Understanding the Implications of Online Learning and Engagement Strategies with Elements of Competition on Women Students' Engagement and Fit with Computer Science

由于人口结构的变化和对在全球化经济中保持竞争力的担忧，计算机科学领域女性代表性不足的问题开始在流行文化和学术著作中引起关注。高等教育计划正在努力吸引和留住计算机领域的女性，以跟上行业对计算机专业人员的需求。这引起了计算机科学界对当前教育实践、社区文化和大学部门氛围的反思。该项目将使用一个称为SEP-CyLE（软件工程和编程网络学习环境）的网络学习环境，研究使用带有竞争元素的在线学习和参与战略（非正式地称为游戏化）作为一种战略的潜力，以加强妇女在计算方面的学习，参与和身份发展。该项目的智力价值在于它明确探讨了网络学习环境中的性别问题。尽管有大量的文献探讨了游戏化对学习的影响，但对于游戏化对种族和性别的学生的影响并没有明确的共识。游戏化对改善女学生学习和参与计算机科学课程有价值吗？这项研究的结果将提供关于学生学习，身份发展，自我效能信念和计算机科学中的性别匹配的游戏化的见解。本研究的结果将成为更有针对性的学习和参与策略的基础，以吸引和留住更多计算机领域的女性。研究活动包括一项混合方法研究，探讨游戏化对妇女自我效能信念和身份发展的影响，以及所有学生的使用模式和学习成果。量化数据将根据种族和性别进行分类，以确定不同种族、性别以及种族和性别交叉点的参与者在使用模式和学习成果方面是否存在差异。混合方法研究的结果将深入了解女性在计算机科学领域的经验，以及游戏化对她们学习和参与的影响。

The underrepresentation of women in computer science has begun to garner attention in both popular culture and scholarly works due to shifts in demographics and concerns about remaining competitive in a globalized economy. Post-secondary programs are working to attract and retain women in computing fields in order to keep pace with industry demands for computing professionals. This has caused the computer science community to reflect on current educational practices, community culture, and university departmental climate. This project will use a cyberlearning environment known as SEP-CyLE (Software Engineering and Programming Cyberlearning Environment) to study the potential of using online learning and engagement strategies with elements of competition (known informally as gamification) as a strategy to enhance the learning, engagement, and identity development of women in computing. The intellectual merit of the project is its explicit exploration of gender in a cyber-learning environment. Despite the wealth of literature that explores gamification on learning there is no clear consensus on its effects on students by race and gender. Does gamification have value for improving female students learning and engagement in computer science courses? The results of this research will provide insight on gamification in student learning, identity development, and self-efficacy beliefs, and gender-fit in computer science. The results of this study will form the basis for more targeted learning and engagement strategies to attract and retain more women in computing fields. The research activities consist of a mixed-methods study that explores the effects of gamification on self-efficacy beliefs and identity development for women and the usage patterns and learning outcomes for all students. The quantitative data will be disaggregated on the basis of race and gender to determine if there are differences in usage patterns and learning gains amongst participants of different races, genders, and intersections of race and gender. The results of the mixed-methods study will provide insight into both women's experiences within computer science and the implication of gamification on their learning and engagement.