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

该项目旨在通过改善社区大学信息技术课程的学习机会、公平性和成就性来提高信息技术(IT)劳动力的素质。它侧重于来自目前IT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领域的性别和少数群体成就差距。然而，这些模式大多侧重于在四年制院校完成STEM学位。该项目将使这些本科毕业生的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大的行业联系和体验式学习来改进入门课程。这些改进将旨在减少文化根深蒂固的障碍和自我限制行为。该项目希望开发一种有效和可复制的模式，以提高学生的成功，特别是代表不足的学生，从而为国家IT劳动力的质量和多样性做出贡献。该项目包括佛罗里达大学高等教育学院和印度河社区学院之间的合作伙伴关系。总体目标是提高信息技术课程的学生入学率和坚持性，特别是女性和代表性不足的少数族裔学生。具体目标包括重新定义三门高风险的入门课程，在项目课程中嵌入行业认证，为学生提供实习和指导，以及增加学生从社区学院成功转到IT学士学位课程的机会。该项目包括一项混合方法研究方案，以调查感知的障碍、自我限制行为和项目干预的有效性。通过关注入学、毕业和毕业后的成功，该项目旨在提高整个IT行业渠道的多样性。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注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优势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.