Kriativ-tech Volume 1, Issue 9, April 2018, Pages: xxx Received: Dec. 28, 2019; Accepted: Feb. 25, 2020. Published: Oct. 11, 2022.

Authors

Dulce Mourato, Assistant Professor at ISTEC

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To cite this article

Dulce Mourato, Women in ICT Engineering Courses: Problem-Based Learning to Encourage their EmpowermentDOI: 10.31112/kriativ-tech-2022-06-77

Abstract

The disparity in numbers was evident and could not be ignored in terms of research: twelve students women, included in a class with a total of 126 students men, attended the last year of Computer and Multimedia Engineering Degree courses, at the Higher Institute of Advanced Technologies (ISTEC) in Lisbon, Portugal, in the academic year 2020/21.The general objective of this study was to realize, through the different proposals of research themes, developed by all students in their practical project – the final dissertation (in order to achieve certification of their degrees) configured the reflection of what happens in society in general, referring to a gender set of stereotypes, which obstructs knowledge, stagnates or delays the ability to respond with new solutions for all, so common in these cutting-edge technological areas, and how to change the underlying mentality of women students and reconfigure positive impact on their action, mentality and on their technological practice in future proposals or jobs.To better describe what happened, this research uses a case study that aims to demonstrate why Women in ICT are so few and how the use of Problem Based Learning (PBL) could help to understand why it happens. PBL was used to simplify research themes, based on real technological contexts and if those research themes made a difference from a gender point of view. Faced with so little female academic representation in this particular area, as a woman researcher, it was an imperative goal to recognize how and why this occurs so frequently, but also prove a simple theory: if PBL could be adapted for each person and maybe adjust in individual, social and professional terms, regardless of gender. Another challenge was to realize the biases and stereotypes perception and which these factors were reflected in the lack of gender equality and identity and promote incentives for women empowerment in the technological world.

Keywords

Women in ICT, Identity and Gender Equality, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Empowerment.

References

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