Why more girls than boys drop out of computer science and what to do about it

NOTE: The issue of Women in Computer Science is a sensitive topic in which even the mere tone of language might understandably be perceived as offensive. In favor of clarity and taking a strong approach, we opt for using direct language and making sharp distinctions. We are fully aware that there are a host of other concerns relating to high-school computer science learning, including other types of diversity issues or learning-style issues. Many of the ideas below, although written for girls, could equally well apply to boys.

The Problem: Anyone who's been to a first course in computer science in high-school knows the problem: girls seem to drop out of computer science at a much higher rate than boys. For example, the typical gender ratio is 50-50 in the first course, whereas it often drops down to 10-90 (10% girls) in the second computer science course.

Why does this happen?
Surveys and interviews seem to show two types of reasons for the higher drop out rate:

The first is that many girls are somewhat turned off or even intimidated by the capacity of some boys to over-demonstrate their "computer prowess". Endless conversations about irrelevant details ("Bet you don't know what the control-f4 key does") or on-line games ("I made it to Grandmaster in DragonInquisitor in just five hours") seem to send the message that computer science is meant for those who care about these trivia or games or esoteric websites. This is exacerbated by several factors including accumulated effects of cultural bias from early childhood and real or perceived gender differences in confidence and competitive intensity.
The second is that many girls imagine there's more to their lives than staring at the screen all day. The thought that an entire career will be spent "programming" appeals less to girls than boys, the data shows.

Our primary source of information and inspiration is the book Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing (Amazon listing) by Jane Margolis and Allan Fisher (See their project website). See also this online collection of articles on the Effect of Computers on the Gender Gap in Education.

Why is this important?
Girls who leave computer science for the wrong reasons miss out on rewarding opportunities and lucrative career options. Most sources indicate strong growth in the computing field, along with jobs with high salaries and entrepreneurial opportunities. In a broader sense, a male-dominated computing field will itself translate to biases in areas such as product design and the impact of computing on society.

What to do?
Here are some ideas:

Confront girls with the issue and build awareness. Hold a separate (girls-only) session and talk about the issue. Suggestions for such sessions:
- Talk about the problem as a whole, including examples from either the Unlocking book or the Stanford website.
- Pass around a handout with some suggestions, based perhaps on this Student Handout.
- Explain why computer science careers can be rewarding. Talk about the students' talents, problem-solving ability, math skills and focus on the positive aspects of what brought them to their first computer science course.
- Prepare the students to expect opposition, both direct (boys' intidimation) and subtle (counselors, friends, cultural stereotypes).
Recruit, recruit, recruit. "Rule number one" according to Margolis and Fisher, is that teachers have "focus effort on recruiting girls". It might be useful to identify groups of friends and try to recruit an entire circle of friends. Ask girls to recruit other girls, especially girls who've demonstrated leadership.
Try to leave room for team projects in your courses. Research shows that girls are better social learners and thrive in group projects.
Try to make as many GUI-based exercises as possible and to have a creative element. For example, ask the students to write an applet and build a story around the applet (in HTML). It also helps to have projects that tie in to other classes or that relate to local or personal issues.
It is important to separate out the "computer science" from the "computer". Thus, learning to write a double for-loop is computer science, but having to discover that environment variables in Windows can be accessed in the System Properties section of Windows' Control Panel is not computer science. It therefore helps to remove this sort of hurdle from assignments and to help students understand that, for example, mastery of Windows' arcana is not central to the discipline, and should not be the basis for losing confidence.
Consider varying your teaching style: avoid lecturing all the time. One approach to experiment with is the active learning approach in which you intersperse lecture (10-15 minutes) with learning activities (15-20 minutes). See Jeff McConnell's active learning approach to Computer Science.
In designing examples, exercises and homeworks, try to adopt gender-neutral examples. For example, a programming assignment on football scores is probably more "male" than it needs to be.
Try to invite women computer science professionals to the school. (How to find speakers: Try The Society of Women Engineers or MentorNet).
Encourage the formation of a girls-only computer science club.
Talk directly to the students (both boys and girls) about careers in computer science, perhaps distributing a handout similar to this one.
Recommend areas of computer science that relate to other fields or are conducive to career paths through other fields. For example, one new field of study worth considering is the fast-growing field of bioinformatics that combines biology and computer science. Many university programs (for example, such as GW's bioinformatics programs) allow for a dual-major in computer science and biology, leading to a bioinformatics career or careers in medicine. What can you do?
- Consider sharing this bioinformatics handout with your students and this handout with the counselors in your school.
- Link up with biology teachers to co-teach some bioinformatics. Feel free to use our online materials in bioinformatics. Additional resources can be found at the National Institutes of Health and the Dolan DNA Learning Center which has materials geared towards high schools.
Another area that combines computer science is economics, as are many fields that use simulation. Simulation is proving to be a valuable tool in the social sciences as well - for example, see the book Growing Artificial Societies by Epstein and Axtell (Amazon listing
Talk to your school's counselors! Many do not understand computer science, believing computer science to be a "vocational skill" appropriate for boys, and will advise girls accordingly. Unfortunately, this view is probably underscored by courses on Excel and Word and "network technician" type courses.
Please share your ideas and experiences with your teacher community!

Other web resources on this topic:

Perhaps the best place to start is the resource on Women in Computing by the Computing Research Association. See also the The Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research.
See the the projects page and more at The Ada Project, a "clearinghouse for information and resources related to women in computing".
Why choose a career in computer science: a guide for girls, an on-line article by W-Y.Lau at the University of Texas, Austin.
Check out the resources available at The Committee on Women in Computing of the Association of Computing Machinery.
The Women and Computing page at CPRS (Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility).
GirlGeeks.org, "an online community for women and girls interested in technology and computing".
Past Women in Computing, a page on women in the history of computing at Yale University.
Page on Women in Computer Science by Ellen Spertus at Mills College, CA.

Last updated: 14-July-03
Department of Computer Science
http://www.cs.gwu.edu
The George Washington University.