Final Individual Paper

Gender Gaps in Technology and Education
by Ryan McAleer

An individual paper submitted in ED 6620 as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Masters in Education (Information Technology) at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Technology is such a powerful driver outside the classroom, educators must begin to recognise how it can do the same inside the classroom walls. “Today’s interactive technology tools often require the learner to develop and apply these higher-order thinking skills, along with the necessary hands-on technology literacy skills to access online communities and manipulate electronic information.” (McNabb, p.7)

In their paper “Technology in American Schools: Seven Dimensions for Gauging Progress” Lemke and Coughlin cite small scale studies by the National Science Foundation that present evidence showing emerging trends indicate that technology can:
• Accelerate and enrich basic skills development in reading, writing, mathematics, and the sciences.
• Engage students in real-life applications of academics and encourage ownership of one’s own lifelong learning.
• Help teachers meet the individual learning needs of their students more effectively, and connect teachers with each other across distances and time for professional collaboration.
• Serve as a catalyst for educational reforms, helping learners explore the world beyond the classroom and enhancing home school connections.(Lemke & Coughlin, 1998, p. 14)

There is little question that technology can help student engagement and learning. But does an integration of technology into an existing curriculum affect males and females in the same way? Or does there exist a gender gap that impacts student achievement and learning.

The debate as to whether boys and girls learn and perform differently in school has long been argued by academics, psychologists, and teachers. Research in this area is well supported yet the findings seem to be conflicting in nature. Research by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation (1998) indicated that boys perform better than girls in science and technology subjects. Contradicting these findings is Kleinfield’s research (1998) that indicated that girls outperform boys in all subjects and are more likely to enter and graduate from post-secondary institutions.

A more recent study performed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2005) showed that males scored higher than females in all categories of high school science (physics, chemistry, biology, general science and health science). This is significant in that males and females show similar ability in classroom assessment. An interesting comparison of male and female AP physics scores and a survey of possible factors that influence them can be seen in the following video:

Comparison of Male and Female AP Physics Scores



http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=cce2b40af66bff49c4b2

These conflicting findings are somewhat confusing. Do the findings indicate that gender gaps in education are closing, or do they indicate that gender gaps exist but girls outperform boys despite the observable differences in interaction style? (Gunn et al., 2003) The increasing use and integration of technology into curricula adds a new component to the gender gap debate. The question evolves from "do boys and girls learn differently?" to "do boys and girls learn with technology differently?". The answer seems to be yes.

One possible explanation of the existing gender gap in technology in education is the fact that more men are employed in the applied science fields than women. This trend can be correlated to the number of women who attend science related courses in university and the number of girls who take science related courses in high school.

In the early 1990s, "women were more likely to be joining the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences than Science and Engineering" (Gunn et al., 2003) A 2004 study indicated that women were gaining in the areas of chemistry and mathematics but were still predominantly studying sciences in the areas of psychology and biology (Halpern, 2007). They were still earning far fewer degrees then men in physics, computer science and engineering.

Women tend to view technology careers as isolated, uncool, boring jobs, according to a U.K. survey. (Vance, 2001) It is possible that these attitudes are reflective of society’s views of what girls and boys should be "good" at. Below is a video clip of a 1950s version of "the school of the future". In this video it is quite clear what the 1950s mentality was regarding girls and boys roles in the work force. Although society has progressed greatly in the area of gender equality since this video was produced, it must be recognized that the influences of "boys take shop" and "girls take home economics" is still evident today.

1950s School of the Future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W4SkJjA_FQ

Another video, produced to reflect 1950s mentality, parodies the effect of education on men and women. Please note that this video is meant to be humorous and is included in this paper to reflect and mock the absurd mentality that society held regarding women’s intelligence only 50 years ago. I in no way agree with the message in this video!

Effect of Education on Men and Women (Spoof)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLYc6tMbPHk

Again, I must emphasize that times have changed and women are much more accepted in science related fields than in the past. However, even if society’s views have changed, many of the statistical data has not. In my own two current grade 11 physics classes, girls make up only 34% and 37% of the class composition. This composition is reflective of the number of girls in the physics and science classes that I've taught over the past five years. "While women make up nearly half the U.S. workforce, they make up only 26% of the science and engineering workforce" (Halpern, 2007, p.3)

I recall when I completed my mechanical engineering degree in 1998 that there were only 3 women in our graduating class of over 50 students. By integrating more technology into curricula in a gender-neutral manner, the hope is that the number of women entering IT fields such as engineering and programming will continue to increase. "By nudging girls toward technology early on, many in the IT field think women can regain lost ground and profit from working in a segment with good salaries, job security, travel and a team-centered approach to solving problems." (Vance, 2001)

The question remains, are schools addressing the different learning needs of boys and girls? Are we succeeding in reducing the existing gender gap in technology and science education? One group of experts that has first hand insight into this matter are the students themselves. The video below documents interviews of grade 8 male and female middle school students. The video raises some interesting points regarding the gender achievement gap in that the majority of the students interviewed believe that school is easier for girls.

