Evening the odds –educational computer games and 21st century coding literacy are girls’ things too
Abstract: While many industries are dwindling, one area is on the increase, gaming. Nordic countries are experiencing growth in start-up companies and revenue. Despite growth in the games industry, and potential for development in educational games, numbers of women involved still lag. This is interesting considering women outweigh men in compulsory educational teaching. This issues paper reflects on discussions and developments of women in technology. It raises concern regarding unequal gender figures in the games industry, and proposes two points: 1) more teachers play an active role in game development – more women take part in content generation, pedagogical usability and technical realization; and 2) if learning solutions promote 21st century skills, technical skills such as programming should be in focus. All students, male and female, should be encouraged to learn the basics of programming, for opportunities to enter games and similar industries, and/or create their own companies and solutions.
Presider: Jacqui Chetty, University of Johannesburg