Postdoctoral Fellows as Leaders in Next-Generation Computer Science Education Research-Practice Partnerships Serving Minoritized Communities

这个博士后培训奖学金项目解决了两个广泛的问题：(1)西班牙裔/拉丁裔学生在计算机行业的代表性不足；(2)计算机科学（CS）教育还没有找到一种方法来连接和借鉴西班牙裔/拉丁裔学生的经验，在他们的社区内设计更好的教育过程和学习经验，以鼓励他们学习计算机科学。与其他STEM教育领域相比，计算机科学教育是一个新兴领域。为了更好地理解将计算机科学引入少数族裔和边缘化社区的复杂问题，该领域需要一组智力多样化的研究人员，他们对该主题充满热情，可以进行更多的研究，并确定让社区参与计算机科学教育的机会。该项目通过聘用一批新的博士后来提高计算机科学教育的能力，这些博士后将推动计算机科学教育研究领域的发展，并最终增加计算机科学毕业生的数量，从而促进美国经济的发展。博士后培训补助金将加强近期博士毕业生的能力（即知识，技能和实践），以便在主要为西班牙裔服务的K-12环境中从事CS和其他STEM学科交叉的研究。计算机科学教育研究项目将围绕(a)计算机科学的学习，(b)计算机科学的教学，以及(c) K-12的计算机科学政策展开。研究和培训计划基于共同生成的指导模式，为参与的博士后提供全面的专业发展和指导机会，他们将被嵌入现有的研究项目中，并支持他们设计和执行自己的独立研究项目。德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校（UTEP）是美国最大的西班牙裔计算机科学家的生产地之一，该组织博士后奖学金项目将与UTEP教育学院的霍普-迪恩K-12计算机科学教育卓越中心以及由美国国家科学基金会资助和UTEP领导的西班牙裔服务机构计算联盟（CAHSI）密切合作。该项目有潜力为博士后研究人员提供先进的培训和专业发展机会，为该领域做出重大贡献。该项目具有进一步提高博士后研究人员研究技能的潜力，并为他们在计算机科学教育领域，特别是在以西班牙语为服务对象的K-12环境中，成为研究人员、政策影响者和教育工作者做好准备。本项目由美国国家科学基金会STEM教育博士后研究奖学金（STEM Ed PRF）项目支持，STEM教育中的种族平等项目（EDU种族平等）和CS for All: Research and RPPs项目共同资助。STEM Ed PRF计划旨在提高STEM、STEM教育、教育和相关学科的近期博士的研究知识、技能和实践，以促进他们从事基础和应用研究的准备，从而提高该领域的知识。EDU种族平等项目支持通过研究和实践促进STEM教育和劳动力发展中的种族平等的项目。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 post-doctoral training fellowship project addresses two broad issues: (1) Hispanic/Latinx students are underrepresented in the computing industry; and (2) computer science (CS) education has yet to find a way to connect and draw from the experience of Hispanic/Latinx students to design better educational processes and learning experiences within their communities to encourage them to study computer science. CS education is a nascent field compared to other STEM education fields. To better understand the complex issues of introducing CS to minoritized and marginalized communities, the field needs an intellectually diverse set of researchers who are passionate for the topic and can conduct more research and identify opportunities for engaging communities in CS education. This project builds capacity in CS education by engaging a new cohort of post-doctoral fellows who are positioned to advance the field of CS education research and ultimately increase the number of computer science graduates to bolster the US economy.The postdoctoral training grant will strengthen the capacity (i.e., knowledge, skills, practices) of recent doctoral graduates to engage in research at the intersection of CS and other STEM disciplines in predominantly Hispanic-serving K-12 environments. Computer science education research projects will be structured around (a) learning of CS, (b) teaching of CS, and (c) CS policy in K-12. The research and training plan is based on a model of co-generative mentorship and provides comprehensive professional development and mentorship opportunities to participating postdoctoral fellows who will be embedded in existing research projects and supported to design and execute their own independent research projects. Situated at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), one of the largest producers of Hispanic computer scientists in the country, this organizational postdoctoral fellowship program will be closely aligned with the endowed Hopper-Dean Center of Excellence for K-12 Computer Science Education in the UTEP College of Education and the NSF-funded and UTEP-led Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions [CAHSI], an Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES national alliance. The project has potential to make significant contributions to the field by providing advanced training and professional development opportunities to postdoctoral researchers. The project has further potential to enhance the research skills of postdoctoral researchers and prepare them for successful careers as researchers, policy influencers, and educators in computer science education, especially in Hispanic-serving K-12 environments. This project is supported by NSF’s STEM Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (STEM Ed PRF) Program with co-funding from the Racial Equity in STEM Education Program (EDU Racial Equity) and the CS for All: Research and RPPs program. The STEM Ed PRF Program aims to enhance the research knowledge, skills, and practices of recent doctorates in STEM, STEM education, education, and related disciplines to advance their preparation to engage in fundamental and applied research that advances knowledge within the field. The EDU Racial Equity Program supports projects that advance racial equity in STEM education and workforce development through research and practice.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.