GeekGirlCon 2011 / Computer Engineer Barbie: Attracting Girls to STEM Careers
- 1. Computer Engineer Barbie:
Attracting a new generation of
women to technology careers
Cheryl Platz
Senior User Experience Designer, Microsoft
Vice-President of the Board, IGNITE Worldwide
cheryl@cherylplatz.com
@muppetaphrodite
- 2. I want you to help me change the world,
and I’m here to tell you how and why.
Cheryl Platz 2
- 5. Prologue:
My user experience team in Microsoft’s Server and Tools division is 40%
female. 16 out of 40 employees as of May 2011.
(The typical ratio in engineering disciplines is about 10%.)
I realized that I’d never worked with so
many women before – not even in
entertainment. I started to wonder if there’s
something particular and special about
interaction design...
Cheryl Platz 5
- 6. Q: Why is this our problem? What’s in it for us?
Cheryl Platz 6
- 7. Q: Why is this our problem? What’s in it for us?
A: The nation is falling behind – needlessly – and we are unable
to fill science and technology openings with domestic talent.
We’ve got the “special sauce” that can help reverse this
worrisome trend.
Cheryl Platz 7
- 8. Q: Why is this our problem? What’s in it for us?
A: The nation is falling behind – needlessly – and we are unable
to fill science and technology openings with domestic talent.
We’ve got the “special sauce” that can help reverse this
worrisome trend.
...Oh, and the financial upside is potentially huge.
Cheryl Platz 8
- 9. “The Female Advantage”
(from the Boston Globe)
European firms with the highest proportion of women in
power saw their stock value climb by 64 percent over two
years, compared with an average of 47
percent, according to a 2007 study by the consulting firm
McKinsey and Company.
In a 2001 study, Pepperdine University researchers
found that measured as a percent of revenues, profits
at Fortune 500 firms that most aggressively promoted
women were 34 percent higher than industry medians.
“One recent study determined that women in senior
management had an especially positive impact on
firms involved in research and development.”
Cheryl Platz 9
- 10. In short, a well-balanced workplace is more likely
to innovate and succeed.
But we‟re going to have to get involved to make
sure balance is even an option in the future.
Cheryl Platz
- 11. I’m going to focus on computer science education
as the “canary in the coal mine” for STEM career
decline: the field has some of the most promising
job growth, yet paradoxically some of the largest
attraction and retention issues.
Cheryl Platz Interaction ’11 – Boulder, CO 11
- 12. Female interest in
computer science is
steadily declining.
What happened after
1982?
Peaked in 1982! My class
Cheryl Platz 12
- 18. Glasses Barbie’s 126th career:
Computer Engineer.
Bluetooth headset
“Generic” touch phone
Binary shirt
Practical
flats
18
- 19. She may not seem like much, but this new Barbie
represents an important step in changing the prevailing
perception of technology careers for young women.
There is growing momentum on this front: an
opportunity to spread the word about technology
careers.
And it’s not just Barbie...
Cheryl Platz 19
- 21. On CNN.com:
The “Top Secret Rosies”
From the Women in Technology Hall of Fame:
“The first programmers started out as
"Computers." This was the name given by
the Army to a group of over 80 women
working at the University of Pennsylvania
during World War II calculating ballistics
trajectories - complex differential equations -
by hand. When the Army agreed to fund an
experimental project, the first all-electronic
digital computer, six "Computers" were
selected in 1945 to be its first programmers.”
Cheryl Platz
Interaction ’11 – Boulder, CO
- 22. So what’s making the
women of tomorrow
move away from STEM
career choices?
Cheryl Platz 22
- 23. So what’s making the
women of tomorrow
move away from STEM
career choices?
Practical flats
Cheryl Platz 23
- 24. "One important first step towards bridging the digital
divide is to close the disciplinary gap between the social
sciences (e.g. women's studies, ethnic
studies, psychology, and sociology) and the "hard"
sciences (e.g. math, engineering, and computer science);
these two discourses rarely intersect, either theoretically
or practically.”
