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

在美国国家科学基金会改善本科STEM教育计划：教育与人力资源（IUSE: EHR）的支持下，该项目旨在通过招募社区大学生并为他们在计算机科学方面的成功做好准备，为国家利益服务。该项目旨在通过为加州洛斯波西塔斯社区学院（Los Positas Community College）的学生提供为期一周的学期前计算机科学研讨会“代码Jam”来实现这一目标。Code Jam工作坊以锡耶纳学院（Siena College）为期一个学期的计算机科学课程和洛斯波西塔斯社区学院（Los Positas Community College）为期一周的数学课程为蓝本。和Math Jam一样，Code Jam也将是一个为期一周、全天的学期前动手项目，并通过有意的个人和社会支持来加强。其目的是创造一个吸引人的环境，欢迎学生进入计算机科学，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，参加代码Jam的学生将更有可能参加计算机科学入门课程。鉴于技术的普及和越来越多的工作需要技术知识，这项努力解决了美国工人了解计算机基础知识的关键需求。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环境中取得成功而设计的计算机科学入门课程。其次，它努力创建一个可以在全国大学实施的项目。这个项目有可能吸引和培养那些本来不会考虑学习计算机或在计算机科学入门课程上很难取得成功的学生。基于这一潜在结果，再加上拉斯波西塔斯社区学院（一所西班牙裔服务机构）的学生人口统计数据，该项目有可能扩大计算机科学的参与范围。本项目将采用社会认知职业理论框架，进行混合方法的纵向研究。本研究将探讨个人特质、背景背景和学习经验三者结合的机制，从而为不同社会类别的社区大学生提供职业相关选择的可能性和适宜性信息。该计划旨在研究工作坊在支持学生在计算机入门课程上取得成功方面的作用，以及它对情感因素（如兴趣、信心和对计算机的认同）的影响。NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。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。

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.