Gender

** Lisa Nguyen **
 * G **** e **** n **** d **** e **** r **** I **** s **** s **** u **** e **** s **

** Overview: ** Gender issues in technology use have been apparent for a long time, and have been a major focus in computer and education research in the last two decades. Before the 1990s, computer technology reflected a culture of “masculine domination,” and for this reason was incompatible and unfriendly towards women. The language and the ways in which material was delivered were aimed towards the male audience (Turkle, 1997). In the past, males have generally had more positive attitudes than females in using computers and technology-related tools, and the gender gap has added to gender stereotypes which creates a vicious cycle and further adds to the gender gap.

** Definitions: ** **Gender:** A social, symbolic construction that expresses the meanings a society confers on biological sex. Gender varies across cultures, over time within any given society, and in relation to other genders. **Gender:** is a set of characteristics distinguishing between male and female, particularly in the cases of men and women. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity.

** Gender Bias: ** When examining gender bias, it is important to define and understand the term. Gender is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as "classification of sex." According to this same source, bias is defined as "preference or inclination that inhibits impartiality; prejudice" (American Heritage Dictionary,1983). Thus gender bias is separation of gender in a way which prefers one sex over the other. Gender bias in technology refers to preference for or favoring of one sex over the other in computer use and/or access, software use and/or manufacturing, and Internet use and content. As can be seen, gender bias in technology is a multifaceted and complex issue (Brown, 2002).

** Historically: ** Gender refers to the characteristics that society has normed as "boy" characteristics and "girl" characteristics. This report will focus on these "boy" and "girl" characteristics in the context of the implementation of internet and technology in schools.

Social norms have deemed certain colors as feminine or masculine, along with toys, careers, occupations, personality characteristics, sports and clothes. Although that list can go on and on, these are the things we instill into children early on. At baby showers we buy all things pink for that baby girl, and all things blue for that baby boy. Girls grow up to take ballet classes while boys enter little league. We worry when those paths cross, and we see our boys wear purses while playing dress up; but it does not seem to be as shocking when a girl wants to play soccer. This is due to the norms our society has set on acceptable boy and girl behaviors. These norms follow boys and girls into the classroom, and play a major role in determining how they will learn and what they will be interested in learning. As teachers, we need to take this information into account and make wise decisions on the types of instructional materials and internet resources that we choose to implement and use.

Gender issues in technology generally refer to issues dealing with girls. Just like in math and science, girls tend to lose interest in computers and technology quicker than do boys. Because girls look at it as a tool to be used to accomplish a task or chore (i.e. typing up a research paper or sending an e-mail) it is not as enjoyable to them as it is to boys who view it as a toy or a fun activity. This makes it difficult for educators to implement the use of the internet in schools because girls would rather use it for recreational purposes at home (social networking) rather than for academics, where boys just enjoy the process of using the internet and technology no matter what the purpose is or where it is being used.

** Literature: ** Children's play is important in many ways; it teaches children social norms and shapes patterns of communication. The most recent research suggests that sex-segregated groups and forms of play are the pre-dominate type of play in the United States. Children develop a sense of gender constancy (the idea that their gender will not change) and start to show a preference for same sex-playmates at this age. Research also shows that boys and girls tend to play differently, and this is the reason for same-sex preference playtime.

Boys tend to play games that involve fairly large groups, and the games they play are usually competitive, organized and have clear roles and goals. Playing games that have a clear organizational structures and rules to follow allows for them to feel like members in a community, and by performing a role or job well helps them to feel further accepted. For boys, making a place and being accepted in a social setting is important for their development (Wood, 2009).

Girls prefer to play in pairs or in small groups. They like to play house or school, which are two games that require role-play, and do not have clear or set rules to follow. These games require more conversation in order to decide what to do or what should happen next. Young girls spend more time talking during play then doing anything else; this is what helps girls determine where they belong in the social setting (Wood, 2009).

The types of play that boys and girls are interested in set the stage for the types of things they will be interested in as far as learning and education, and goals later in life. There is a pattern of girls losing interest in math and science when they hit the teenage years, and although that gap is starting to close, girls are still losing interest in technology and computers at a rapid rate. In a study by Brown in 1994, students were rated as heavy computer users, and a ratio of one girl to four boys in sixth grade were rated as heavy computer users. This also creates a vicious cycle, because girls are not interested in internet or computer use, less technology and internet resources are designed and aimed at girls, getting teachers nowhere in helping to resolve this issue.

