arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

After extensive research with groups of women-only versus mixed genderlearning environments, there is a much higher success rate for womenwho have the “advantage” of the former.Why? Because women feel less threatened in a women-only environment.They feel more nurtured. And women are not afraid to ask questions,in the way that men are afraid to show their ignorance. Women supporteach other, and encourage each other.

While I am sure that in many cases, all of these things are true,this assessment is not only endlessly problematic, but also notextensively scientifically supported, nor particularly current. Itwould seem as though the hypothesis began with “we know that womenlearn more effectively in women-only groups, let’s prove it.”

Serious science is about observing outcomes, and not predicting them. When asked about the effect of a woman instructor on a mixed gender group, the response was that this had not been explored, althoughcomments were presented on how this would also effect the success of learning. Additionally, male instruction to an all female group was not observed. I find it unlikely that others have not done research in this direction, and I am certain that there is information on outcomes available regarding this and other combinations of learning environment. However, the answers to questions of this nature were vague enough to lead me to feel that the research from these presenters on this topic is very narrow in focus, and not knowledgeable on the universe of discourse available on the topic.

In all fairness, there is little doubt that certain groups of women feel more comfortable in women-only learning environments, particularly in certain age and ethnic/cultural dynamics. However, it would seemthat the continuation of this style of rhetoric on the advantages of women-only education is partially responsible for propagating the perception of difference and partiality in gender issues.

What manifested, for me, in this presentation was a conservative and traditional perspective on the education of women, which from my point of view, is becoming conspicuously outdated in a Western world context. My thoughts turn unavoidably to how creating a control environment in education would effect real world functioning. Perhaps for the next fifty years, we will still experience the need to introduce women to a completely alien world of technology, but past that point, we will no longer experience this “never encountered it before” phenomenon. I once again, am speaking of the Western world.

I would like to believe that we are at a stage in research where we observe what it is that characterizes differences in learning styles relative to many factors, and develop coping mechanisms for nurturing learning. I personally think that the important research lies in cultivating the skills required to cope with these differences, as instructors and teachers. I’m all for the availability of options, and for doing what works, but I am unconvinced based on the argument presented by this particular research group that segregation is the answer, not on an instinctual level, but on the weakness of the presented argument. If convincing argumentation is available, it was not presented here.