New ways to study

This woman takes the fear out of computer science

The fact that more than 30% of Bachelor's students in computer science in Hagenberg are female is also thanks to Martina Gaisch. "Normally, universities currently have an average of 18%."

(Bild: Harald Dostal, adobe.stock.com, Krone KREATIV)

When women hear about jobs in technology, many immediately turn away. This means that training courses in this field still have a hard time. Martina Gaisch wants to change this. At the University of Applied Sciences in Hagenberg (Upper Austria), she is setting an example - for more diversity.

Why are girls so little interested in mathematics, computer science and the like? How can we get women more interested? These are the questions on Martina Gaisch's mind. "More diversity in computer science" is the motto of the "Design of Digital Products" course she heads at the campus of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria in Hagenberg.

It also needs a different wording. Web engineering is a term that is not very sexy for women right now. That's why we call it creative coding. But we don't want to cheat on the label and then offer more of the same, we also want to do it in a different didactic way. In the end, the result is the same, only the path is different.

Martina Gaisch, Leiterin des Studiengangs „Design of Digital Products“ an der FH OÖ

The course brings new target groups to the university of applied sciences in the Mühlviertel. For some, it is love at second sight. "We have some who have not dared to come here before because they are afraid of the elitist aura that Hagenberg often has," says Gaisch. It's not just women who apply for a place, but also men - a mix that the 54-year-old also tries to achieve with the teaching staff.

Current project: Cody the cat explains technical professions in videos.

(Bild: FH OÖ/Studiengang Design of Digital Products)

The results were alarming
Care is also taken to ensure that the content is taught differently over the six semesters: "More creative, more project-based, more collaborative." The offer is the result of many studies that Gaisch has carried out in recent years. The results were alarming. "When nine out of ten girls say that they are advised not to go into the technical field and that they should rather do something communicative, social or women-specific," says the professor.

Having a hard time with "complicated", "boring" and "stress"
The negative image of technology among women, who mention terms such as "complicated", "boring" and "stress", also shows the need for action. "We have to get away from that," says Gaisch, who was awarded the Grete Rehor Prize last year for her efforts and continues to roll up her sleeves.

Cat explains professions
In the LEA project promoted by the Federal Chancellery, which is dedicated to breaking down traditional role models, her team creates videos to make technical professions tangible for young girls. A cat called Cody takes on the role of explainer.