Leveling the Field: Increasing the Preparedness and Belonging of Underrepresented Community College Students in Computing

在NSF改善本科生STEM教育计划：教育和人力资源(IUSE：EHR)的支持下，该项目旨在通过招收社区大学学生并为他们在计算机科学领域的成功做好准备来服务于国家利益。该项目旨在通过为加州洛斯波西塔斯社区学院(Los Positas Community College)的学生提供一个为期一周的学期前计算机科学研讨会来实现这一目标，该研讨会名为“Code Jam”。Code Jam研讨会是以锡耶纳学院为期一学期的计算机科学课程和洛斯波西塔斯社区学院为期一周的数学研讨会为蓝本的。锡耶纳学院是一所私立的四年制学院。和Math Jam一样，Code Jam将是一个为期一周、全天、学期前的动手项目，通过有意的个人和社会支持来增强。其目的是创造一个吸引学生的环境，欢迎他们进入计算机科学，即使他们之前没有计算思维和计算机编程的经验。该项目预计，参加Code Jam课程的学生将更有可能参加计算机科学入门课程。鉴于技术的普及和需要技术知识的工作数量不断增加，这一努力满足了美国工人了解计算机基础知识的迫切需要。该项目有两个目标。首先，它寻求创建一个专门为在社区大学取得成功而设计的计算机科学入学计划。其次，它努力创建一个可以在全国各地的大学实施的项目。该项目具有吸引和培养学生的潜力，这些学生原本不会考虑学习计算机，或者很难在计算机科学入门课上取得成功。基于这一潜在的结果，再加上拉斯波西塔斯社区学院(一家为拉美裔服务的机构)的学生人口统计数据，该项目有可能扩大对计算机科学的参与。利用社会认知职业理论框架，本项目将进行一项混合方法的纵向研究。这项研究将调查个人特征、背景背景和学习经历结合在一起的机制，以传达哪些与职业相关的选择对于不同社会阶层的社区学院学生是可能的和合适的。该项目旨在研究工作坊在支持学生在计算机入门课程中取得成功方面的作用，以及它对兴趣、信心和对计算的认同感等情感因素的影响。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与的学生学习路径，该计划支持有前景的实践和工具的创建、探索和实施。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR), this project aims to serve the national interest by recruiting community college students to and preparing them for success in computer science. The project aims to achieve this goal by providing students at Los Positas Community College (California) with a week-long, pre-semester computer science workshop called "Code Jam." The Code Jam workshop is modeled on a semester-long computer science program at Siena College, a private four-year institution, and a week-long math workshop at Los Positas Community College. Like Math Jam, Code Jam will be a week-long, full-day, pre-semester hands-on program that is enhanced with intentional personal and social supports. The intention is to create an engaging environment that welcomes students into computer science, even if they have no prior experience with computational thinking and computer programming. The project expects that students who participate in Code Jam will be more likely to enroll in introductory computer science classes. This effort addresses the critical need for U.S. workers to understand computing fundamentals, given the pervasiveness of technology and the rising number of jobs requiring technical knowledge. The project has two objectives. First, it seeks to create a computer science entry program specifically designed for success in a community college setting. Second, it endeavors to create a program that can be implemented at colleges across the Nation. The project has the potential to attract and prepare students who would not otherwise consider pursuing computing or who would struggle to succeed in introductory computer science classes. Based on this potential outcome, together with student demographics at Las Positas Community College (a Hispanic-Serving Institution), this project has the potential to broaden participation in computer science. Using a social cognitive career theory framework, the project will conduct a mixed-methods longitudinal research study. This study will investigate the mechanisms by which personal characteristics, background contexts, and learning experiences coalesce to give messages about which career-related choices are possible and appropriate for community college students of varying social categories. The project aims to examine the role of the workshop in supporting student success in introductory computing classes as well as its impact on affective factors such as interest, confidence, and identification with computing. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.