Apps & Gender & STEM, oh my!

I loved math as a kid. But I never understood how I could use it for something that interested me as a career, so I lost interest, never pursued it, and ended up as an adult with an odd fascination for spreadsheets and budgets.

The STEM movement has been trying to shift that reality for today’s kids--especially girls. Numerous articles discuss the dangers of the US falling behind in STEM-related innovations and the importance of encouraging kids to pursue careers in math and science. Easier said than done. In many schools, math and science classrooms look a lot like they did when I went to school in the seventies, with endless “drill and skill” math worksheets and gross science experiments making little connection to the real life of a child. Even when a teacher embraces the joy in math and science (thank you Mr. Issod!), the curriculum content and design often appeal to boys more than girls.

So kudos to the app developers and toy manufacturers trying to tackle this challenge, and not just by adding pink lab coats for girls and cupcake experiments. The article “How app makers are pioneering gender fluid design for kids” shows how two popular children’s app developers, Tinybop and Toca Boca, are trying to interest all kids by finding the gender intersection.

Rather than trying to encourage kids by giving them choices that are stereotypically boy-friendly or girl-friendly, they are trying a different approach by creating characters and plots and game action that reflects not just non-stereotypical gender choices, but a gender “fluidity”. A few elements I noticed are a color palette broader than simply pink and blue, character choices that include unusual hairstyles and a range of textures, and clothes that go beyond glittery dresses or baggy jeans and jackets. Delving in further, the actual play provides components and options that let kids create their own vision, no matter how unlikely in nature (a robot that flies to school in seconds? sure) or gender-unexpected. All choices are in the eye of the beholder.

Of course, not all app developers and toy manufacturers are creating environments that encourage all kids to join in. Grant Hosford, CEO of codeSpark writes about why the 2016 toy fair left him less than wowed when he realized that too often "gender neutral" really means "appeal to boys".

For kids to be engaged in just about anything, they need to see themselves reflected: either as they actually are, or as they might imagine themselves. Actually, for kids to learn anything, they need to see that reflection. Seeing oneself in an imagined role is a strong signal that affirms what is possible, encouraged, and “normal”. Researchers have known this for years and it’s why there is often a backlash when children’s media doesn’t include a diverse representation of children. It’s encouraging to see creative approaches to the challenge of gender identity in media and STEM.

Unfortunately, while these apps bring critically needed innovations, they are all too often being excluded from classrooms due to outdated feelings about the use of media in the classroom. Sometimes those opinions come from teachers, sometimes from principals, sometimes from parents. Those of us working in media (plus parents and principals and teachers) need to be vocal about the need for stronger integration of effective media practices in classrooms and support policies that are striving to require media literacy education in schools and support teacher education.