Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Gender & IT Education Recruitment and Websites What Do IT Program Websites Reveal about Woman Friendliness? Kristin Hanks

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Research Questions At first glance, might websites give subtle gender cues, whether intentional or not? Do applied departments differ in their online recruitment practices from Computer Science and Engineering departments?

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Why Websites? Websites are one of the most influential recruitment devices, second only to an in-person campus visit (Abrahamson, 2000)

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Technology Usage Differences Women Prefer: –sites that are less cluttered –minimal use of graphics –sites which avoid multiple levels of sub- pages to drill through Women Value: –ease of use (while men value perceived usefulness)

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Information Processing Differences Women are more sensitive to: –visual/non-verbal cues –message claims –overall themes –manipulative intent “Comprehensive Information Processors” Women have a tendency to elaborate on these messages, forming opinions using subtle cues.

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Professional Preference Differences Desired workplace characteristics: –Interpersonal relationship opportunities –Prioritization of work-life balance –“Service” as a core value –Environment of Inclusiveness –Empowerment –Empathy Women in studies valued an informal and friendly culture and a place that really cared about them as individuals

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Methodology Content Analysis of 104 pages from 16 departments at the 5 schools, over 90 variables on each page Pages Coded – Recruitment Perspective –Home –About Us/Mission –Contact Us –Prospective Student –Admissions/Applying –Current Student –People or “Find People” –Diversity –Other

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Coding Categories Photographs Text Navigation Qualitative Observations

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Photographs might indicate Who “represents” the school? –Proportion of men to women in photos? –Photos of groups or individuals? Is intimacy depicted? –Are people making eye contact? –Are people touching? –Are the pictures formal (headshots, posed groups) or informal? What/who is the main focus? Are the photos of buildings, technology, people, or a mix?

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Text might indicate: Who “speaks” for the school? –Who is quoted? Who gets credit? –Are the accomplishments of both genders listed? Is diversity valued? –Is there a link to information about diversity or minorities? –Is diversity mentioned in the other text on the page?

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Navigation might indicate: Can I find the information I need? –Wayfinding is documented to be different for men and women. Can I find other female students? –Do female student organizations exist here? –Are such organizations clearly a priority for the department?

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Three Disclaimers Can NOT tell the cumulative effects of the elements The applied departments are all grouped together, despite the fact that substantial differences may exist between them NOT suggesting "feminizing" the pages

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Research Questions At first glance, might websites give subtle gender cues, whether intentional or not? Do applied fields differ in their online recruitment practices from Computer Science and Engineering departments?

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Findings - Photographs Applied Computer Science More photographs of women More clearly posed pictures Higher representation of women relative to their enrollment statistics More intimate photographs (eye contact) Higher percentage of candid photographs

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Findings - Text Applied Computer Science Had more quotes, but a relatively low overall number of 8. All 8 were male quotes. Listed more accomplishments Listed more female than male accomplishments Used full names more often

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Findings - Navigation Applied Computer Science Used more search boxes, site maps, and consistently placed "contact us" buttons on their pages. Had more consistent layouts from page to page. Linked to more female and minority organizations and did so from more pages.

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Findings - Qualitative Mentorship programs –More on CS pages Diversity statements –Found on both CS and Applied pages –few mention gender as a representation issue. Several departments have family oriented student groups –suggest an attempt to help with work/life balance issues which might be important to women

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Overall Impressions Applied Computer Science Elements which better suit female information processing and culture preferences Less elements emphasizing gender equity as a high priority Obvious effort to reverse low enrollment statistics Project an image of inclusion Structural/navigation elements indicate male information processing patterns

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 A word of caution Equating the findings with intention –CS links to female organizations more higher priority? older department with more ties? –Applied pages have navigation elements which map better to female processing strategies “just good design”? more female webmasters/staff who contributed to the design? Future Studies are needed –much larger sample size –breaking down the "Applied" departments by type –testing whether the elements which are significantly different make a real difference to real women

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 Applying the Current Study Representation of females in website photographs Posted diversity statements Links to female organizations Consistent page layouts and navigation element Opportunities for departmental contact First Steps:

Gender and IT Education Conference, Indiana University, 2007 A Final Note Prospective students will see through superficial changes which do not reflect valuing the work and contribution of the women in the department.