Mary Kirk, “Gender and Information Technology: Moving
Beyond Access to Co-Create Global Partnership”
Cheryl Platz 24
- 25. Interaction design is a unique blend of three different traditional
disciplines. Two of them are actually more gender-balanced.
Visual Cognitive Computer
Design Psychology Science
48% female 71% female 10% female
* Data assembled from Payscale.com in August 2010, based on job title
Cheryl Platz 25
- 26. Interaction design problems inherently combine
computer science with skills that are traditionally
perceived as more desirable by female students.
Interdisciplinary design problems are an
ideal vehicle for opening young women’s
minds to the possibilities of science and
technology careers.
Cheryl Platz 26
- 27. And interaction design isn‟t the only STEM career that may
pique girls‟ interest:
Game Design Healthcare
Tell stories, collaborate, Make it easier for doctors to
do what you love take care of patients
Mechanical
Engineering
Biomedical Design the physical Film & Video
Engineering world, from machines to
theme park rides
Production
Improve quality of life by Work in entertainment, from
defining a new generation animation to film editing
of technology
...and many more...
Cheryl Platz
- 28. But there‟s another problem. It‟s just
as hard to retain girls in computer
science as it is to attract them.
Why?
Computer science curriculums
aren’t designed to adapt to the
educational interests of female
students.
Cheryl Platz 28
- 29. Women are more likely to
become intellectually
engaged in a subject if it
is presented in
context, with proven
societal benefit.
Computer science
curriculums are
academic, often to a
fault.
Cheryl Platz 29
- 30. “Why Students With An Apparent Aptitude for Computer Science
Don’t Choose to Major in Computer Science”
(Lori Carter, SIGCSE Bulletin, 2006. Volume 38, p 27-31)
Calculus and pre-calculus Two of the top three common deterrents:
students (male and female)
at nine schools in Arizona “My desire to sit in front of a computer all day”
and California were asked to “I would like a more people-oriented major.”
rank 11 items as having
either positive, negative, or One of the top three positive influences:
neutral influence on their
consideration of computer “My desire to use computers in another field
science as a potential major. (business, medicine, etc.)”
Cheryl Platz 30
- 31. “Why Students With An Apparent Aptitude for Computer Science
Don’t Choose to Major in Computer Science”
(Lori Carter, SIGCSE Bulletin, 2006. Volume 38, p 27-31)
Recommendations:
Offer multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary
programs to meet students' desire to use
computers in another field.
Inform students about what computing really
is to overcome its image of involving sitting in
front of a computer all day and not being
"people-oriented".
Cheryl Platz 31
- 32. The key is in the messaging.
What do girls want to know?
Do I have to be awesome at math?
Do I get to team up with other people?
Can I study this at a community college? How long does it take?
Is there time for me to have a family? Hobbies?
How will the world be different because I do this work?
How much can I make?
What will my life be like?
Cheryl Platz
- 34. Girls today picture science
& tech careers like this: But we can show them a
future that looks like this:
34
Cheryl Platz
- 35. We are the role models for this generation.
Cheryl Platz
- 36. Stop being silently awesome.
Share your passion about your “geeky” career.
Share your success stories about the impact of your own STEM work.
Share your enthusiasm about life outside the office.
Share your daily life – what is it like to be you?
Cheryl Platz
- 37. Let your experiences be a
beacon for young girls looking to
find their way in the world.
Cheryl Platz
- 38. Reach out.
Attend career fairs and talk about your work
Host job shadows & office visits for interested students
Set up workshops that let kids get hands-on with
practical problems
Encourage educators to show societal benefit of
science and technology work
Act as an advisor for educators designing curriculums
Cheryl Platz 38
- 39. There are already a number of nonprofit organizations
working to reach out to these students & looking for partners
like you.
