Kim Potter Kihlstrom Westmont College

1. Men Are From the Server Side, Women Are From the Client Side:A Biblical Perspective on Men, Women, and Computer Science Kim Potter Kihlstrom Westmont College

2. The Dilemma • Percentage of women in computer science is small and has actually decreased over the last 20 years • Why, when CS is a wonderful field with many opportunities? • Examine scriptures to understand male and female differences • Disclaimer: general tendencies, not absolute Kim Kihlstrom

3. Creation: The Blessing God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it ... I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” – Genesis 1:28-29 Kim Kihlstrom

4. Two Aspects of the Blessing1 • Human fertility (reproduction) • Land fertility (food) 1 J. H. Walton. Genesis. The NIV application commentary. Zondervan, 2001. Kim Kihlstrom

5. Creation of Man ... no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground ... the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. –Genesis 2:5-7 Kim Kihlstrom

6. Creation of Woman The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” ... Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. – Genesis 2:18,22 Kim Kihlstrom

7. Man and the Fall “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you...” – Genesis 3:17-18 Kim Kihlstrom

8. Woman and the Fall “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” – Genesis 3:16 Kim Kihlstrom

9. Man and Woman • Adam • Purpose: till the soil (functional) • Material: dust of the ground (inorganic) • Fall results: work oriented • Eve • Purpose: man not alone (relational) • Material: rib of Adam (organic) • Fall results: relationship oriented Kim Kihlstrom

10. Man and Power Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. – Psalm 45:3-5 Kim Kihlstrom

11. Woman and Beauty The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord ... All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the king... – Psalm 45:11,13-14 Kim Kihlstrom

12. Man and Woman • King • Exercising power • Splendor of maleness2 • Princess • Creating beauty • Beauty of femaleness2 2 D.B. Allender and T. Longman. Intimate Allies. Tyndale House, 1995. Kim Kihlstrom

13. Hypothesis • We come to CS differently because of basic male/female differences • Men tend to be more oriented toward function and women toward relationship • Men want to exercise power and women want to create beauty • Neither approach is better nor worse; both are essential! Kim Kihlstrom

14. Men: Function and Power • Enjoyment of the computer itself • Write programs • Play computer games • Experiment, push it to limits, see what it will do • Tinker with the machine • Example: remote control Kim Kihlstrom

15. Women: Relation and Beauty • Care for people • Work together • Be in relationship with others • Link CS to social concerns, applications • Help people solve problems • Create beauty, order, elegance • Example: dorm room Kim Kihlstrom

16. Dorm Room Kim Kihlstrom

17. Dorm Room Kim Kihlstrom

18. Women and the Whole Person • “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” –Luke 2:52 • The narrowly focused “geek” versus the ideal of growth and strength in all areas • Many female students do not identify with the “geek” image • Many female students think about marriage and family life and how this will fit with their career Kim Kihlstrom

19. Women and Self-Confidence • Men seem to have more confidence and women seem to need more reassurance • Concerns for women: • Lack of prior programming experience • Not comfortable with machines • May be more comfortable with mathematical foundations, concepts, and applications • Intimidated by jargon • Vulnerable to inhospitable teaching environments Kim Kihlstrom

20. Changes to Our Curriculum • Three-semester introductory sequence • CS 5: Fundamentals of Computing • Introduction to CS: History, overview, algorithms, logic, abstraction; applications such as web development • CS 10: Introduction to Programming • Lego robots for early programming assignments • Use CMU graphics library for final project (C++) • CS 30: Data Structures • Group programming projects that include graphical user interface (Java) Kim Kihlstrom

21. Building Community • Women in CS/math support group • Weekly dinners with faculty/students (cookies!) • Regular social events (BBQs, hot tub, etc.) • Weekly time of faculty prayer for students • Grace Hopper and SIGCSE student attendance • Individual mentoring of students • Identifying and encouraging leaders • Faculty attendance at school-wide student events • Future goal: community service projects Kim Kihlstrom

22. Faculty Service and Calling • Active recruitment of students • Brochure about computer science • Sense of calling • Teaching as an act of worship • Spiritual gifts used to minister to students • Transparency • Nurturing and caring for students Kim Kihlstrom