iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

The World Economic Forum reports that by 2020, for every digital job created, four traditional jobs will be displaced for a man — but 20 will be displaced for a woman, making it critical to keep young girls interested and staying in these career paths.

Following International Women’s Day, Microsoft unveiled the results of a survey amongst women and girls which reveals some interesting facts about why we still see such gender inequality of representation in STEM fields, and suggesting ways to tackle these problems.

Women make up only about a quarter of the workforce in the tech industry, and that number is predicted to shrink over the next decade. How do we reverse this trend? Research suggests that if girls can stick with computer science up to the AP level in high school, they are 10 times more likely to pursue the subject in college. The challenge is that many never develop the interest during the elementary years.

How can we inspire girls when they’re young to try out and stick with computer science? Could robotics be part of the answer?