Promoting Successful Outcomes for Diverse Computer Science Students through Mentored Professional Experiences

通过专业指导经验促进多元化计算机科学学生取得成功

• 批准号: 2122665
• 负责人: Robyn Moncrief
• 金额: $ 48.86万
• 依托单位: National-Louis University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-15 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2122665&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Promoting; Successful; Outcomes; Diverse; Computer

This project will apply innovative approaches to professional mentoring and early workplace experiences to increase the success of diverse undergraduates in computer science programs. While the number of undergraduate computer science (CS) programs have skyrocketed over the past decade, the rates at which Black and Latinx students successfully complete CS degrees falls below the national average. Research points to the well-known ‘digital divide’ as a factor, with Latinx and Black youths less likely to have had computer science classes, or in some cases even extensive exposure to computers. Students from these groups who enter computer science programs report lower confidence in their abilities to succeed, which is often magnified by a sense that they do not belong in the field. This project addresses these issues by providing students with purposefully structured contact with CS worksites and professionals. With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Program, National Louis University and industry partners will design and offer opportunities for mentored experiences in professional settings, with follow-up mentoring sessions to reinforce the experiences and provide continued encouragement and support. These experiences will take place in advance of senior internships, which can be students' first exposure to the realities of CS professions, providing early students with important tools and perspective to enrich their academic and professional experiences in the workforce. Computer science industry partners will be provided with training in culturally-responsive mentoring and will regularly meet to discuss their mentoring experiences and refine strategies. This partnership model will develop a cadre of STEM companies that have the commitment and capacity to support diverse STEM undergraduates as interns and early professionals, providing a model of rich university-to-workplace collaborations that can be replicated at a breadth of institutions.This project explores the hypothesis that increasing students' early exposure to culturally-responsive professional experiences and increased participation in academic and external communities will strengthen their academic agency and improve academic outcomes. Academic agency is a student’s belief that they can be effective in their work and have the knowledge of strategies and resources needed to succeed. A mixed method research effort will study the development of academic agency as participants progress through the project’s mentored industry experiences. Training materials and other systems developed by the project team with industry and community partners will be shared widely, supporting replication of the project model at institutions nationwide. Over 300 undergraduates in computer science and information systems will participate in mentored industry experiences and an estimated 160 of those students will enter the workforce over the course of the project. Project alumni will be invited to share their perspectives and experiences at meetings with partners, which will support efforts to continuously improve the project activities and promote diversity in the STEM workforce. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also draw from these approaches to generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.

该项目将在专业指导和早期工作经验方面应用创新方法，以增加不同本科生在计算机科学项目中的成功。虽然计算机科学(CS)本科课程的数量在过去十年里飙升，但黑人和拉丁裔学生成功完成CS学位的比率低于全国平均水平。研究指出，众所周知的“数字鸿沟”是一个因素，拉丁裔和黑人年轻人不太可能上过计算机科学课，在某些情况下甚至不太可能广泛接触计算机。来自这些群体的进入计算机科学专业的学生表示，他们对成功能力的信心较低，这种信心往往被一种不属于该领域的感觉放大。该项目通过为学生提供与CS工作场所和专业人员有目的的结构化联系来解决这些问题。在不断改进的本科生STEM教育：拉美裔服务机构(HSI)计划的支持下，国立路易斯大学和行业合作伙伴将设计并提供专业环境中指导经验的机会，并提供后续指导会议，以加强经验并提供持续的鼓励和支持。这些经历将在高级实习之前进行，这可能是学生第一次接触CS专业的现实，为早期学生提供重要的工具和视角，以丰富他们在劳动力市场的学术和专业经验。将为计算机科学行业合作伙伴提供适应文化的指导培训，并将定期举行会议，讨论他们的指导经验和改进战略。这种伙伴关系模式将培养一批STEM公司，这些公司承诺和有能力支持不同的STEM本科生作为实习生和早期专业人员，提供一个丰富的大学与工作场所合作的模式，可以在广泛的机构中复制。该项目探索了这样一种假设，即增加学生早期接触文化响应型专业经验并增加对学术和外部社区的参与将加强他们的学术代理能力，并提高学术成绩。学术代理是指学生相信他们能够有效地完成工作，并拥有成功所需的战略和资源的知识。一个混合方法的研究工作将研究学术机构的发展，因为参与者通过项目指导的行业经验取得进展。项目团队与行业和社区合作伙伴开发的培训材料和其他系统将广泛共享，支持在全国各机构复制该项目模式。超过300名计算机科学和信息系统专业的本科生将参与指导行业体验，其中估计有160名学生将在项目过程中进入劳动力大军。项目校友将被邀请在与合作伙伴的会议上分享他们的观点和经验，这将支持不断改进项目活动和促进STEM劳动力的多样性的努力。HSI计划旨在加强本科生STEM教育，扩大STEM的参与，并建设HSIS的能力。鉴于高等教育机构的不同性质和背景，实现这些目标需要创新的方法，以激励机构和社区的变革，并促进基础研究(I)关于学生参与式学习，(Ii)关于如何有效地多样化和增加对STEM的参与，以及(Iii)提高我们对如何建设高等教育机构能力的理解。HSI计划支持的项目也将从这些方法中获得如何实现这些目标的新知识。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。