Engineering, computer science, and software engineering all saw less than 20 percent female enrollment. Physics and economics and finance also sported an exceedingly low percentage of female students.
Coursera researchers who compiled and analyzed the MOOC data charged that the proliferation of web-connected mobile devices would go a long way in creating gender parity in massive courses. The STEM gap, they said, would likely remain unchanged.
“Over time, advances in technology like mobile devices will eventually reduce gender inequity in access to the internet,” Coursera researchers on the company’s blog. “At the same time, however, there remain disparities in rates of female participation in different subject areas independent of access concerns.”
Women tended to perform better in online courses with higher proportions of women, according to the research, outperforming their male counterparts in classes found to be most popular with those who identified as female.
“It is possible, for example, that when women see more women in a class (through interaction on class forums) it makes them more comfortable and motivates them to try harder,” the researchers noted. “It is also possible that women who enroll in courses with high female proportions start out being more comfortable with the material, or intending to take the course more seriously, and the gender dynamics in the class have no effect on their performance.”
Overall female enrollment, the researchers said, has increased steadily over time, rising from around 20 percent in May 2012 to almost 40 percent in May 2014.
- Research: Social media has negative impact on academic performance - April 2, 2020
- Number 1: Social media has negative impact on academic performance - December 31, 2014
- 6 reasons campus networks must change - September 30, 2014