Collaborative Research: Florida IT Pathways to Success (Flit-Path)

S-STEM Flit-Path （Florida IT Pathways）项目将为计算机科学、信息技术和计算机工程等IT相关学科中有经济需求的有学术天赋的学生招聘、保留并提供奖学金、课程和课外支持。该项目的目标是：(1)提高在计算机科学、信息技术和计算机工程学科攻读学位的学生的保留率、学生的成功和毕业率；(2)实施学生参与模式，影响这些学科的招生、保留、学生成功、学术和职业道路，以及攻读这些学科学位的学生的学位成就；(3)为学生有效的循证课程/课外活动的实施和可持续性做出贡献。以佛州理事会的奖助金为基础，计划活动包括辅导基础课程；侵入性的学术建议；教师、行业和同行指导；以及学术和职业道路支持。参与项目活动预计将使Flit Path学生的毕业率提高20%。该项目将招收两批学生。队列A将由54名第一次上大学的学生组成，他们分别在奖学金的第一年和第二年。B组每年将由69名第一次进入大学的高年级学生组成，他们有潜力和兴趣在一年内毕业。Flit-Path将影响453名攻读计算机科学、信息技术和计算机工程学位的学生。混合方法解释研究设计包括纵向定量研究，然后是定性纵向现象学研究，旨在调查定量数据中观察到的模式。纵向定量研究考察了与非Flit-Path学生相比，Flit-Path学生在学生坚持、计算身份、保留、毕业和就业安置方面的变化。将审查项目中特定经验与结果变化水平之间的关系。指导性研究问题是：(1)与项目相关的经验对学生的持久性、计算机身份和成功结果的相对和累积效应是什么？这些影响对来自代表性不足群体的学生有所不同吗？(2)项目中社会和经济支持的相对和累积效应是什么？(3)对于观察到的具体效果，这些类型的活动在项目中的学生中是如何体验的，为什么它们可能会影响特定的教育成果？此外，该项目还将调查促进和阻碍三所大学合作努力的支持和障碍，以创建一个围绕学生参与和机构之间可持续伙伴关系的“实践社区”。

The S-STEM Flit-Path (Florida IT Pathways) project will recruit, retain, and provide scholarships and curricular and co-curricular support to academically talented students with financial need in the IT related disciplines of Computer Science, Information Technology, and Computer Engineering. The goals of the project are to (1) increase retention, student success, and graduation of students who pursue a degree in the Computer Science, Information Technology, and Computer Engineering disciplines; (2) implement a model of student engagement that affects the recruitment, retention, student success, academic and career pathways, and degree attainment of students pursing a degree in these disciplines; and (3) contribute to the implementation and sustainability of effective evidence-based curricular/co-curricular activities for its students. Building on a grant from the Florida State Board of Governors, project activities include tutoring for foundation courses; intrusive academic advising; faculty, industry, and peer mentoring; and academic and career pathway support. Participation in project activities is expected to increase the graduation rate for Flit Path students by 20%. The project will recruit two cohorts of students. Cohort A will be comprised of 54 first time college students in each of Years 1 and 2 of the grant. Cohort B will be comprised of 69 first time in college senior students each year, who have the potential and interest in graduating within one year's time. Flit-Path will impact 453 students who are pursuing degrees in Computer Science, Information Technology, and Computer Engineering.The mixed methods explanatory research design includes a longitudinal quantitative study followed by a qualitative longitudinal phenomenological study that is designed to investigate patterns observed in the quantitative data. The longitudinal quantitative study examines changes in students' persistence, computing identity, retention, graduation, and job placement of Flit-Path students compared to non-Flit-Path students. The relationships among particular experiences in the project and levels of change in the outcomes will be examined. The guiding research questions are (1) What are the relative and cumulative effects of project-related experiences on students' persistence, computing identity, and success outcomes? Are these effects different for students from underrepresented groups? (2) What are the relative and cumulative effects of social and economic supports within the program? (3) For specific effects observed, how are these types of activities experienced by students in the program and why might they affect particular educational outcomes? In addition, the project will investigate the supports and barriers that facilitate and impede a collaborative effort across three universities that creates a "community of practice" around student engagement and a sustainable partnership among institutions.