The reasons tend to focus on girls superior ability with concentration, listening skills, organization and work ethic. The views in this video should not surprise anyone. Many people hold the belief that girls succeed academically more than boys at the elementary and junior high level because girls mature faster than boys and are better able to stay focused in school. Whether or not research backs these findings is a subject for another paper! However, I do find it interesting that the view "school is easier for girls" changes so drastically once these girls start taking high school science courses in which technology is regularly used in the curriculum.

Gender Achievement Gap



http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=cce2b40af66bff49c4b2

The above video discusses achievement gaps between boys and girls and eludes to whether segregated or coed groups are preferred by students. One of our Prince Edward Island schools is now offering a segregated high school math class. Mosley High School in Florida has segregated their language arts classes in the hopes of less distraction and challenging the boys to participate more and rise to the top. In my opinion, this approach is a rather extreme solution to the question "do boys and girls learn differently?".

I certainly do not see how such an approach can do anything but increase the existing gender gap. I believe that teachers should be able to meet the individual needs of their students without segregating them into different classes. Furthermore, I believe that technological advances in educational software, data logging devices, social networking and the evolution of Web 2.0 can all help level the playing field and reduce classroom gender inequality. The video below records teacher and student reaction to classroom segregation.

Gender Segregation



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_5nJrgnvG0

Experience shows that gender based social relationships, interaction styles and inequities that exist in traditional learning situations correspond fairly closely to those found in computer supported learning environments. (Gunn et al., 2003) However, Gunn et al.(2003) state that recent studies indicate that inequality of access and technology literacy are diminishing. I would have to agree and do not see a significant difference between how the male and female students in my class access computers for research, presentations, and communication.

What I have noticed is that there is definitely a more dominant male behavior present in the class when using computers or other technological devices. I find that the women in my class are more apt to follow directions and procedures. I have observed that the males tend to see themselves as technology experts, and are more apt to play and explore before asking for help. However, it is often the case that confidence does not equal success. Although this male "thinking outside the box" type of inductive learning is to be encouraged in all students, I find that the females are more likely to complete the instructional goals by following procedures and asking for help when encountering an unknown problem or glitch.

I believe that this gender gap continues to close as women become more and more comfortable with technology use. One of the most noticeable examples is with email and Web use. Gunn et al. (2003) proposes that this increase in confidence and use is due to the fact that technology is becoming more relevant and interesting to women. "It can be argued then, that women’s expressed interests in and judgments about computers are becoming more positive as a result of the technology’s increasing pragmatic significance." (Gunn et al, 2003)

I have seen the proof of the above quotation in my own classroom. In my physics class, students use a handheld data logging device for collecting experimental data, testing hypothesis and formulating graphs and equations (http://www.pasco.com/featured-products/xplorer-glx/index.cfm). When using this unfamiliar technology I have noted a strong difference in comfort and behavior between the males and females in my course. Ron MacDonald, an education professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, has conducted a survey of physics students using data loggers and the early trends seem to indicate that females are much less comfortable when first introduced to this new technology. However, our research findings also indicate that females attitudes towards science and using technology to improve learning increase with more exposure to technological devices.

Initially, many of the females became frustrated and anxious when asked to use the device to obtain data that would be used in an assessment. It’s curious that the same females do not seem as frustrated or anxious when encountering problems using a familiar technology such as PowerPoint or Google. However, as I stated above, the female students are much more apt to ask the teacher for help and end up getting as good results, or better, than the males in the class who use the devices with little or no assistance. These results seem to be in accordance with those concluded by Gunn et al. (2003) that "women often perform better than men despite the observable difference in interaction style". This thought is further supported by Karen Frenkel (1990) who stated that "women view computers as tools instead of toys".

In order to decrease the gender gap in my classroom I feel that I need to ensure that females in my class are less anxious when it comes to using new technology that they might be unfamiliar with. I feel that if I explain to the girls in my class how the technology can improve their educational experience they may be more inclined to get on board. Coupled with that is the fact that I need to encourage the males to ask for more assistance, without discouraging them from learning on their own and "playing" with the new technology. I also think that allowing students more time with computer technology would increase student familiarity, engagement and learning. As teachers, we are often in a rush to complete and activity, measure the instructional goals and move on. We need to recognize that as tech-savvy as some students are, many males and females are stressed by new or unfamiliar computer technology.

