{"id":391,"date":"2009-09-01T19:23:11","date_gmt":"2009-09-01T23:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edutechdebate.org\/?p=391"},"modified":"2012-09-27T10:37:35","modified_gmt":"2012-09-27T14:37:35","slug":"how-can-ict-in-education-excite-girls-and-boys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edutechdebate.org\/gender-equality-in-ict-education\/how-can-ict-in-education-excite-girls-and-boys\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can ICT in Education Excite Girls and Boys?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, European Schoolnet completed a study and white paper on gender equity in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector<\/a> across Europe. They found that a high number of female students are not pursuing further studies or careers in the ICT sector, despite having good basic computing skills. In fact, the study found the single most de-motivating factor is the view that the tech sector is inherently better suited to men.<\/p>\n

\"Girls<\/p>\n

From this conclusion came the following question for developing world educators:<\/p>\n

How Can ICT in Education Excite Girls and Boys?<\/b><\/p>\n

Look at any ICT-enabled school classroom, and there is often a greater excitement for the technology with boys than girls, which by middle or secondary school, can translate into ICT tools being an exclusive domain of boys, excluding half the learning population from their benefit. How can technologists and educators design more gender neutral, or pro-female ICT-enabled learning experiences?<\/p>\n

And from these experiences, can we hope to also change the gender balance in the ICT industry? Or will ICT, as an industry, always be mainly male”?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For September, the Educational Technology Debate we’ll have three discussants to give us both the formal research recommendations and informal, personal experiences from which educators can develop ways to motivate all<\/i> students to enjoy ICT equally:<\/p>\n