I have been in maybe two or three courses at the university level (let alone compsci) that didnt have an attrition rate of maybe 25%. Note that my high school teacher, with a harder topic to teach, managed to lose nobody.
Perhaps the problem facing University level computer programming courses (for men and women) has something to do with class sizes. At my undergraduate university, most computer science courses were taught to 50+ students in impersonal lecture halls. The students who thrived the best in these courses were the ones who were only taking them as a formality: they were already familiar with at least the basics of the material.
Stretching from tradition to the present, girls have not been encouraged to focus on or become interested in scientific, analytical and technical skills to the same extent as boys. Doesn't it seem likely that this creates a pool of collegiate women who are unlikely to stick with an impersonal program?
Small classes, like the high school class described, allow a teacher to make sure all the students are enthused and following along. Although quite a few humanities classes are taught along these lines in universities, only a very select number of schools teach science and technical courses in this fashion.
Maybe changing how universities determine the ideal class size for computer science courses could help more women (and men who don't have a computer science background) attain exceptional skills and stick with the field.
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So do you think you could the EFF as a charity for these purposes? And don't you think you should count the EFF as a charity for these purposes?
Perhaps the problem facing University level computer programming courses (for men and women) has something to do with class sizes. At my undergraduate university, most computer science courses were taught to 50+ students in impersonal lecture halls. The students who thrived the best in these courses were the ones who were only taking them as a formality: they were already familiar with at least the basics of the material.
Stretching from tradition to the present, girls have not been encouraged to focus on or become interested in scientific, analytical and technical skills to the same extent as boys. Doesn't it seem likely that this creates a pool of collegiate women who are unlikely to stick with an impersonal program?
Small classes, like the high school class described, allow a teacher to make sure all the students are enthused and following along. Although quite a few humanities classes are taught along these lines in universities, only a very select number of schools teach science and technical courses in this fashion.
Maybe changing how universities determine the ideal class size for computer science courses could help more women (and men who don't have a computer science background) attain exceptional skills and stick with the field.