Finally, I feel that it would be helpful to create mixed groups of males and females within the classroom. Even classes that are not formally segregated can devolve into small groups of girls and boys working in isolation. Identify male and female "experts" within these mixed groups who can help other students if they become frustrated or stuck. Encouraging coed groups may also help reduce the male dominant behavior that can sometimes exist in the technology-rich classroom.

Education and Gender



http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=2d4bd7115c929f91a36c


References:
American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. Gender Gaps: Where Schools Still Fail Our Children. 1998: Washington DC.

Frenkel, K. (1990). Women & Computing. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from: http://www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies/Computing/Articles+ResearchPapers/women+computing

Gunn, McSporran, Macleod, and French (2003). Dominant or Different? Gender Issues in
Computer Supported Learning. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from:
http://www.aln.org/publications/jaln/v7n1/v7n1_gunn.asp

Halpern, D., Aronson, J., Reimer, N., Simpkins, S., Star, J., and Wentzel, K. (2007). Encouraging Girls in Math and Science (NCER 2007-2003). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from: http://ncer.ed.gov/

Kleinfeld, J. The Myth That Schools Shortchange Girls: Social Science in the Service of
Deception. 1998, The Women's Freedom Network: Washington DC.

Lemke C. & Coughlin E. (1998). Technology in American Schools: Seven Dimensions forGauging Progress. Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Santa Monica Retrieved May8, 2008, from the World Wide Web: http://www.fromnowon.org/mar98/flotilla.html

McNabb, Mary L. Technology Connections For School Improvement: Teacher’s Guide.
Retrieved May 8, 2008, from the World Wide Web: http://elearning.cbu.ca:8900/SCRIPT/EDUC539_91_2008SU/scripts/serve_home

Scantlebury, K., & Baker, D. (2007). Gender issues in science education research: Remembering where the difference lies. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education. Mawah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Vance, A. (January, 2001). Can the Media Help Turn Geek into Chic? Retrieved February 4, 2009, from the Network World website: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2001/0501geekchic.html

Cyber Image

Here at Three Oaks, four of us are enrolled in Ed6620 and took this week’s panel discussion “off-line” and discussed the issues in person. We took on the many roles of different stakeholders and answered this week’s questions from the various perspectives that would be presented at such a round table discussion. Hence this response is not from one individual but a collaborative response from four of your classmates:
David Ramsay (Administration)
Forrest Lilly (Parent Council)
Ryan McAleer (Student)
David McNeill (Teacher)

Opening Thoughts:
When it comes to branding, it would be difficult to be all things to all people, so we need to identify the stakeholders that are most important in the educational community, our target market. Once we have done that, we need to define our goals and align them with the image we portray on our website. Why do we need a website and what will it do for us? One of the issues that we, as teachers, have is that we really are providing different services to different stakeholders. We need a communication site for parents to inform them about issues like attendance, up coming events, behaviour, and progress. This aspect of the website must be easy to manage, update, and maintain in order for teachers to use it as a communication tool. The addition of email, simple and private, allows parents to ask questions and make comments. Our school’s website provides a list of all teaching staff and their emails. It also provides a link to Students Achieve which allows parents to access attendance and grades with daily updates. Communication tools for parents should be kept simple or user-friendly to accommodate
those parents that are less experienced with information technology. The School’s website needs to portray an image of simplicity for user friendliness. We don’t think parents are interested in cutting edge technology when it comes to their kids’ education; they are interested in their kids.

A second target market is obvious, the students themselves. The students need to be able to access content and classroom support when needed. Students want to be able to perform tasks with predictability and success. Teachers without a plan, may attempt to fill their websites with the latest in cyber imaging techniques with the hope of finding uses for it in the future. A process
which could prove discouraging and frustrating for all stakeholders. Adding sophistication to a
website for the sake of having it wastes money, time, and undermines the integrity of the
website when not supported by a plan. If students can’t understand the content and navigate
through it with ease they will become frustrated and abandon the Website as a learning tool.
We feel the pressure to make messages more attractive, more compelling, and more engaging both in our classrooms and with our online tools. This was our mindset before we took on the role-playing aspect of this week’s assignment.

Panel Discussion:
Our panel discussion consisted of the following roles:
· Administration
· Teachers
· Parents
· Students

Effective design involves maintaining a modern level of standards in Web based design. While each stakeholder may have different views on what should be contained on a website there was some agreement on the Web design. All stakeholders believed that simplicity was essential for developing a cyber-image. From the panel discussion students were most concern with entertainment value and modernization of the Web design. They were also the most educated on current trends and sought to incorporate the latest technologies in our school web page. The current popularity of social software was brought to the forefront of the discussion by students. They repeatedly used the expression “facebook for school” where students would develop an online profile and have access to various online chats and discussion boards. In contrast, parents, educators, and administrators are weary of the issues of implementing such software. Issues that were brought up were cyber safety, cyber bullying, privacy, maintenance, educational value, and the redundancy of creating a service already provided to students for free via facebook or my space.

