These teaching methods are not capturing the attention of females, who generally want to see the implications and end results of a job. If a girl does not picture a woman in a certain field, she is rarely attracted to join that industry. The lack of knowledge about the IT industry directly relates to why women might have negative perceptions about the field. The AAUW study found that girls think technical careers are dull, boring or lonely. Krimski said, Women tend to want interaction in the workplace and given the stereotype of the techie who sits in a lonely cubicle coding all day does not make for a very desirable career choice.
Females seem to be unaware that technical jobs can be interactive, people-oriented and creative.
For example, IT advertising seems to assume a male audience and the media portrays computer geeks as socially inept males who work alone around the clock. In our next column, we will discuss some solutions and ways we can create a new tech-savvy perspective. Craig Weidemann, Ph.D., is vice provost of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County . The Daily Record. All Rights Reserved.