Work-in-Progress: Exploring Female Representation Issues In Computing by Writing Interactive Fiction

Female representation has been - and continues to be - an issue within computing, including computer gaming. It spans the gamut from exclusion via being forced to play the role of a male protagonist, to a "surface equity" where women are present but their gender is not acknowledged, to where women are blatantly objectified in a hypersexualized manner. Even software that at first glance appears benign can have underlying issues. As an example, for nearly 50 years, The Oregon Trail computer game, an early example of the Interactive Fiction genre, has been used in social studies classrooms across the United States to teach about Westward Expansion, allowing students to outfit a wagon for a 2000-mile trek where players manage supplies, determine travel pace, etc. While many complaints have been made regarding its stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans, the game has also embraced the erasure of the female experience along the Trail through such means as a lack of gender selection for the avatar and problem scenarios falling within the male domain. Given that women are stakeholders in educational software and are roughly half of the potential audience, it is essential they see themselves being positively represented. The experiential research reported here is based on the premise that creating an alternative version of the Oregon Trail game that presents a more realistic view of women's contribution to American Westward Expansion could help combat some of the gender stereotypes experienced. The computer science program at is addressing this issue through two initiatives. In spring 2022, students enrolled in the second-semester introductory programming course were tasked with creating an alternative version of The Oregon Trail by writing it from the perspective of the women who undertook this dangerous journey. Implemented in Java using a graphical user interface, students were charged with combating the stereotypes found in the original game and instead provide positive representations. The second initiative is an Interactive Fiction course being offered in spring 2023 where students will write educational software by programming in the INFORM7 natural language syntax environment. Offered jointly by both the computer science and English programs, students will consider character, narrative, dialogue, and differing perspective in crafting historically-accurate fiction featuring a female protagonist. The goals of these initiatives are to build students' storytelling abilities in software development, examine diversity issues within a familiar context, help develop greater social awareness, and appreciate the value gained from different perspectives.