All stakeholders agreed that the school web site should have limited deterioration and that the
information provided should be both relevant and up to date. Complaints with sites having dead links and ‘site under construction’ were aired by all parties. Teachers and administrators were particularly concerned with who would be in charge of site maintenance and updates.

We found that the average public school does not have concerns with selling courses to international students currently in their homeland via the web. The only stakeholder that seemed concerned with the issue of international education was administration. They identified the prospects of distance education courses or providing courses that would involve marketing to universities to justify a need to include these types of users. If such an initiative was to be spearheaded, some of the elements to include are the following:
· Intrinsic support
· Use of appropriate language, including multi-lingual information
· Photos depicting cultural diversity
· Usability/simplistic design

The panel had the following recommendations with regards to the purveying of photographs,
description and work of minors:
· Parental and student permission needed for any use of photos (raised by parents and
administration)
· Student names should not be connected with any photos (raised by parents and administration)
· Only appropriate photos should be used. (raised by all parties)
· Having dedicated sections on the website for various student involvement “student spotlight",
sports, clubs, social activities section. (raised by students)

Regarding the international standards that provide guidelines for purveying educational materials online, only administration and teachers had concerns. The discussion mostly centered around intellectual property and ensuring that the integrity of the school image was maintained when including other parties work on the school website. After an internet search, W3C standards seem to provide a good starting point for the creation of such standards.

Parents were very keen in using portal technology on the school website. Parents are often
overwhelmed with the various usernames and passwords provided to them by the various schools their children attend. If parents have children in multiple schools in the same region they liked the idea of having one username and password to link to the various school websites, essentially using portal technology and integrated databases. Administration was very resistant to this idea as they felt the IT personal at their schools would be overwhelmed by this administrative and maintenance nightmare.

However all stakeholders were interested in the idea of having a “subscription” aspect to the school website, essentially having a two tiered website. One in which outside users can peruse the site with limited viewing capacity and another with a full access subscription which provides users with the ability of portaling to various sites, including attendance systems, email, course work and other educational materials.

Lastly, there were varying views on what latest trends should be emulated and surpassed. Students were very interested in using social media, blogs, IRC (Internet Relay Chat), while the other stakeholders had issues with the use of this trend. All parties did agree with using Web 2.0 and the current trend of using a simplistic approach in both style and navigation is one that would benefit the school website.

After the discussion the panel members had different perspectives on the outcome of the meeting. Teachers were frustrated with the demands placed on them by the parent and student demands for information. Teachers were concerned with the additional workload and time commitments that other stakeholders seemed willing to place upon them. Students felt that their desire for a more social aspect to the site was sidelined by safety and legal concerns.
Parents were satisfied with the balance between the increased efforts to spotlight student work and their concern for safety. In response to the panel’s input, administrators felt that students could be involved in some of the site maintenance and updating through a student based club or an actual course on Web Page Design.

Web Development

Hi all,
All comments welcome, Ryan.

1. What types of on-line features or information sources are needed learning in your field?
I primarily teach high school physics and robotics to grade 11 and 12 students. The types of on-line features or information sources that I feel are needed learning in this field would be resources that help deliver the curriculum, increase student learning and engagement, and promote teacher training and Professional Development. I have read other people's posts who have listed common sites that could be used for referencing (Wikipedia, etc.), social networking (facebook, etc.), and searching (Google, etc.). The resources that I have listed below are specific sites that enhance learning opportunities for teachers and students in high school physics and robotics.

For Students and Teachers:

• Physics Education Technology (interactive simulations)
• The Physics Classroom (tutorials, quizzes and multimedia animations)
• How Stuff Works (easy explanations from complex systems to everyday technologies)
• Colorado Physics 2000 (visual conceptualizations of modern physics topics)
• Lego Mindstorms (instructions, support, and community for building robots out of Lego)
• Labs and Exercises(PEI Dept. of Ed. learning and teaching resources)
• PASCO Probeware (resources, downloads, products and support)
• Aliant Learning Centre (on-line physics tutorial videos and demonstrations)
• Robots East (resources and competition for robot design and construction)

2. What steps can individual teachers take to enhance, and contribute to, the general collection of material that students in your field have access to?
For years teachers have created Communities Of Practice (COP) where they can share best-practices, resources, and tips for success. A relatively new trend that builds of this idea of knowledge management is the establishment of Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS). An EPSS is a computer based system created by teachers and students which has as its primary function to increase “day one performance” (Gery, 1995) and learning by enabling “quick and easy access to the information (and tools) needed at the time the task is being performed” (Sleight, 1993), regardless of the ability or learning style of the user.

