Advancing Gender Equity by Scaling Systemic Change in Community College Computing Programs with Research-Based Resources and Communities of Practice

该项目旨在通过关注两年制院校的计算机教育和劳动力发展来服务于国家利益。认识到社区学院在计算机教育和劳动力发展方面日益重要的作用，以及这些机构中计算机项目的显著性别差距，本研究和发展项目的目的是解决和调查与社区学院计算机项目中交叉多元化女性的招聘和保留相关的系统性问题。国家妇女与信息技术中心（NCWIT）及其合作伙伴莫里斯县学院和华盛顿大学将加强和调整现有的基于研究的资源和工具，以扩大妇女与信息技术中心开发和传播的计算机技术的参与。这些资源是基于学术文献和在提高认识和采取行动方面的应用经验，旨在促进性别多样性、平等和包容。这项工作紧密结合了资源的开发，通过专业发展和服务促进变革，以及对当地社区大学校园项目活动的概念化和实施的研究。为了推进知识，该项目正在追求四个目标。首先，将现有的为四年制大学开发的基于研究的资源适应于两年制大学的环境，并创造新的基于研究的资源。其次，将资源映射到NCWIT的本科系统变革模型，这是一个基于组织变革文献的框架。三是对资源进行整理和整合，形成面向两年制大学的在线平台和指导系统。第四，也是最后一点，是促进来自全国九所社区学院的部门行动小组的学习圈和教师专业发展，用于制定他们的计算机程序系统变革的计划。基于所提议工作的复杂性，在深入了解NCWIT当前工作和组织变革模型的指导下，采用综合混合方法进行评估；致力于性别多样性、平等和包容；和紧密结合的研发活动。评估问题集与项目活动及其实施、数据收集和分析以及结果相一致。利用这组信息资源，定量和定性评价包括六个部分。首先，进行资源适应审查和焦点小组分析，以评估新NCWIT资源的相关性和剩余差距。二是科技包容之旅平台和指南的beta测试。第三，对学习圈进行中点调查，以评估组织变革的过程和结果。第四，是对参与者的最终调查，以评估知识、动机和行动随时间的变化。第五，每两个月召开一次项目团队会议，审查文件，以报告形成目的的挑战。第六，也是最后一点，评估资源在多大程度上满足了增加计算机领域性别多样性、公平性和包容性的需求。国家科学基金会关于在两年制高等教育机构推进本科STEM教育的创新和影响的项目描述支持在两年制大学推进STEM教育计划的项目。该项目描述促进了两年制大学本科STEM教育的创新和循证实践。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 project aims to serve the national interest by focusing on the computing education and workforce development at two-year institutions. Recognizing the increasingly crucial role of community colleges in education and workforce development in computing and a significant gender gap in computing programs within these institutions, the aim of this research and development project is to address and investigate the systemic issues related to the recruitment and retention of intersectionally diverse women in community college computing programs. The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) and its partners, the County College of Morris, and the University of Washington will enhance and tailor existing research-based resources and tools for broadening participation in computing developed and disseminated by NCWIT. These resources are based on scholarly literature and applied experience in increasing awareness and action that are oriented toward fostering gender diversity, equity, and inclusion. This effort tightly couples the development of resources, the facilitation of change through professional development and services, and research into conceptualization and implementation of project activities at local community college campuses. To advance knowledge, the project is pursuing four objectives. First, is adapting existing research-based resources developed for four-year institutions to the two-year institutional context and create new research-based resources. Second, is mapping the resources to the NCWIT’s Undergraduate Systemic Change Model, a framework based on the organization change literature. Third, is to curate and integrate the resources into a ready-to-use online platform and guidance system modified for the two-year college context. Fourth, and finally, is to facilitate Learning Circles and faculty professional development for department action teams from nine community colleges across the country for use in developing plans for systemic change in their computing programs. Based on the complexity of the proposed effort, a comprehensive mixed methods evaluation is guided by in-depth knowledge of NCWIT current efforts and organizational change model; commitment to gender diversity, equity, and inclusion; and tightly coupled research and development activities. The set of evaluation questions are aligned with project activities and their implementation, data collection and analyses, and outcomes. Drawing on this set of informational resources, the quantitative and qualitative evaluation includes six components. First, is resource adaptation review and focus group analyses to assess relevance and remaining gaps in the new NCWIT resources. Second, is beta testing of the Tech Inclusion Journey platform and guidance. Third, is a midpoint survey of Learning Circles to assess organizational change processes and outcomes. Fourth, is a final survey of participants to assess changes in knowledge, motivation, and action over time. Fifth, are bi-monthly project team meetings with review of documents to report on challenges for formative purposes. Sixth, and finally, is assessment of the extent to which resources are filling the need for increasing gender diversity, equity, and inclusion in computing. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports project that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges. This program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges.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.