Investigating the Effectiveness of Boot Camps in Developing a Diverse Software Development Workforce

ETR Associates和查尔斯顿学院将开展一个合作研究项目，旨在通过探索新兵训练营是否培养学生的适应性专业知识，以及实际准备如何与计算工作人员对知识和能力的期望相一致，来增加计算机科学的多样性。这项研究将在加利福尼亚州的硅谷和南卡罗来纳州的硅港进行，并将产生(1)从大学、编码启动园区和软件开发公司的角度出发的有效软件开发人员属性的模型；(2)软件开发劳动力需求如何与培训准备相一致的概念框架，以及适应专业知识准备的差异如何为扩大参与的努力提供信息；以及(3)从两种类型的培训环境中对代表性不足群体的学生进行的纵向案例研究。研究结果将使研究人员、教育工作者和雇主了解培养适应计算机科学工作的软件开发人员所需的知识和课程。研究人员将使用三阶段混合方法来调查以下研究问题：(1)本科课程提供哪些软件开发学习机会？编码训练营提供哪些类型的培训？(2)不同的培训设置与区域软件开发行业需求的匹配程度如何？什么类型的学习者会被不同的学习机会所吸引？为什么？他们将对多个数据源的发现进行三角测量，遵循一个经过测试的开发概念框架的过程，并使用一套严格的程序进行分析。数据将包括调查、访谈和焦点小组。该项目得到了NSF的EHR核心研究(ECR)计划的支持。ECR计划强调STEM基础教育研究，在三个主题领域产生基础知识：STEM学习和学习环境，扩大参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。

ETR Associates and the College of Charleston will conduct a collaborative research project that is designed to increase diversity in computer science by exploring whether boot camps build students' adaptive expertise and how the actual preparation aligns with computing workforce expectations for knowledge and competencies. The study will be conducted in Silicon Valley in California and Silicon Harbor in South Carolina and will yield (1) models of the attributes of effective software developers from the perspective of universities, coding boot campus, and software development companies; (2) a conceptual framework of how software development workforce needs align with training preparation, and how variations in the preparation of adaptive expertise can inform efforts to broaden participation; and (3) longitudinal case studies of students from underrepresented groups from the two types of training settings. The results will inform researchers, educators, and employers about the knowledge and coursework necessary to develop adaptive software developers who are prepared for the computer science workforce.The researchers will use a three-phase mixed-methods approach to investigate the following research questions: (1) What kinds of software development learning opportunities are offered by undergraduate programs? What kinds are offered at coding boot camps? (2) How well do the different training settings align with regional software development industry needs? and (3) What kinds of learners are attracted to the different learning opportunities and why? They will triangulate the findings across multiple data sources, follow a tested process for developing a conceptual framework, and use a rigorous set of procedures for analysis. Data will include surveys, interviews, and focus groups. This project is supported by NSF's EHR Core Research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in three thematic areas: STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation, and STEM workforce development.