My experience in teaching web development in journalism programs for more than a decade has led me to conclude that it is much less about the former than we have been led to believe. With journalism program enrollment often in the range of 60-70 percent women, it’s common for my classes to be majority female. All of them recognize the value of technological skills — they wouldn’t be taking the class otherwise. While some enter the course a bit unsure about their computer savvy, all leave with increased confidence and an ignited interest in the role of technology in the future of media. And — in my limited experience in taking computer science courses within the university environment, and speaking with colleagues about the mission and goals of the computer science academic discipline — I have begun to recognize the unique opportunity we have in journalism to contribute to a solution for the digital divide. We can increase women’s participation in technology if we teach higher-end technology skills in a communications context — in essence, teaching tech where the girls are. At the same time, we would be reaching male students who might have tech aptitude, but for some reason were also not attracted to a computer science degree. (via Cindy Royal: Journalism schools need to get better at teaching tech where the girls are » Nieman Journalism Lab)
