Review:
This video is from a four-part public television series ``Digital Divide:
Teachers, Technology, and the Classroom.''
So it is oriented around what happens in the classroom and how teachers
can influence issues of gender equity.
Much of the video appears to take place at Fullmore Middle School in Austin,
Texas, so it is not aimed directly at college-level students.
There is a lot of interesting and thought-provoking material in this video.
The emphasis is really not on controlled studies or experiments.
Most of the points are made through quotes, anecdotes or interview.
Some examples include:
... ``software for girls'' on the box sends the message that the rest of the
software is for boys...
...
when the class is asked to draw a picture of a computer scientist, most of them
draw a picture of a man ...
...
boys prefer using the mouse whereas girls prefer using the keyboard ... (!?)
... the ``breakthrough game'' for girls was ``Barbie Fashion Designer'' ...
(personally, I found this most depressing)
There are also interesting interview clips with game designers and teachers.
One (woman) game designer says that she doesn't care if people criticize her
software for reinforcing stereotypes, that she is really only interesting in
giving her target market what they will buy.
There is some discussion of why parents buy computers for their kids to use.
And there is a (very brief) mention of the ``workforce need'' argument; that
the shortage or hi-tech workers argues for widening the pipeline.
Overall, this video is certainly useful for classes that have students heading toward a teaching career. It could also be used as a springboard for addressing gender issues more generally in the computing industry.
Video Format/Length:
This is a VHS video, about 57 minutes in length.
Ordering Information:
This video is available from Films for the Humanities and Sciences at a list
price of $149.
Films for the Humanities and Sciences
P.O. Box 2053
Princeton, New Jersey 08543-2053
URL: www.films.com
It is catalog number FFH 9329-A-NT.
phone number (800) 257-5126.
web address http://www.films.com/
The web page says ``Available only in the US and Canada.''