another aspect that needs consideration is the time constraints computing places on people. Many women and disadvantaged groups find computing courses more time-consuming than other courses and feel that they do not receive the right number of credit hours for the amount of work they put in. Women realize that they can get the same three credit hours for a marketing course where all they have to do is read the book and understand it. These types of courses do not involve the demand of indefinite periods of time needed in the problem solving aspects of computer science. [5] It has been observed by Judy Brown, computer science advisor at Western Illinois University, that the women who have left the computer science department at WIU in the past generally have the same reason for leaving. They do not understand why so many hours are required in the computer lab working on homework and projects. One student even noted that while her boyfriend loves to go to the lab and just play on the computer for hours, she is just the opposite and just wants to get in, get her homework completed, and get out. [1] To motivate these credit - and time - conscious students, the use of structured labs with exercises that can be finished before leaving class has been suggested instead of the lengthy out-of-class problems. Labs of this sort could also reduce the computer culture brand of competitiveness that arises when people brag about the many hours they have spent on the system to get the best results [5]. Computer access is another area that should be considered when trying to find solutions to this complicated problem. Students perform better when they are in private. One way to help students accomplish this is for colleges and universities to help them afford their own computers for use in their residences. It has been suggested that colleges bury the price of computers in tuition so they would fall within expenses covered by student loans. If students had computers in their rooms, this would give them a sense of control. This way a student could have access to his or her own hard disk contents. When a student controls the environment, he or she has more self-confidence. When a student goes to an on-campus computer lab, it is like cooking in somebody else's kitchen and not knowing where things are. [5] To encourage high school students to pursue computer science at the college level it has been recommended that college computer science departments begin an "adoption" program with the area high schools. This idea can also be used with schools by pairing graduate students with undergraduates, undergraduates with high school students, and so on. This form of cascading students would help decrease dependence on the female computer science professors as role models, by giving a whole new group of people the opportunity to be role models. [5] Finally, regarding the sex biases in software, it has been noted that companies believe that their market is male. Moreover, they think that if they do advertise to females that they will lose some of their male market. One correction to this problem is to convince companies that there is a viable female market they are currently eliminating. If companies believe that a software will sell to a female market, then that will mean more money for them and possibly a whole new clientele. This, in turn, would mean that they would want to market to women. Another suggestion is to get young girls interested in computing areas to a degree where the demand on the companies would be so great that they would want to broaden to a female market. Young people are a good place to start this since every young person wants to have what is new and in demand by his or her peers. CONCLUSION The equal access problem for females in the computer science field has been around for many years. The area of computer science needs to become a place where women feel comfortable and at ease with all aspects of computing. In the past, computers have been viewed as machines run and dominated by men. A woman working on a computer needs to have the confidence that her diskette will fit into the machine just was well as a manūs diskette. Women also need to be reminded that machines are not made for only men, but that they were made for all people to use equally. As it has been discussed previously, advancing to a place where women feel comfortable and confident in the computer science field does not have an easy solution. The most logical place to begin is with young females. If young females can be taught that computer science is not just a male field and that they can not only succeed in it, but have fun with it, the future for women in computer science would become a positive one. Focusing on young females, the next change in the computer science field should be in the software industry. Male-centered software has dominated computer games for years. It is not surprising that the majority of video game designers are men. There is a reason they call it "Game Boy". [6] If the issues that have been discussed here are not addressed, everyone stands to lose. The people who make up the computer science field may find themselves asking uncomfortable questions too late in the game. A complete resolution of some of these problems will depend upon significant changes in society. Ultimately, everything hinges on increasing the number of women in the field. We need to make sure that increasing the number of women in computer science is not stalled because of policies or practices of computer science educators or employers. REFERENCES [1] Brown, Judy. Computer Science Advisor, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. Interview. October 2,1995. [2] Changing America: The new face of science and engineering--Final Rep. The Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology, Washington, D.C., 1988. [3] Clarke, Valerie. Strategies forInvolving Girls in Computer Science. In Search of Gender Free Paradigms for Computer Science Education, edited by C. Dianne Martin and Eric Murchie-Beyma, 1992. [4] Cottrell, Janet. I'm A Stranger Here Myself: A Consideration of Women in Computing. Communications of the ACM 33(11), 1992. [5] Frenkel, Karen A. Women and Computing. Communications of the ACM 33(11), April 1991, pp. 34-46. [6] Kantrowitz, Barbara. Men, Women Computers. Newsweek, May 16, 1994, pp. 48-55. [7] Pearl, Amy, Pollack, Martha E., Riskin, Eve, Thomas, Becky, Wolf, Elizabeth, Wu, Alice. Communications of the ACM 33(11), Nov. 1990, pp. 47-58. [8] Klein, Lesley. Female Students' Underachievement in Computer Science and Mathematics: Reasons and Recommendations, 1992. [9] National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, Earned Degrees and Completion Surveys. [10] Widnall, S. E. AAAS Presidential Lecuture: Voices from the pipeline. Science, 2 1, 1988 (1740-1745).