In a nutshell, an EPSS is a web page that offers some of the features inherent to Web 2.0. Students and teachers can view, download and upload from a database of relevant resources. Some resources could include lesson plans, activities, discussion forums, tests, labs, curriculum documents and timelines to help both teachers and students meet their instructional goals. The information is presented in real-time, is interactive and easily updated.

Over the past year some physics teachers on PEI have come together to revise the provincial grade 11 and 12 physics curricula. During our discussions we have shared our concerns that Professional Development and training sessions are happening less and less frequently due to time and budget constraints. We also agreed that collectively we have a vast wealth of lesson plan activities and strategies for student success. This comes as no surprise to the average teacher. We all know that there are plenty of great ideas and resources available in the minds and computers of our fellow colleagues. What is needed is an accessible database to store, retrieve and update these resources.

The PEI Department of Education Science Programs Specialist listened to our concerns and created a knowledge management system specifically to be used by PEI physics teachers. There now exists an open source Web-based learning content management system, ATutor, that can be accessed by physics teachers to upload resources, pose questions, discuss strategies and share ideas in a Community of Practice that spans the entire province. The site is still new and the database continues to grow as individual teachers begin to upload and share a collection of material that has been classroom tested and supports common curriculum outcomes and instructional goals.

Resources:
Gery, G., 1991. Electronic Performance Support Systems. Retrieved Feb. 18, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_performance_support_systems

Sleight, D. 1993. What is Performance Support and What Isn’t. Retrieved Feb. 18, 2009 from http://www.msu.edu/~sleightd/epssyn.html

Thinking Computers

Respond to the following:
What is the nature of the trend that mitigates our beliefs in computer technology and its interaction with learning?

As you respond to this consider the notions of construed reality, your own cultural influences, influences from cultures unfamiliar to you, and the view that computers will likely be able to achieve human like thinking ability.

Summerize your statement with how teachers can best prepare themselves and their students to deal with the trend (if it is a trend).

I believe that the nature of the tend that mitigates our belief in computer technology interacting and improving learning is based in the fact that technology is becoming more and more present in our daily lives. The thought of technology as not just a "nice to have" educational option but a necessary educational experience is taking hold at many levels of the educational system and is being formally recognized in curriculum.

In their paper "Technology in American Schools: Seven Dimensions for Gauging Progress" Lemke and Coughlin cite small scale studies by the National Science Foundation that present evidence showing emerging trends indicate that technology can:

• Accelerate and enrich basic skills development in reading, writing, mathematics, and the sciences;
  


• Engage students in real-life applications of academics and encourage ownership of one’s own lifelong learning;
  


• Help teachers meet the individual learning needs of their students more effectively, and connect teachers with each other across distances and time for professional collaboration;
  


• Serve as a catalyst for educational reforms, helping learners explore the world beyond the classroom and enhancing home school connections.
  (Lemke & Coughlin, 1998, p. 14)
  

Does an increase in technology always make our lives easier or better? Does the increasing integration of technology into our curricula always increase student learning? Many arguments can be made and research can be cited to justify the use of technology in the classroom and through all the debate and discussion I feel that something that can not be lost is that "The real purpose of technology in education is education." (Anderson, 1996, p.9)
My Morning News article referred to the increasing number of PowerPointless presentations that many teachers and students are forced to sit through. Email was invented to make the business world more streamlined and efficient. What’s efficient about a teacher having to sift through his/her daily 100 emails with subjects ranging from free kittens to a notification that the server will be down the day before marks are due?

Many people say that a thinking computer could never imitate the imagination, consciousness, feeling, and emotion that make humans different from all other creatures on Earth. I agree. However, my point would be that they do not need to. We are already surrounded by "thinking computers" in our everyday lives. Anyone who commuted to work today in a car, train, bus or airplane trusted their very lives to a thinking computer. None of these devices can function without a computer that is running in a constant feedback loop of acquiring information, sorting this information, and making decisions based on this information. Does the human mind really work so differently in conducting the hundreds of decisions and actions that make up our daily routine? Dr. Joseph Weizenbaum is far better educated and well versed on the subject of Artificial Intelligence than I will ever be. However, I find his belief that Artificial Intelligence may be the "final solution to the human problem" (Cordes, 1998) a little melodramatic.

But what about the soul? A pacemaker is an artificial mechanical device that lacks the complexity and regenerative qualities of a real heart. It is imperfect, cold and unfeeling. Unless you need one. Then it is truly a life saver. I say that we need not worry about Artificial Intelligence or thinking computers replacing humans. They will never fall in love, value a child’s laughter or appreciate a cold beer after a long day’s work. But they can complete many of the tedious tasks and decisions that we have to make every day.

