Peer-learning communities to develop rural, African American girls' computer science knowledge and career awareness

这个项目解决了鼓励和支持年轻的非裔美国女性在计算机科学（CS）领域学习和职业的迫切需要。研究人员将设计为期一年的活动，包括研讨会和在线同伴学习社区，让来自阿拉巴马州的120名非裔美国女高中生沉浸在计算机内容和职业意识中。该项目开始于一个紧张的暑期体验，为学生准备大学理事会的高级预修CS原则（CSP）课程。在线和面对面的互动贯穿整个学年，学生将通过文化响应式教学、基于项目的学习，以及将新的学习经验与他们的个人生活和职业抱负联系起来，学习先进的计算概念。非裔美国女性仅占计算机行业劳动力的3%。该项目的学习社区旨在解决帮助有色人种年轻女性实现其参与计算机科学和其他stem相关职业的潜力所面临的挑战。该项目将推进“面向学生和教师的创新技术体验”（ITEST）项目的工作，以更好地理解和促进提高学生在科学、技术、工程或数学（STEM）领域追求职业的动机和能力的实践。研究问题考察了参与该计划如何：(1)提高自我效能感和计算机科学能力；(2)提高学生对计算机科学的态度，引导学生选择专业，以提高他们的熟练程度；(3)提高追求计算机科学事业的意识和愿望；(4)减少可能降低学生从事计算机科学和相关职业可能性的社会和文化障碍。这项研究的结果将通过期刊和会议出版物、演讲和社交媒体传播，以使国家计算机科学教育界受益。所产生的知识和研究将阐明促进来自农村和其他地区的有色人种年轻女性对计算机科学的兴趣，培养她们对计算机科学和相关STEM职业的坚持的关键因素。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project tackles the urgent need to encourage and support young, African American women to pursue studies and careers in computer science (CS). The researchers will design year-long activities that include workshops and an online peer learning community to immerse 120 female African American high school students from Alabama in computing content and career awareness. The program begins with an intense summer experience that prepares students for the College Board's Advanced Placement CS Principles (CSP) course. Online and face-to-face interactions continue throughout the academic year, and students will learn advanced computing concepts through culturally-responsive instruction, project-based learning, and by connecting new learning experiences to their personal lives and career aspirations. African American women constitute a mere 3% of the computing workforce. The project's learning communities are designed to address the challenges faced in helping young women of color realize their potential for participation in computer science and other STEM-related occupations. This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase student motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).The research questions examine how participation in the program: (1) increases self-efficacy and competency with computer science; (2) improves attitudes towards computer science and lead to academic choices to strengthen their proficiency; (3) raises awareness and desires to pursue computer science careers, and; (4) reduces social and cultural barriers that might reduce students' likelihood of pursuing CS and related professions. Findings from this research will be disseminated through journal and conference publications, presentations, and social media to benefit the national computer science education community. The generated knowledge and research will illuminate factors central to promoting interest in computer science among young women of color from rural and other settings and cultivating their persistence in pursuing computer science and related STEM careers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.