Mary Harrsch (mharrsch@oregon.uoregon.edu)
Fri, 02 Apr 1999 14:51:53 -0800
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 1999 14:51:53 -0800 From: Mary Harrsch <mharrsch@oregon.uoregon.edu> Subject: Gender balancing
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Rick Reynolds said:
"In the program you mentioned did the girls actually do anything that you
could measure (besides show up)
on the days when boys were not allow to show up? Did you measure frequency
of eye contact? What learning skills were you trying to develop? More
importantly to us as educators, were you able to measure the interest in
computers after you removed the externally imposed rules? Did you measure
the trepidation about technology or the threaten ness of competitiveness
which was the point of your comment in the first place"
Since the computer labs were both restricted to "nongame" activities such as
internet research, email communication, and the use of educational software,
obviously the girls and boys using the computer labs were engaged in
learning or at least productive activities. The girls were not using the
labs for a place to congregate and gossip which seems to be implied by your
first question. On girl-only days in the primary lab boys were still
admitted to the secondary lab so boys were not disadvantaged only the social
environment was altered.
As for ascertaining levels of trepidation, discomfort with competitiveness,
or familial restrictions that may have also played a role in the girls'
experiences, these topics would be fascinating to study but the average
school district does not employ faculty to engage in research. They only
had access to their own empirical observations which I relayed to you.
Mary Harrsch
Network and Information Systems Manager
College of Education
102-K Education
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 346-3554
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~mharrsch/index.htm
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