Computers can, and do, make our lives easier. I say bring on the thinking computer and the age of true Artificial Intelligence. Encourage our students to embrace this trend and look to them to continue the technological progresses begun by our generation. The day that a thinking computer can intercept my 100 daily emails and decide which ones should actually make it to my Inbox is a day that I long for.

References:
Anderson, L. (1996). Guidebook for Developing an Effective Instructional Technology
Plan Version 2.0. Retrieved February 7, 2009, from:
http://www2.msstate.edu/~lsa1/nctp/Guidebook.pdf

Cordes, C. (1998). Colloquy. Retrieved February 11, 2009, from the Chronicle of Higher
Education website: http://chronicle.com/colloquy/98/skeptics/background.htm

Lemke C. & Coughlin E. (1998). Technology in American Schools: Seven Dimensions
for Gauging Progress. Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Santa Monica.
Retrieved February 10, 2009, from: http://www.fromnowon.org/mar98/flotilla.html

Gender Issues

In the context of using computers and technology for learning:

1. Have you observed signs of gender inequality in the ways that students use prevailing classroom technology?

I have definitely observed signs of gender inequality in the ways that my physics students use technology in the classroom. I don’t see it as much with access to technology but within the behavior using the technology. Gunn, McSporran, Macleod, and French (2003) state that recent studies indicate that inequality of access and technology literacy are diminishing. I would have to agree and do not see a significant difference between how the male and female students in my class access and use computers for research, presentations, or communication.

However, there is definitely a more dominant male behavior present in the class when using computers or other technological devices. I find that the women in my class are more apt to follow directions and procedures. The males are more apt to play and explore before asking for help. Although this male “thinking outside the box” type of inductive learning is to be encouraged in all students, I find that the females are more likely to complete the instructional goals by following procedures and asking for help when encountering an unknown problem or glitch.

2. Does the type of technology being used make a difference toward enhancing or diminishing gender neutrality?

Absolutely. In my physics class, students use a handheld data logging device for collecting experimental data, testing hypothesis and formulating graphs and equations (http://www.pasco.com/featured-products/xplorer-glx/index.cfm). When using this unfamiliar technology I have noted a strong difference in comfort and behavior between the males and females in my course. Ron MacDonald, an education professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, has conducted a survey of physics students using data loggers and the early trends seem to indicate that females are much less comfortable using this new technology. Many of them become frustrated and anxious when asked to use the device to obtain data that will be used in an assessment. It’s curious that the same females do not seem as frustrated or anxious when encountering problems using a familiar technology such as PowerPoint or Google. However, as I stated above, the female students are much more apt to ask the teacher for help and end up getting as good results, or better, than the males in the class who use the devices with little or no assistance. These results seem to be in accordance with those concluded by Gunn et al. (2003) that “women often perform better than men despite the observable difference in interaction style”.

3. Have circumstances in computer mediation changed in the last ten years?

The pervasive nature of technology in today’s society certainly indicates that circumstances in computer mediation have changed in the last few years. The whole evolution of Web 2.0 has created new levels of collaboration and interaction never before seen within the Internet. The advances in Information and Communication Technology have drastically increased students interaction through social networking, cell phone use and email.

4. How do females participate differently than males in an on-line activity?

I feel that depends on the setting and level of supervision. I f students are completing an on-line activity in a carefully supervised classroom setting (i.e. they know they are being watched) then I find that males and females participate and behave equally. However, Karen Frenkel (1990) raises a good point in her article stating that “women view computers as tools instead of toys”. I find that most females in my class will use the technology to complete the task then turn it off. The males in my class have a harder time turning it off. I believe that this speaks to the more obsessive, highly focused behavior that many males exhibit when using technology. Not many women will spend 20 hours over a weekend playing X-Box!

5. What beginning steps would you recommend to insure gender equality in use of computer technology can take hold in a learning setting that is familiar to you?

From points that I raised in questions 1 and 2, I feel that I need to ensure that females in my class are less anxious when it comes to using new technology that they might be unfamiliar with. Coupled with that is the fact that I need to encourage the males to ask for more assistance, without discouraging them from learning on their own and “playing” with the new technology.

I also think that allowing students more time with computer technology would increase student familiarity, engagement and learning. As teachers, we are often in a rush to complete and activity, measure the instructional goals and move on. We need to recognize that as tech-savvy as some students are, many males and females are stressed by new or unfamiliar computer technology.

Finally, I feel that it would be helpful to create mixed groups of males and females within the classroom. Identify male and female “experts” who can help other students if they become frustrated or stuck. This may help reduce the male dominant behavior that can sometimes exist in the classroom.

6. What does research say regarding strategies that might be useful to insuring that gender neutrality is introduced and maintained?

