Gendered Performance Differences in Information Technology Courses

Abstract

This study aims to analyze patterns of gender-based grade disparity in undergraduate information technology (IT) courses at a public research university. The study is part of an effort to understand factors in IT education that may contribute to the gender gap in IT higher education and careers. The study followed a learning analytics methodology developed and used by previous studies of gendered based performance differences in STEM courses at other universities. This research adds to a base of information on gender performance in IT courses. Results indicated that, on average, IT courses have gendered performance differences, with most courses favoring males. Also, results found that, on average, the course delivery method does not impact gender performance. A surprising result is in the senior-level courses, on average, the courses favor females. The recommendations for expanding the study are to examine additional course factors such as instructor gender, class size, and the number of females in the course and to include additional computing disciplines and other universities in the data set. This study will lead to a research path to understanding gender neutral IT course instruction.