Email Updates RSS
Search
Wearable technology and women in STM careers

Do we have to dress up engineering to make it appeal to women?

By IGI Global on Mar 4, 2014
Contributed by Ann Lupold, Promotions Coordinator

Wearable technology is shaping up to be one of the predominant trends of the year. According to The National, US-based consultancy Deloitte predicts sales of “wearables” will reach 10 million units this year, generating around $3 billion in the US alone.

Wearable technology is nothing new; electronic watches have been around since the 80s. But the recent lineup of emerging tech that is worn versus carried is mind-blowing. The Google Glass, smart watches, and activity trackers have all been introduced in the recent years and are rapidly developing and progressing. Another area of wearable technology is evolving in the fashion and textile field, literally weaving technology into our garments.

Do We Have To Dress Up Engineering To Make It Appealing To Women? Etextiles, or smart textiles, are wearable fabrics that are embedded with or enable digital components such as computers or electronics. Trendsetters such as UK-based fashion designer Amy Winters incorporates technology into her clothes using sensors and smart textiles that adapt in response to sounds, stretch, sunlight or water, changing color and pattern. Her sound-reactive thunderstorm dress, which lights up in response to music, was on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Smart textiles are making technology and engineering more aesthetic, artistic subjects. Many researchers and teachers are hoping that this might in encourage the low numbers of female students engaged in computer science and engineering fields. According to a recent PBS article "Why Engineering, Science Gender Gap Persists, "More than twice as many men than women attend graduate school for computer science fields, and more than four times as many men are enrolled in engineering."

The IGI Global journal article “Shaping Interactive Media with the Sewing Machine: Smart Textile as an Artistic Context to Engage Girls in Technology and Engineering Education,” featured in the International Journal of Art, Culture and Design Technologies, features a study on the use of smart textiles in the classroom, using the medium as a tool to appeal to girls in the classroom. Written by Daniela Reimann of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Institute of Vocational and General Education, Germany, the abstract of the article states:

“The research project aims to bridge the gap between arts, design, sciences and technology by integrating artistic processes in technology and engineering education. It aims to contribute to the development of a transdisciplinary research approach to Smart Textile technologies and to generate transdisciplinary research methodologies to integrate the education through arts approach the curriculum. The research aims to improve the integrated arts-science-technology education to support girls’ interest and understanding of technology in order to contribute to the generation of a wider gender- and art-oriented curriculum and teaching culture in technology and engineering education.” We are witnessing the beginning of a trend that will change how our clothes and technologies are worn and utilized forever. To view the full text of the article “Shaping Interactive Media with the Sewing Machine,” click here.

This article is one of the thousands available on IGI Global's InfoSci®-OnDemand, which allows full-text searching through our entire collection of thousands of research articles, book chapters, and teaching cases. Refer to the previous link for additional information, or contact cust@igi-global.com. Some of IGI Global’s other publications featuring women in science and engineering include the following:


Browse for more posts in:
Computer Science and Information TechnologyEducationComputer EngineeringComputer Graphics & ArtGender & TechnologyHuman Aspects of TechnologyInteractive TechnologiesMultimedia TechnologyArticlesBooks & E-BooksInfoSci-JournalsInfoSci-OnDemandJournalsEuropeFree ContentNorth AmericaResources for InstructorsResources for Researchers

No comments Comments

Log in or sign up to comment.
Be the first to comment!

More from IGI Global

Apr 23, 2024 Participate in the IGI Global Annual Academic Publishing Trends & Open Access Survey 2024
In its second year, the IGI Global Annual Academic Publishing Trends & Open Access Survey 2024 seeks to create a realistic outlook on problems faced by the academic community and their potential solutions.
IGI GlobalRead More
Resources for LibrariansResources for ResearchersOpen Access
Apr 18, 2024 Uniting Nations with Multinational Electronic Health Records to Stop Lassa Fever's Pandemic Threat!
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a surge in Lassa fever cases in Nigeria, emphasizing the urgent need for containment measures.
IGI GlobalRead More
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesHealthcare Information SystemsBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
Apr 16, 2024 IGI Global Announces the 2024 Journal Reviewers Award Winners
IGI Global congratulates the winners of this year's Journal Reviewer Award
IGI GlobalRead More
JournalsAwards & RecognitionOpen Access
Apr 15, 2024 What Defines Authorship and Who Should Be Included in a Manuscript’s Byline?
For decades, academic publishing has been plagued with discrepancies surrounding authorship of scholarly research...
IGI GlobalRead More
Books & E-BooksAcquisitions
Apr 15, 2024 Doody’s Selects IGI Global Books for Special Topics List
Two IGI Global publications have been recognized by Doody's for their excellence and niche topic focus.
IGI GlobalRead More
Medical, Healthcare, and Life SciencesMedia and CommunicationsBooks & E-BooksAwards & Recognition
Apr 11, 2024 Technology is Making Disparities Worse
Digital Inclusion Week underscored the urgent need for a national digital equity plan in the US due to disparities in internet access and digital skills.
IGI GlobalRead More
Apr 8, 2024 Nearly 90% of IGI Global’s Frontlist Books Now Indexed in Scopus
The majority of IGI Global's books Frontlist is now indexed by Scopus. Learn what this prestigious recognition means for the publisher and the experts behind these books.
IGI GlobalRead More
Books & E-BooksAwards & RecognitionReviews & Indexing
Apr 4, 2024 Navigating Neglected Maintenance and Safety Risks of Flight Travel
A United Airlines Flight 837 bound for Tokyo from San Francisco could not take off due to a mechanical issue.
IGI GlobalRead More
Business and ManagementComputer Science and Information TechnologyScience & EngineeringHospitality, Travel & Tourism ManagementAerospace EngineeringBooks & E-BooksResearch Trends
Apr 3, 2024 Interview with a Global Guru in Education
Hear from Dr. Velliaris, who was voted as a Top 30 Global Guru in Education.
EducationBooks & E-BooksInterviewAuthor News
Apr 3, 2024 Introducing the New IGI Book Topic Brochures
IGI Global is excited to introduce a new initiative to provide detailed insights into various fascinating subjects. Our brochures offer a comprehensive overview of timely publications covering the latest research topics...
IGI GlobalRead More
EducationBusiness and ManagementComputer Science and Information TechnologySocial Sciences and HumanitiesBooks & E-Books
First Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  ... Next Last