Not even well begun: women in computing courses

Abstract

Concern is often expressed about the underrepresentation of women in scientific and technological programmes in higher education. This concern prompted us to undertake a study of Australian computing science courses at the top level of professional accreditation. Our concern was with the numbers of women enrolling and how women fared in the early stages of the courses. The work from our study provides the basis for this paper in which we examine the ways in which women tend to be disadvantaged in computing courses. We discuss the issues both in terms of factors which are identifiable from the perspective of the discipline at large and those which are associated specifically with the presenta..