The group I work with, IGNITE, sends
technology professionals into schools to
speak directly with young girls about their
experiences. IGNITE also organizes field
trips, job shadows, conferences, and
mentoring.
For more on IGNITE: http://facebook.com/IGNITEworldwide
Cheryl Platz 39
- 40. A little effort goes a long way.
IGNITE chapter in Lagos, Nigeria
IGNITE High School Presentation
Cheryl Platz 40
- 41. “I learned a lot about how everybody is like us and how
they built their way up. I learned a lot about the future
technology and how everything will cost less and
people can have what they want. I also learned how to
get a career in technology and at Microsoft. I would like
to do more things like this.” (Student, Dec 2010)
Look at what an impact
“I liked the speakers because they were very
you can make with just
informative... I could relate to many of them. I learned two hours of your time.
that many women do like engineering and technology.
I never thought about it and am now considering it for
my career. I thought this day was perfect. This These comments are just a few
exceeded my expectations. Thank you !” (Student, Dec
2010) of hundreds received each year
from the girls themselves - after
I enjoyed the variety of presenters with the experiences
they have and all of the great advice. The most
just a single panel!
interesting thing that I learned/heard today is it doesn’t
matter what financial status you have, you should/can
strive for your goal.” (Student, Nov 2010)
Cheryl Platz 41
- 42. So what’s your goal?
Imagine if everyone in this room spent a few
hours a year in an attempt to make a positive
difference in the lives of young students...
Cheryl Platz
- 43. And we‟re in luck...
Seattle is a great place to start.
Cheryl Platz
- 44. Other Local Opportunities:
Annual DIGIGIRLZ technology camp
Formal mentoring programs, e.g. Seattle
Girls’ School
TEALS teacher program (Technology
Education and Literacy in Schools)
Cheryl Platz 44
- 45. Q: Shouldn’t educators be doing this already?
“While I earnestly support the idea that more girls should study
math and science, I believe that the problem instead belongs to
employers, educators, and the institutions they lead.”
– Alan Cooper‟s response to this talk
Cheryl Platz 45
- 46. Q: Shouldn’t educators be doing this already?
“While I earnestly support the idea that more girls should study
math and science, I believe that the problem instead belongs to
employers, educators, and the institutions they lead.”
– Alan Cooper‟s response to this talk
A: Of course, this is the eventual goal – but our nation’s educational
system is poorly funded and supported. There’s no central body
to socialize or enforce these changes.
Rather than wait for someone else to make change, we can
become agents of that change.
Cheryl Platz 46
- 47. Rather than wait for someone else to affect
change, let’s become catalysts of the change
we want to see.
“If you want to affect culture
change, you have to meet people
where they are – not where you
want them to be.”
- Brenda Laurel
Cheryl Platz
- 51. …but our work has just begun.
Stop being silently awesome.
Spread the good word about
STEM careers to students and
educators in your community ��
you might just change a life.*
*And at the very least, you’re investing in our youth and the country’s
future while helping to educate the world about what we do!
Cheryl Platz 51
- 53. Want to help IGNITE?
Volunteer as a panelist, mentor or chaperone
Donate to help us extend our reach
Sponsor and support new chapters
Follow us:
http://facebook.com/IGNITEWorldwide
http://twitter.com/IGNITEWorldwide
Cheryl Platz IxDA Seattle – May 11, 2011 53
- 54. References & Additional Reading
NCWIT: National Center for Women & IT – research, programs, partner organizations
Books:
“Gender and Information Technology: Moving Beyond Access to Co-Create Global Partnership” (Mary Kirk)
“Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing” (Jane Margolis, Allan Fisher)
Sample programs:
Microsoft‟s DigiGirlz technology camps
IGNITE Worldwide (school outreach)
Aspire / Society of Women Engineers (school outreach)
Alice.org: Free 3D visual programming software for kids
Sample papers:
“Evaluating the Effectiveness of a New Approach” – how use of the Alice student-oriented
programming tool in CS courses „leveled the playing field‟ and increased retention
NCWIT Report: Girls & IT Research Summary – pointers to several recent studies and summaries of
their findings with respect to technical education for young women.