I believe that teachers must act as strong role models to instill in their students a sense of fairness, equality and respect both in the online classroom and in the traditional classroom. The idea of increasing students “Netiquette” (Cyndrekit, 2001) is very valid. Males need to understand that much of the misogynist behavior and comments seen in IRC channels, FaceBook, gaming sites, etc. is unacceptable in the school or in society. We need to educate our students that the proper behavior they use in face-to-face interactions still applies in cyberspace. Anonymity is no excuse for disrespectful, hateful or prejudiced comments or acts. Some ideas to help alleviate these actions and maintaining gender neutrality are:
• closing a topic of conversation that is considered rude or offensive;
• speaking up in defense of those being picked on;
• stating that a topic is not appropriate to discuss in a public forum. (Cyndrekit, 2001)

References:
Cyndrekit (2001). Gender Inequality on the Internet. Retrieved February 1, 2009, from the
Kuro5hin website: http://www.kuro5hin.org/?op=displaystory;sid=2001/3/1/154933/1604

Frenkel, K. (1990). Women & Computing. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from:
http://www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies/Computing/Articles+ResearchPapers/women+
computing

Gunn, McSporran, Macleod, and French (2003). Dominant or Different? Gender Issues in
Computer Supported Learning. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from:
http://www.aln.org/publications/jaln/v7n1/v7n1_gunn.asp

Myths and One-Liners

One main trend in Weizenbaum’s argument seems to be that many scientists,
technologists and intellectuals are arguing “that the purpose of the universe is the evolution of ever higher forms of intelligence”. These same individuals see the computer as the higher form of intelligence. One that will make Man’s place in the universe obsolete. I’ve always thought that the purpose of science was to discover the truth. In discovering the truth, science will hopefully help Man understand his place in the universe. I’ve also thought that truth, in its scientific meaning, is absolute. We will either discover it or not. I’m not a religious man, but I believe that one of the purposes of religion is to convey to its followers that there are some truths that can not be understood. Have faith that God understands them and it is all part of His plan.

The argument that Man or computers will evolve to be smart enough to discover and understand all truths is both naive and arrogant. One of my favorite expressions is from the astrophysicist Brian Greene who said “you can’t teach a dog physics”. He meant that although the dog is a good dog, and a smart dog, it simply isn’t able to understand the principles of, say, Newtonian physics. It’s not the dog’s fault. Perhaps we are the same. It certainly seems to be a stretch to think that humans or computers will forever continue to evolve into higher and higher forms of intelligence. Artificial Intelligence pioneer Herbert Simon had predicted in 1965 that "machines will be capable, within twenty years, of doing any work a man can do" (Crevier,1993). Obviously he was wrong.

There are many good and bad movies that predict the end of mankind at the hands of the computers that he has built (2001: A Space Odyssey, War Games, Matrix, Terminator, I Robot, etc.,). Although these movies are entertaining they model the human condition as illogical and detrimental to society. We must recognize that intelligence is also affected by emotion and soul, conditions not easily programmed into a computer. Computer technology is certainly becoming more pervasive in our lives. However, I still think that it is a far reach to the day when computers will evolve to become the most intelligent beings in the universe and make our place obsolete. We can always unplug HAL.

References:
Crevier, D. (1993). AI: The Tumultuous Search for Artificial Intelligence. New York, NY: BasicBooks, ISBN 0-465-02997-3 , p. 109

Greene, B. (1999). The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory, Vintage Series, Random House Inc. ISBN 0-375-70811-1

Weizenbaum, J. (n.d.). Computerized Gods And the Age of Information. Retrieved January 25th, 2009, from http://www.gosai.com/science/computerized-gods.html

Internet Safety

ED 6620 Web Safety Issues Assignment

1. Which aspects of WEB safety are of most concern in your teaching institution?
Web safety is a growing concern in all schools as computer and Internet use become more and more prevalent in normal classroom activities. Teachers, parents, and students are becoming better educated on the dangers involved in accessing and posting information on the WEB. Unfortunately, predators, marketers, and third party groups are also learning new ways to attract users to their sites. A 2006 study by the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children revealed "that almost 13% of 10-17 years old Internet users receive sexual solicitations from unknown preys." (Young, 2008).

