The Open University of Catalonia (UOC) and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) join forces to raise awareness about the important gender differences among students in STEM disciplines related courses (English acronym in science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
Specifically, speak of computer engineering, where each new male students there is only one woman. In less than two minutes, the video explains that women have been vital in the history of computing and remember from childhood both sexes have the same capabilities and the use of learning technologies. However, when they reach the teenage girls lose interest in these matters. The video, titled "What I do not tell you," they say that it is a cultural problem, prejudices, stereotypes and subliminal messages that influence girls and do not believe that serve this sector .
The video is based on a study of sexism academic , has made tracking more than 1,500 high school students in six academic years. He concluded that girls tend to underestimate their competence in matters related to men regularly as technology and mathematics, however, boys tend to overestimate their skills in these areas.
A study developed by Microsoft reaches similar conclusions. He says that the curiosity of the girls for STEM subjects awakened around 11 years, but virtually disappears in 15 states that "compliance with social expectations, gender stereotypes, gender roles and the lack of models remain channeling the career choices of girls away from STEM fields. "