Barriers to Participation of Women in Technological Education and the Role of Distance Education. Occasional Paper No. 1.

Throughout the world, women are underrepresented in technical fields as a result of the segmentation of the labor market and the internalization of expectations for women. Distance education can make an important contribution in overcoming barriers to women's participation in technology in the developed and developing world. The Open University in Britain has been successful in using distance education to recruit women into a course designed to help women who had qualified as engineers to bridge career breaks with updating education. An Australian initiative for rural women involved a community-based distance education program intended to increase the number of mature women entering science and engineering courses, characterized by its consultative approach to program development and strong student support systems. In Guyana, a community-based distance education program involved training for local women in the design, construction, and use of appropriate technologies related to energy saving. These distance education initiatives involving bridging courses, conversion courses, and community-based programs show that distance education can achieve results in facilitating the participation of women, both young and mature, in technological education. For women to become full participants in technological fields, however, wider efforts are needed to combat gender bias. (Contains 36 references.) (KC) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION lice of Educational Research and Improvement UCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. THE COMMONWEALTH Of LEARNING OCCASIONAL PAPER No.1, NOVEMBER 1995 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ..INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND THE ROLE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION