The under-representation and poor retention of women in computing courses at Victoria University is a
concern that has continued to defy all attempts to resolve it. Despite the fact that a range of initiatives
have been created to encourage participation and improve retention of females in the courses, the
percentage of female enrollments has declined significantly in recent years while attrition rates soared. A
recent research Study aimed at investigating these negative trends with respect to gender equity in
computing courses; of interest was the issue of possible gender bias in the learning environment and its
impact on female attrition rates. Focus groups with computing students of both genders were used as one
of the data collection tools in the study. This paper reports on the findings from the focus groups