Gender Technology suburb
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | KOSMOSKLUBBEN STOCKHOLM - IDEELLA FÖRENINGEN KOSMOSKLUBBEN |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 145 500 |
| Project duration | October 2015 - August 2016 |
| Status | Completed |
Important results from the project
The aim of the project is to bring technology of Maker nature to the suburbs, especially to girls, and that these activities shall be gender reflective and innovative. The aim is to educate female tutors, so that they in turn can bring the knowledge of technology further. The project is financed by Vinnova and MUCF and lasts until the summer 2017, why the final results are not yet ready. So far, however, 25 women have participated in the activities of the project and another course for beginners has been started for the autumn 2016.
Expected long term effects
There has been a great interest for the courses, suggesting that Making within technology has a larger potential among women than what normally is made clear. One explanation may be the awareness that the technology at the courses is based on a beginner´s perspective. Another attractive aspect is the knowledge integrating part of the project, where problem solving and creativity are used to put knowledge into practice by building a moving exhibition. So far, the project has resulted in more female makers and some of them have already developed and tested their own technology activities.
Approach and implementation
The project has very deliberately been based on an experience base that is shared by most women/girls. We have made use of cognition research, where the term `mental representations´ is a central part. This means that you are given the possibility to use all your previous experiences to make information and explanations comprehensible. Within technology education, this is normally under-represented. We have also put great emphasis on creating a climate where all questions can be asked and different solutions can be tried. Creativity has also been allowed to coexist with learning.