After the success of our first panel on gender and computing, supported by the Gender Equity Group at the department, we are thrilled to announce a second panel, this time focused on the role of men. We will count with panelists who are in projects related to gender and computing and who will bring to the table different views on this work.

As before, the event will consist of two parts: first, presentations of 5-10 minutes from each panelist on their chosen topics (detailed below); second, the audience will have the chance to ask questions to the panelists, leading to a meaningful discussion, as we saw in the first panel. Both parts are open for all interested students and staff. There will be a break at about 13:00, so that those who need to leave can do so. As this is also a lunch event, a sandwich and a drink will be provided for those who want.

Panelists, and their topics for the seminar, are:

• Dave Clarke, associate professor in the department of information technology and responsible for the main first year programming course (PKD).

Title: Gender Balance and First Year Programming

Summary: Dave will describe a number of planned initiatives for improving gender balance in the way the first year programming course (PKD) is taught.

• Anne-Sofie Nyström and Minna Salminen, researchers at the Gender Center.

Title: The attraction of effortless achievement – intelligence, effort and gender.

Summary: Effortless achievement is valorized in many academic settings as it is equated with authentic intelligence, which is idolized in many societies. However, the subject position of ‘effortless achiever’ is not available to all categories of students equally, and for some it is almost impossible to attain. The intersections of gender, social class, ethnicity and institutional setting are influential, e.g. via discourses that position boys/men as natural, authentic scholars and girls/women as the diligent Other. This has been proposed as one explanation to the gendered achievement pattern, boys’ and men’s “underachievement” in schooling and higher education.

• Pontus Ekberg, PhD student at the department.

Title: How should a teacher deal with students’ gender-related preconceptions about their own abilities?

Summary: In the introductory programming course for second-year STS students, the teachers have noticed some correlation between students’ perceptions of their own abilities and their gender. There are of course many exceptions, but as a trend it seems to have become more pronounced in the last couple of years. I would like some discussion about what a teacher should (and shouldn’t) do to try to alleviate this problem.

Where?  ITC room 2446

When?  Thursday the 28th of May from 12:00 to 14:00

Who?  EVERYONE interested in this topic is welcome to join!

Let us know that you are coming and whether you would like lunch provided for you by filling in this form.

Entrance is for FREE, but please complete the form if you are coming to let us know so that we can estimate the number of lunches to be ordered. You can also join our Facebook event here.

For any questions, do not hesitate to contact Virginia at: vgrande@acm.org

Welcome!