Cheryl Platz Interaction ’11 – Boulder, CO 54
Editor's Notes
- I want you to help me change the world, and I’m here to tell you how and why. You have the power to change dozens of lives, if not hundreds, with just a few hours of time per year.
- My background includes:Undergraduate degree, graduate study, and employment at Carnegie Mellon UniversityEmployment at MAYA Design, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Electronic Arts/Maxis, Griptonite Games, and Microsoft.I have lots of personal experience and passion on this subject:Dave to Girl ratio at CMUTime working in video games, a very male-oriented industryThis is why I got started volunteering – I figured my background would be compelling to young girls.
- My current projects:- UX Designer on System Center Configuration Manager 2012 at MicrosoftVice President for IGNITE (Inspiring Girls in Technology Evolution)Performer at Seattle TheatreSports
- Prologue: samStudiosI work with a fantastically diverse group of user experience professionals at Microsoft, and I realized one day that we were 40% female. Coming from my computer science classes with classically low female participation, and my time in the games industry leading all-male teams, this was a rather shocking revalation that led me down a new road…
- Special thanks to Erin Chapple and Derick Campbell for the pointers to this information. Derek’s talk: http://docs.com/AFKE
- Collaboration is very important to many women seeking a career choice, and it’s the perceived lack of collaboration that contributes to both a recruiting problem and then a retention problem.
- ALSO: This isn’t *just* about girls, but they’re hugely underrepresented.
- Other STEM careers are still unbalanced but the ratio is not as skewed.NCWIT.org: 28% of computer scientists in 2008 were female. Only 18% of CS degree recipients were female.Yes, progress was made – but now we’re LOSING ground.Some folks take that progress for granted – but my team’s lead was in Utah this year to teach a workshop to high school girls, and they complained that their guidance counselors were telling them to take sewing classes over technology classes.
- The popular media portrayal of computer science is neither flattering nor compatible with a ‘feminine’ image.
- Sheryl Sandberg story: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/07/11/110711fa_fact_auletta?currentPage=3Sandberg says that the impact of popular culture struck her when her son was playing a Star Wars game. “When I grow up, I want to live in space and be a Star Wars person as a job,” he told his mother.“I’d like to come, too,” she responded, “because I always want to live near you.”“You can’t come,” he said. “I’ve already invited my sister, and there’s only one girl in space.”At first, Sandberg laughed. And then it dawned on her that “there is only one woman in these movies.”Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/07/11/110711fa_fact_auletta#ixzz1aGHsfimr
- In school, perception is everything. Especially for girls.*Most of the things in this talk can be applied to either gender; however, it makes sense to concentrate on girls because they are so vastly underrepresented in STEM careers.
- Girls have no role models in technology. When I go to schools, we ask, “How many of you know a women in a science or technology career?” In rooms of 60 girls, you might see one or two hands go up. The rest only have the media’s portrayal to go by – and in a world where they’re desperately looking for role models, we’ve lost the battle.
- Fun trivia fact: The launch of the doll was delayed when they realized the phone they had given her was outdated.
- Barbie is often controversial and accused of reinforcing gender stereotypes. Computer Engineer Barbie’s existence turns this around to our advantage – if Barbie represents femininity to young girls, AND Barbie can be a computer engineer, then computer engineers can be feminine too! At least in the eyes of a 9-year old girl.But one doll won’t change the world. It’s just the opportunity knocking at our door.
- Ada Lovelace, “Enchantressof Numbers”, widely recognized as the first computer engineer. She documented the first known algorithm intended for processing by a machine. She’s gained some increased notoriety in recent years as the topic of women in technology gains more momentum.March 24th is celebrated as Ada Lovelace day.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace
- Did you know there’s a women in technology hall of fame? Or that the first ENIAC programmers were women?
