HSI Implementation and Evaluation Project: Self-sustaining Peer Mentor Support System for Computer Science Students

在改善本科STEM教育：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划）的支持下，该实施和评估项目旨在通过同伴指导计划为HSI计算机科学（CS）学生建立一个可持续的，包容性的学习社区，以提高CS教育的质量，提高CS学生的保留率和毕业率，特别是西班牙裔学生。计算机科学在种族和性别方面存在一些差异，这限制了学生参与这个对他们未来职业道路和整个社会越来越重要的领域。项目团队已经确定了导致该问题的两个原因，并将在本项目中加以解决。首先，在第一门CS课程中，我们的本科生的教育资源严重短缺。许多学生对入门课程感到吃力，现有的资源似乎不够，特别是对代表性不足的群体。其次，学生，尤其是代表性不足的学生，他们的CS身份和归属感没有得到肯定。该项目将实施一项同伴导师计划，以制定一项有效的、以证据为基础的、可持续的计划，为SFSU计算机系的本科生提供准备、辅导和持续支持，并评估其有效性。通过招募不同的同伴导师，培训他们公平和包容的教学技巧，并建立一个肯定的指导程序，该项目将培养导师自己成为未来的领导者，同时为入门级CS学生创建一个安全和包容的学习社区。该项目将直接惠及旧金山州立大学约800名计算机科学学生，其中包括750名参加计算机科学入门课程的学生和每年50名同伴导师。通过建立一个包容的、可持续的学习者社区，肯定代表性不足的学生的经历和身份，该项目将有助于使CS管道多样化，从而产生更广泛的想法和方法，可以对社会最紧迫的问题产生影响。研究将支持程序性活动，并为解决来自边缘群体的CS学生的需求提供重要的新知识。本研究将探讨三个研究问题：(1)参与同侪辅导会在多大程度上影响学员在该领域的归属感、CS认同感和保留率？(2)参与包容性教学法课程在多大程度上支持同伴导师培养成长心态和资产基础思维、识别包容性教学实践的需求并实施这些实践？(3)同伴导师参与项目的好处是什么，包括他们的归属感和CS身份？评估将采用混合方法，三角测量李克特量表调查、开放式调查、半结构化访谈、课程人工制品和成绩分布的结果。预计学员和导师的归属感、CS身份和项目保留度将会增加。结果将通过CS和STEM教育会议和出版物以及CSU校长办公室传播。HSI计划旨在加强HSI的本科STEM教育和能力建设。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。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 Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Implementation and Evaluation Project aims to build a sustainable, inclusive learning community for HSI Computer Science (CS) students through a peer mentoring program to enhance the quality of CS education and to increase the retention and graduation rates of students in CS, particularly Hispanic students. CS suffers from several disparities along racial and gender lines that limit the participation of students in a field that is becoming more critical for their future career paths and for society as a whole. The project team has identified two reasons leading to this problem that will addressed in this project. First, there is a critical shortage of educational resources for our undergraduate students in the first CS course. Many students struggle with the introductory curriculum and existing resources don't appear to be sufficient, particularly for underrepresented groups. Second, students, especially underrepresented students, are not affirmed in their CS identities and sense of belonging. This project will implement a peer mentor program to develop an effective, evidence-based, and sustainable program for the preparation, tutoring, and ongoing support of undergraduate students in the CS department at SFSU and evaluate its effectiveness. By recruiting diverse peer mentors, training them in equitable and inclusive pedagogical techniques, and establishing an affirming mentoring procedure, this project will develop mentors themselves to become future leaders while creating a safe and inclusive learning community for entry level CS students. This program will directly benefit approximately 800 CS students at SFSU, including 750 students who are enrolled in the introductory CS class and 50 peer mentors each calendar year.By building an inclusive, sustainable community of learners that affirms the experiences and identities of underrepresented students, the project will help diversify the CS pipeline, leading to a wider range of ideas and approaches that can be brought to bear on society’s most pressing problems. Research will support programmatic activities as well as contributing new knowledge important to addressing the needs of CS students from marginalized groups. The team will explore three research questions: (1) to what extent does participation in peer mentoring affect mentees’ sense of belonging, CS identity, and retention in the field? (2) to what extent does participation in an inclusive pedagogy class support peer mentors in developing a growth mindset and asset-based thinking, identifying the need for inclusive teaching practices, and implementing such practices? (3) what are the benefits to peer mentors in participation in the program, including their sense of belonging and CS identity? Assessment will use a mixed-methods approach, triangulating the results of Likert-scale surveys, open-ended surveys, semi-structured interviews, course artifacts and grade distributions. It is anticipated that mentees’ and mentors' sense of belonging, CS identity, and program retention will increase. Results will be disseminated through CS and STEM education conferences and publications and the CSU Chancellor's office. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also 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.