Using biographies of outstanding women in computer engineering to dispel false impressions about engineers
Issue 334 | Page 113 | Published Sep 2009
Description
The author has carried out an activity with 80 teachers to enable them to reconsider their perceptions of engineers. This introduced them to 20 outstanding women in computer engineering, and raised their awareness of their contributions to engineering and society. The results revealed that the activity was effective in countering typical perceptions of engineers. By providing detailed information about the personal lives and work experiences, the biographies might be useful in countering existing cultural stereotypes of female engineers and initiating changes in perceptions needed to narrow the gender gap in engineering.
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