Tsai and Tsai (2008) investigated the gender differences in junior high school students’ Internet self-efficacy, and their use of the Internet. Internet self-efficacy was observed in two dimensions, including online exploration and online communication. The results showed that both girls and the boys seemed to be comfortable with internet use, but that girls showed significantly more confidence than the boys in their Internet communication skills, where boys showed more online exploration. Both the boys and the girls had about the same opportunities to access the Internet, and both genders started accessing the Internet for the first time at about the same age; however, the boys showed a deeper involvement in using the Internet than did the girls. The boys and girls in utilized the Internet in different ways, where the boys were more exploration-oriented users and the girls were more communication-oriented users.

Austina and Totarob (2010) conducted a study to examine the effects of internet usage on high school students’ absenteeism. Groups of male and female were analyzed for the amount and frequency of internet usage, and the number of days they were absent from high school. The results indicated that excessive internet use increased absenteeism for high school students more so in girls than in boys. Although excessive Internet use resulted in greater absences in school for girls, there was little effect on boys’ attendance. Because boys see the internet, computers and any form of technology as a “toy,” they are unaffected by internet usage, because whether they are allowed to use it for academic or non-academic purposes, they are just happy to be using it. As for girls, they view computers, the internet and technology more as a chore when it comes to academics. They feel the internet should be a leisurely activity. For girls, the use of the Internet is for recreational purposes (i.e. facebook and music downloading) and girls are literally missing school to “surf the ‘net.” Because girls use the internet for social networking, it is more time-intensive and demanding, causing them more reasons to be absent from school.

** Conclusion: ** Implementing technology and the internet into classrooms is not an easy task. As we are currently seeing in this class, it takes a lot of forethought and planning in order to pick-out internet resources that can be successfully implemented into a classroom. Not only do these resources need to be educationally relevant, but they also need to appeal to the learner. This can be tricky when it comes to gender issues and the internet, since research clearly shows that boys and girls have very different preferences when it comes to anything including computers and technology. It comes down to the details such as who the main characters in the storyline are, and what type of storyline is happening. It even comes down to the very simple things such as the color of the background on a page, or font type if there is not storyline or characters involved. Also according to the research, it is more important to keep girls interested in the use of technology as a learning tool in order to close the gap. Boys are interested in the internet for school purposes and for recreational purposes, where girls view it as just a recreational entity, and think of it as a chore or a pain when it comes to academics.

The studies of Tsai and Tsai (2008) show that the gender gap between boys and girls when it comes to using computers and technology is lessening in some aspects, but that more work needs to be done in order to keep closing that gap. Girls are more comfortable and able to use the internet than they have been in the past, but they are still not as explorative as the boys. Historically this makes sense, especially after looking at studies on how children “play.”

The results from the study by Austina and Totarob (2010) are useful for anyone involved in the educational setting, including high school administrators, teachers, counselors, parents, and even students. Even though computers and the internet should be used as a learning tool and taught as an important life skill, the research shows that there are negative impacts from surfing the internet. Therefore, the use of the Internet in schools needs to be reconsidered, and according to Austina and Totarob, it may not be a bad idea to allow some non-academic Internet use in schools. This may actually encourage greater school attendance for high school girls.

All in all, technology and computer skills are absolutely necessary in education and steps need to be continued in order to close the gender gap in education technology. It will take parents, teachers, and technology manufacturers to address and correct the gender bias in technology. All students are different, and that does not just refer to the differences between girls and boys.

"To reach girls effectively, educators must look at each child as an individual and tailor their strategies accordingly. Unlike the T-shirt industry, one size doesn't fit all. America can no longer afford to ignore this valuable lesson (Technology Gender Gap Develops While Gaps in Math and Science Narrow, 1998).” Every girl is a unique individual with different needs, interests, aspirations, and goals in life. Parents, educators, and manufacturers of technologies must keep this in mind as they work on the behalf of girls and with girls to eliminate the gender gap in computer and technology use (Brown, 2002).

The quote above refers to the change that is needed to change technology and gender issues revolving around girls, but this is true of each and every student in a classroom. As educators, it is important to keep all of our students in mind, and create and implement technology that is gender neutral. This creates an equal and fair learning environment where all students will want to participate, and all students will have the opportunity to be fully engaged in their learning.

** Resources: ** Gender Issues: []

Gender Equity in Education: []

** References: ** Austin, W.A., Totaro, M.W. (2011). //Gender Differences in the Effects of Internet Usage on High School Absenteeism.// The Journal of Socio-Economics. V40. I2. 192-198.

“Gender.” //Entry 1 and 2.American Heritage Dictionary.// New Second College Edition. 1983. Print.

Tsai, C.C., Tsai, M.J. (2008). //Junior High School Students Internet Usage and Self-Efficacy: A Re-Examination of the Gender Gap.// Computers & Education. v54. i44. 1182-1192.

Wood, J. T. (2009). //Gendered Lives// (8th. ed) Massachussetts: Wadsworth Cengage Learning