A human-centric issue that has not been considered in the design of end-user programming environments is whether gender differences exist that are important to the design of these environments. Ignoring this issue would miss the opportunity of enhancing the effectiveness of end-user programmers by incorporating appropriate mechanisms to support gender-associated differences in decision making, learning, and problem solving. This paper takes a first step toward building a foundation for investigating this issue by surveying gender difference literature from five domains with an eye toward possible implications for end-user programming. We present a taxonomy of this literature, and derive a number of specific issues for each element of the taxonomy (stated as hypotheses). This foundation provides a starting point for organized investigations into issues that may be important for making breakthroughs in the effectiveness of end-user programmers.

Although gender differences in a technological world are receiving significant research attention, much of the research and practice has aimed at how society and education can impact the successes and retention of female computer science professionals—but the possibility of gender issues within software has received almost no attention. If gender issues exist with some types of software features, it is possible that accommodating them by changing these features can increase effectiveness, but only if we know what these issues are. In this paper, we empirically investigate gender differences for end users in the context of debugging spreadsheets. Our results uncover significant gender differences in self-efficacy and feature acceptance, with females exhibiting lower self-efficacy and lower feature acceptance. The results also show that these differences can significantly reduce females ’ effectiveness.

The information technology [IT] industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, both here in Australia and globally. This paper is an exploratory study of aspects of women’s status in the IT industry in Western Australia. What is apparent from this initial study is that the shortage of skilled personnel in WA mirrors the declining trend in the representation of women in the IT industry. This industry, once thought of as a gender neutral profession is still dominated by men. This preliminary study suggests that even though the IT industry does not exclude women, it does little to promote or employ them and the old corporate 'boys club ' syndrome continues to perpetuate.

Abstract. Recent research has shown that gender differences exist that influence the ways that males and females work with problem-solving software. These gender differences may put females at a disadvantage in competing for jobs requiring these skills. Earlier research has shown the existence of gender differences in confidence that affects feature usage and adoption; however these findings have raised new questions. We are seeking answers to these questions through qualitative methods. The case study we present here documents our methodology and may be used as a guide for others embarking on similar qualitative analyses. 1

Abstract- This paper describes a new program for female

This dissertation is dedicated to the fourteen women in this study group. May the sun shine on you. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I thank my family for their support throughout this process, especially my husband, Ken, who has been so generous and loving. I hope that my work on this project helps instill in my children, Nora and Kip, an appreciation for education, as my parents, Marian and Ralph Manco, have inspired in me. I thank my dissertation supervisor, Dr. Ursula Wagener, for her unwavering support and tireless counsel throughout the numerous drafts of this dissertation. Additionally, I thank my committee members, Dr. Marvin Lazerson and Dr. Norman Badler, for their interest in my work and their expert guidance and insight throughout this process. I am indebted to Dean Eduardo Glandt, the faculty, administrators, staff and students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science of the University of Pennsylvania, who gave generously of their time and perspectives on the issues in women’s persistence in computer science. I thank, especially, Jackie Caliman for sharing with me her substantial knowledge of the undergraduate programs and students in computer science, and Fernando Pereira, Chair of the Dept. of Computer and Information Science, for making this study possible. Finally, I thank the fourteen women participants in this study for sharing openly and honestly their experiences with me. You are talented, passionate and energetic individuals who will be successful in whatever you choose. I have the greatest admiration and respect for each one of you.

Women remain underrepresented in computer technology careers and university majors, and adolescent girls shy away from high school computer science courses. More information is needed about females who are attracted to computer technology. This study described the online activities of young adolescent girls ages 12-14 who are highend users of computer technology. Three developmental tasks of adolescence (search for identity, pursuit of social connections, and desire for a sense of competence and accomplishment) were used to frame explorations of the girls' online activities. Eight girls were interviewed, the personal web sites of six girls were analyzed, and postings on a message board for young girls interested in online activities were reviewed. Patterns and themes that emerged from the data indicated that Internet technology was an effective match for the informants' developmental tasks. Specific inferences included: (1) Online technologies offered the informants multiple ways of negotiating social relationships; (2) Internet use supported the informants' engagement in personalized, selfdirected, and self-initiated learning; (3) Support from parents, siblings, and peers iii provided the environment for each girl to develop confidence and competence in Internet use; and (4) The informants' use of the Internet reflected women's ways of knowing. iv Dedication I dedicate this study to the memory of my mother and father. Their lives and their love are etched in my past, my present, and my future. My mother gave me the knowledge that women are strong and powerful in ways often subtle and surprising. My father gave me a fascination with new technology and an appreciation for being "different." He taught me to treasure the moment. Both of my parents would have eagerly em...

The proportion of computer science (CS) bachelor’s degree recipients who are women has consistently been small and is declining. This study investigates factors that predict performance and persistence in an undergraduate CS program and explores why even high-achieving students leave the undergraduate “CS pipeline. ” The factors that predict achievement and retention sometimes interact in complex, unexpected ways. Male students who earned less than a B in an introductory CS course were more likely to take the next course in the curriculum than were women who earned less than a B. Achievement is a factor in even high-achieving students ’ decision to leave CS; loss of interest can accompany loss of confidence. Level of achievement was predicted by various background factors including Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, the number of Calculus courses taken before entering the CS program, amount of access to a computer at home, prior computing experience, and having a mentor or role model during high school. Most of these factors also predicted persistence beyond the first two courses required for a CS major. Curiously, women in the introductory CS course who reported having low exposure to specific programming skills outperformed women who reported having a high level of programming experience. The reverse was true of men. Further investigation provided evidence that women who develop programming skills while in high school might do so at the expense of developing other skills that strongly predict CS achievement, particularly math skills.

The proportion of computer science (CS) bachelor’s degree recipients who are women has consistently been small and is declining. This study investigates factors that predict performance and persistence in an undergraduate CS program and explores why even high-achieving students leave the undergraduate “CS pipeline. ” The factors that predict achievement and retention sometimes interact in complex, unexpected ways. Male students who earned less than a B in an introductory CS course were more likely to take the next course in the curriculum than were women who earned less than a B. Achievement is a factor in even high-achieving students ’ decision to leave CS; loss of interest can accompany loss of confidence. Level of achievement was predicted by various background factors including Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, the number of Calculus courses taken before entering the CS program, amount of access to a computer at home, prior computing experience, and having a mentor or role model during high school. Most of these factors also predicted persistence beyond the first two courses required for a CS major. Curiously, women in the introductory CS course who reported having low exposure to specific programming skills outperformed women who reported having a high level of programming experience. The reverse was true of men. Further investigation provided evidence that women who develop programming skills while in high school might do so at the expense of developing other skills that strongly predict CS achievement, particularly math skills. ACM Categories: K.3.2