As a high school teacher, the area of WEB safety of most concern to me is sites that contain inappropriate or pornographic material. Our school district, like most others, has an acceptable use policy for students and teachers with regards to computer and Internet use. We also have a WEB awareness site that offers tips on personal protection. However, policies are like speed limit signs, they only work if everyone obeys the rules. It comes as no surprise that teenage boys and girls will sometimes visit inappropriate sites when they are supposed to be doing school work.
At home and in school, parents and teachers are responsible for ensuring that students are using the computer in a safe environment. However, the average parent (or teacher) is nowhere near as tech savvy as their son or daughter. Most parents will recognize pornographic sites when they see them. But other potential threats are less recognizable. The boom of social networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr, Youtube and other WEB 2.0 applications allow students a new environment to share ideas and express opinions. Although these sites have been created to promote interaction among Web users, they also create a very credible threat for those same users. Predators recognize that the great appeal of WEB 2.0 applications is that users now want a forum through which they can have their voice heard. Pedophiles, marketers, bigots and cyberbullies are all exploiting this want by enticing, threatening or persuading the users of these new environments.

2. How do teachers better effect positive change in students who routinely access knowledge and fact through the use of computer and when conveying information?
I think that many of us will have similar responses to this question. Many of the teachers that I speak with are becoming more and more frustrated with the volume of WEB referenced "facts" that are appearing in students’ work. Students are slow to believe that not everything seen or read from the Internet can be considered the truth. The problem is that much of the information is presented in professional looking sites that seem to the uninformed user as quite credible. The largest offender, in my opinion is Wikipedia. Wikipedia references can be edited by the average user and if enough people agree the opinion is presented as fact. The comedian Stephen Colbert coined this term as "Wikiality". To prove his point, he urged his viewers to post that the African elephant population tripled in the last 6 months. Wikipedia administrators had to lock the site to prevent any more "editing" by Colbert fans. Students must be encouraged by teachers to question information that they retrieve from the Internet and double-check any WEB references.

I’m not trying to say that the Internet does not contain useful information. The Web gives students access to an almost endless amount of resources. Unfortunately, students are not always giving credit to the sources of this information. Plagiarism is becoming much more of a problem with increased student use of the WEB. As teachers, we must educate students on how to sort through this information, critically question its validity, and properly reference it.

3. What is a useful method that could improve the handling of WEB safety or the values (ala text readings) in your profession and in your school?
I believe that educating our students on how to use the WEB safely and effectively is our best strategy. The PEI Department of Education imposes Internet blocking software to protect and prevent students (and teachers) from accessing web sites that may contain objectionable material. Unfortunately, this means that many sites that could be used for educational purposes are blocked for teachers and students alike.

The overinclusive and underinclusive nature of Internet blocking software must be taken into account. A recent study of the filters CYBERsitter, Cyber Patrol, Net Nanny, and SurfWatch found that the filters "failed to block objectionable content 25 percent of the time, while on the other hand, they improperly blocked 21 percent of benign content." (Hunter, 2000) I interpret these results to mean that filters are not particularly good at blocking inappropriate material. To make matters worse, they often block a rather high percentage of pages that do not contain any inappropriate material. Adding insult to injury is the fact that many high school students can circumvent the filters in a matter of a few keystrokes.

In my opinion, the best way to improve WEB safety in a high school environment is to rely more on education of the potential dangers present on the WEB and less on the marginal security provided by Internet filters and blocking software. Parents, teachers and administrators must first teach students to use this technology safely, and then have the time and resources to adequately supervise its use.

References:
Hunter, C.D. (2000). Internet Filter Effectiveness:Testing Over and Underinclusive Blocking
Decisions of Four Popular Filters. Retrieved January 19, 2009 from:
http://www.copacommission.org/papers/filter_effect.pdf

Young, E. (April 14, 2008). Internet Safety Classes Required in Virginia Schools. Retrieved
January 19, 2009, from:
http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/internet-safety-classes-required-in-virginia-schools/

Technology and Culture

Hi all,
here's my take on this week's assignment.

The attribute that I generally seek to foster in students is their ability to become better problem solvers. The traditional method of problem solving dealt with a linear, scientific approach of posing a question, creating a hypothesis, and then designing a model, experiment or product that tested this hypothesis. However, technological advances and the impact of technology in our culture have changed the way that we first look at a problem. More diverse views of problem solving are becoming used that are reflective of different tactics used by different societies. For example, individualistic societies will approach problem solving in a very different way than collectivistic societies. The following article details how cultural differences affect how computer technologies can be used in decision making and facilitating teamwork.
http://www.nus.sg/corporate/research/gallery/research14.htm

What may be needed in the 21st century classroom is a more holistic approach to problem solving. One that is not focused on product design or reaching an end goal through a set, formulaic approach. Computer role-playing simulations (Simcity, Civilization, etc.) are a fun way for students to look at problem solving in a different light. This is not to say that there isn’t a place for traditional formal labs as a means to solve problems. However, less emphasis should be placed on the end product and more emphasis on students accepting some situations as they are and on appreciating different cultures approaches to problem solving. More details on this type of thinking can be found at the following site:
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v10n1/flowers.html

Comments welcome,
Ryan