Games+and+gender

Gender imbalances have been noted in Digital Games Based Learning (DGBL) by many including the members of the [|games cluster].

Girls are less likely to pursue maths and science courses than arts and humanities in high school. In addition, girls commonly do not choose careers in technical fields that involve math and science (Inkpen 1994)

Overall, women comprise a mere 35% of the IT workforce, and this trend has also emerged in enrollments for technical degrees in higher education (Van Eck 2006)

There are two issues
 * a game based learning approach may disadvantage girls
 * a successfully inplemented game based learning approach may redress gender imbalances in related domains

Possible reasons:
 * Game genre: narrative or shooter
 * team vs. individual work
 * equal access to computers
 * single gender classes
 * gender stereotypes in games
 * preconceptions of games

As long as its pink: girls and computer games by Sara Jacobsson (2003) "//I believe that video and computer games, with their massive influence on people of all ages, relatively short history and its possibilities of being androgynous, might open a way to change current gender stereotypes//"
 * References**

http://www.cs.ubc.ca/labs/imager/tr/pdf/inkpen.1995a.pdf Playing Together Beats Playing Apart, Especially for Girls Kori Inkpen //"The results of this study suggest that grouping children round one computer does not negatively affect performance and in the case of Female/Female groupings, it can have a positive effect"//

[| http://www.edgelab.ca/publications/jcmst94.pdf] “We Have Never-Forgetful Flowers In Our Garden:”Girls’ Responses To Electronic Games. 1994. K. Inkpen, R. Upitis, M. Klawe, J. Lawry, A. Anderson, M. Ndunda, K. Sedighian, S. Leroux, and D.Hsu //"they are more likely to play if certain conditions hold including ease of access to the game... and the possibility of interacting with others while they play... this is consistent with the notion that girls enjoy interacting with others as they play"//

[| http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=209&action=article] Using Games to Promote Girls' Positive Attitudes Toward Technology by Richard Van Eck //"If we can find ways to change girls' attitudes toward technology, we may also impact their attitudes toward math and science. Alternatively, breaking the association between technology and math or science might change girls' attitudes toward math and science careers. One strategy for achieving these goals involves providing girls with more positive technology experiences such as computer game play (AAUW 2000; Brown// //[|2001]////; Busch 1995; Liu, Reed, and Phillips 1992) and game design (Siann et al. 1990), especially in the classroom//."

GIRLS AND GAMING: A SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Denise E. Agosto, Ph.D. //ISSUE #1: THE COMPUTER GAMING GENDER RIFT// //ISSUE #2: REPRESENTATIONS OF FEMALES IN COMPUTER GAMES// //ISSUE #3: GAMING AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT// //ISSUE #4: THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF VIOLENT GAMES// //ISSUE #5: GIRLS' PREFERENCES IN COMPUTER GAME CONTENT// //ISSUE #6: GIRLS' PREFERENCES IN COMPUTER GAME DESIGN//

"Representations:** how are people, places, ideas and emotions portrayed in games and what sorts of social and cultural assumptions underlie those portrayals? Eg. gender representations - why are males and females portrayed in certain ways? What are the consequences of this? What should be our response? (note that this is very much up for debate and discussion - assumptions should not be made)". quote Mr Michael Dezuanni, Film and Media Studies, Queensland University of Technology"
 * http://www.freewebs.com/schoolgamemaker/#why

//http://www.nesta.org.uk/mediaroom/newsreleases/5700/index.html// 24 Aug 2006 - New computer game boosts entrepreneurial spirit in schoolgirls// An innovative new computer game has been launched to develop schoolgirls’ interest in entrepreneurship and science.

//http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5271852.stm BBC NEWS | Technology | Games industry is 'failing women'// The videogames industry is continuing to fail women by not producing suitable content, a senior executive at Electronic Arts (EA) has said

//http://psweb.etr.org/gcgweb/public/games/index.html Girls Creating Games - GIG/TNT

http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/%7Ebbair/WIC/games4girls/Computer Games for Girls// //Studies suggest that kids who play computer-based games increase their understanding of knowledge structures, spatial intelligence and cogitative ability.// **//Girls just know that computer games are fun!//**

http://www.youthlearn.org/afterschool/GirlsCreatingGames3.htm Model Technology Integration in Afterschool - Girls Creating Games //Girls Creating Games is an after-school program for middle school girls developed by Education, Training Research Associates (ETR). The participants are girls in grades 6-8. The program meets twice a week for two hours for twelve weeks during each semester//

http://www.terc.edu/mathequity/gw/html/gwhome.html Glass Wall Home //While computer games could provide the opportunity for increased mathematical learning by both boys and girls, the reality is that girls are not benefiting from the potential of computers to promote math learning//