“Game Based Learning to support employability – Supporting Girls Career Choices in the field of ICT and Entrepreneurship” A Europortfolio webinar hosted by the Centre for Recording Achievement.

 

Led by Bernhard Ertl Professor of technology-enhanced learning - Department for Interactive Media and Educational Technology, Danube University Krems, Austria

Studies have shown that female students show less active classroom participation in STEM (sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and ICT courses (e.g. Blickenstaff 2005). They also report a lower level of self-confidence – a phenomenon that can have negative impact on the development of interests as well as for career choices (e.g. Jurik, Gröschner & Seidel 2013). Stereotypes, particularly those of parents and teachers, can have a big impact on pupils’ dispositions, especially stereotypes regarding females in ICT as well as the respective attribution patterns (Martignon 2010). Such effects reduce girls’ willingness to pursue a career in the ICT field, which is crucial with respect to the concept of equal chances: girls miss the option of taking well paid jobs in the ICT sector and this can have detrimental effects on their employability.

This presentation provided an introduction to the project Mit-Mut that is dedicated to support girls’ entrepreneurial skills in the ICT sector by game based learning. It particularly highlighted the issue of how game-based learning can support girls’ competencies as well as counteracting the development of stereotypes by enhancing appropriate self-evaluations. A further aspect focuses on the evaluation of competencies girls acquire during game based learning.

The presentation is now available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVvn4rU63A4&feature=youtu.be

The Project website is at: www.mit-mut.at