Tech-Savvy is the culmination of two years of work by the AAUW Educational Foundation Commission on Technology, Gender, and Teacher Education. Computer games don t have to be the virtual equivalent of GI Joes and Barbies. We have to think less about girls games and boys games and more about games that challenge our children s minds. Women are roughly 20 percent of IT professionals. Women receive less than 28 percent of the computer science bachelor's degrees, down from a high of 37 percent in 1984.
Computer science is the only field in which women s participation has actually decreased over time.
Women make up just 9 percent of the recipients of engineering-related bachelor s degrees. These games, in fact, would appeal to a broad range of learners boys and girls alike. Computer fluency Gender equity cannot be measured by how many girls send e-mail, use the Internet, or make PowerPoint presentations. Rather, gender equity means using technology proactively, being able to interpret the information that technology makes available, understanding design concepts, and being a lifelong learner of technology. These abilities apply across the whole range of subjects and careers, not just computer science.