Unveiling Latent Gender Biases in STEM: Engaging Engineering Students through Video-Based Discussion

In this study, engineering students were exposed to latent gender bias encountered by women engineers through VIDS (Video Interventions for Diversity in STEM) videos in the hope of changing or influencing the attitude of male engineers toward their female counterparts. Through watching two VIDS videos and having guided group discussions, the 27 (24 male, 3 female) engineering students learned how some or all of these communication modes would not just constitute latent gender bias but perpetuate it. Data collected before and after the video watching and group discussion consisted of questionnaires and reflective journals. Results indicated the intervention was brief yet impactful in highlighting and addressing latent gender bias among male engineering students. The open discussion at the end of each video allowed them to share their views without judgment, as many admitted they had never considered the scenarios from a gender equity perspective before.