- Mary might actually be referring to researchers working on the women-in-technology problem, but I think this philosophy applies to the actual problem itself. Young women are forced to make a binary decision between social sciences and hard sciences – and given societal pressure, gender aptitudes, and perceptions, most women gravitate towards social sciences. What if we didn’t force them to make that choice?
- I had always been looking for a field that blended art and technology, but despite actively searching didn’t hear about HCI until my college visit to Carnegie Mellon.
- And let’s face it – everyone who uses technology has had an interaction design idea at some point. When I talk to young girls at high schools, they all raise their hands when I ask who can remember a time they were frustrated with a computer, or when a computer did something they didn’t expect it to do. Girls – and boys – will readily see the application and benefit of this work in their lives and the lives of others.
- Just one example, but a reasonable one. Carnegie Mellon’s freshman computer science curriculum includes the theory of NP-completeness: essentially, students are asked to prove that a problem is unsolvable. What societal benefit does that provide? No attention was given to covering the applications of computer science in society outside the university’s walls. The experience of women in CMU’s CS curriculum is covered in great detail in “Unlocking the Clubhouse” by Jane Margolis: http://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Clubhouse-Computing-Jane-Margolis/dp/0262133989
- Note that this isn’t even specific to women – this applies to all genders. The takeaway: By tweaking the way we present the subject matter, we stand a better chance of attracting a diverse set of students to the field.
- Note that this isn’t even specific to women – this applies to all genders. The takeaway: By tweaking the way we present the subject matter, we stand a better chance of attracting a diverse set of students to the field.
- Yes, even the income question. And lots of girls PERCEIVE themselves to be “bad” at math when they’re at the very least perfectly average… they just don’t find it fulfilling.
- Collaboration is very important to many women seeking a career choice, and it’s the perceived lack of collaboration that contributes to both a recruiting problem and then a retention problem.
- Collaboration is very important to many women seeking a career choice, and it’s the perceived lack of collaboration that contributes to both a recruiting problem and then a retention problem.
- Girls are hungry for more information about the choices ahead of them, and they rarely have someone to turn to for those answers.We need to show them what they can become with the help of science and technology careers. Photo credit: Wendy Enden, Laughing Tabby PhotographyStarting line for IGNITE Bri
- This is a call to action to anyone who works in interaction design. We’ll be evangelizing our career to the wider world AND opening girls’ (and boys’) minds to new opportunities.Just 10 hours a year… can you spare that time?
- You can impact dozens of students with just a few hours at your local school. With a bit more effort, your influence doesn’t have to stop at our borders.
- I’d like to “put my money where my mouth is”, and find a way to use our knowledge to improve the quality of our outreach.
- Collaboration is very important to many women seeking a career choice, and it’s the perceived lack of collaboration that contributes to both a recruiting problem and then a retention problem.
- This is a call to action to anyone who works in interaction design. We’ll be evangelizing our career to the wider world AND opening girls’ (and boys’) minds to new opportunities.Just 10 hours a year… can you spare that time?
- Barbie is often controversial and accused of reinforcing gender stereotypes. Computer Engineer Barbie’s existence turns this around to our advantage – if Barbie represents femininity to young girls, AND Barbie can be a computer engineer, then computer engineers can be feminine too! At least in the eyes of a 9-year old girl.But one doll won’t change the world. It’s just the opportunity knocking at our door.
- Alan has some really interesting arguments, and in the end we both have the same goals – but we come at it from two different angles. While Alan believes that we should be targeting both genders, since the goal is equal treatment, I believe we have to acknowledge the situation as it stands.
- Collaboration is very important to many women seeking a career choice, and it’s the perceived lack of collaboration that contributes to both a recruiting problem and then a retention problem.
- They’re teaching young girls about the concept of “code!” Of course, they’ve reduced it to a match-3 game, but it’s something, right?
- Remember to move to end slides!!
- $$ vs. societal benefitMalaysia – more female computer engineers than men… why?PerceptionCurriculumLocal