abstract
- © 2020 IEEE.E-learning provides an individualized course path which provides a user the convenience of pacing one's way through a course. One of the key privileges it offers is the flexibility of the course and consistent delivery of the material. In this study, over 5, 000 participants of online master's studies in the areas of business, engineering and sciences, social sciences and government, and humanities and education were analyzed to find the gender gap between participation of the candidate with a specific emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The results of this analysis shows lower participation of women in majority of the fields with a major shift in their interest over the course of 6 years from education, social sciences and humanities to the field of engineering. While this trend is quite promising, the gap between the female and male participants of online courses seems to remain intact.