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The Gender & Science Digital Library (GSDL) aims
to provide high-quality digital resources to 1) help educators promote
interest and engagement with STEM (science, technology, engineering
and mathematics) education by learners of all ages, particularly
females, 2) encourage learners to pursue science education and future
careers in science, 3) provide an inter-disciplinary examination
of the role of gender in the creation, teaching and learning of
science, and 4) build community among all interested users for the
purposes of inquiry, information exchange, best practices development
and mentoring.
The collection will offer exceptional resources and
services that help educators in promoting and implementing gender-equitable
science education in both formal and informal settings, to both
male and female students, and assisting in increasing female involvement
in the sciences. In addition, it will provide resources to researchers
and others working to understand the link between gender and science,
including how gender influences the development of science and the
role of women within science.
Audience
Educators and learners of all ages and in both
formal and informal learning environments (K-12, community college,
university, teacher preparation programs, women's studies programs),
gender & equity researchers, practitioners, parents, and community
members.
Significance & Need
Today's technology-based, global economy places
an increasingly high premium on STEM education. Yet, international
studies show that male and female students in the United States
routinely rank below world standards in math and science achievement.
Educators and researchers committed to increasing science interest
and achievement in students struggle in their efforts to find materials
that will enable them to understand issues surrounding male-female
dynamics and roles in relation to science education and practice,
increase male acceptance and support of women as scientists, and
male and female students in the study of science.
As a global and cross-disciplinary resource, the
GSDL is a leader in this unique and ground-breaking digital library
initiative. The primary objective of the GSDL is to create a high-quality,
interactive library of gender and STEM resources for K-12, higher
education (community college and university), women's studies, teacher
preparation programs, and informal learning environments.
The GSDL will assist educators and researchers in
promoting and implementing gender-equitable STEM education in both
formal and informal settings, to both male and female students,
and assisting in increasing female involvement in the sciences.
In addition, it will provide resources to researchers and others
working to understand the link between gender and science, including
how gender influences the development of science and the role of
women within science. While focussing on gender equitable STEM resources
as the core of its content, the GSDL will also develop a number
of related categories such as gender fair science curriculum, teacher
guides for integrating gender equitable instruction into existing
curricula, resources on women in science, and strategies to bridge
gender and racial divides in the sciences.
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