GEMS: Learning Online
(Gender Equity in Math and Science)
What can we learn about online learning? Can highly
charged content be explored online? Can teachers learn gender
equity on-line and do they transfer this to their classrooms?
These and other questions were the focus of a three-year research project called GEMS: Learning Online, funded by the National
The Gender, Diversities & Technology Institute
at EDC, together with its partners, WestEd,
Development Research Association (IDRA), and the Eisenhower
National Clearinghouse, are collaborating on a major national
research project to determine the impact of online learning on gender-equitable
math and science instruction. Funded by the National Science Foundation's
Programs for Gender Equity, GEMS may be one of the first to look
comprehensively at the relationships between the design and structure
of online courses, the ways in which individuals interact and learn
on line, and the outcomes of that experience. This national collaborative
will be joined by a national advisory group, including representatives
from Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, the Concord Consortium, and
Washington State University.
Together the collaborative will explore how gender
equity can effectively be taught online, what are the implications
of gender, race/ethnicity, personality type/learning styles, and
other factors in the design, participation, and outcomes of online
learning, and what is the impact on teacher attitude/behavior and
on student outcomes.
GEMS will provide vital data on the effectiveness
of one type of online gender equity training, as well as the suitability
of various aspects of gender equity training to this delivery format.
It will also strengthen infrastructure by building a community of
math and science teachers trained in gender equity who communicate
and support each other. Finally, the project will build on current
networks, working to create new conversations that will evolve over
time and make the necessary linkages among math and science, gender
equity, and educational technology professionals. One such conversation
was held recently with GEMS advisors who began to explore the question
of "If gender and diversities were truly valued on the internet,
what would online learning look like?"