Improving Access and Success in Information Technology Programs Through Education-Industry Connections

该项目旨在通过改善社区学院IT学习课程的获取，公平和成功来提高信息技术（IT）劳动力的质量。 它侧重于目前在信息技术部门代表性不足的群体的学生的需求。 已经制定了有效的教育模式，以缩小STEM领域的性别和少数民族成就差距。 然而，这些模式大多集中在四年制院校完成STEM学位。 该项目将使这些学士学位管道模型适应为期两年的IT技术人员教育计划。项目活动将包括通过强有力的行业联系和经验学习改进入门课程。 这些改进将旨在减少基于文化的障碍和自我限制行为。 该项目旨在开发一种有效的、可复制的模式，以提高学生的成功率，特别是代表性不足的学生，从而有助于提高国家IT劳动力的质量和多样性。 总体目标是增加学生，特别是妇女和代表性不足的少数民族学生在信息技术学习方案中的入学率和坚持率。 具体目标包括重新构思三个高风险的网关课程，在课程中嵌入行业认证，为学生提供实习和指导，并增加学生从社区学院到IT学士学位课程的成功转移。 该项目包括一个混合方法的研究协议，以调查感知障碍，自我限制行为和项目干预的有效性。 通过专注于访问，毕业和毕业后的成功，该项目旨在提高整个IT行业管道的多样性。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力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 aims to improve the quality of the information technology (IT) workforce by improving access, equity, and success in community college IT programs of study. It focuses on the needs of students from groups that are currently underrepresented in the IT sector. Effective education models have been developed to close the gender and minority achievement gap in STEM fields. However, most of these models have focused on STEM degree completion at four-year institutions. This project will adapt these baccalaureate pipeline models to a two-year IT technician education program. Project activities will include improving gateway courses through strong industry connections and experiential learning. The improvements will be designed to lessen culturally grounded barriers and self-limiting behaviors. The project expects to develop an effective and replicable model for improving the success of students, particularly underrepresented students, and thus contribute to the quality and diversity of the nation's IT workforce.This project includes a partnership between the University of Florida Institute of Higher Education and Indian River Community College. The overall goal is to increase the enrollment and persistence of students, especially women and underrepresented minority students, in IT programs of study. Specific aims include reconceptualizing three high-stakes gateway courses, embedding industry certifications in program coursework, providing students with internships and mentoring, and increasing the successful transfer of students from the community college into IT bachelors degree programs. The project includes a mixed-methods research protocol to investigate perceived obstacles, self-limiting behaviors, and the effectiveness of project interventions. Through a focus on access, graduation, and post-graduation success, the project intends to improve diversity throughout the IT industry pipeline. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.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.