NSF BPC-DP (SGER): Software Designn & Development Teams and Tournament

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Greensboro NC

Investigators

Abstract

North Carolina Agricultural and State University, in collaboration with Auburn University, propose to investigate the potential of a novel program that uses design and development competitions to impact the underrepresentation of women and African-American students in computing. The program will involve students in a year-round set of activities, including coaching, practice sessions, and a series of intercollegiate meets. It will culminate in a Software Design and Development (SDDTT) tournament. The project will determine whether these activities have the potential to increase the retention of students by (1) enabling them to see how concepts covered in classes are used in practice in the real world, and (2) integrating them into a community that provides a sense of belonging and the opportunity to contribute to something larger than a class assignment. The project will explore the initial development of an SDDTT approach, assessing its impact in particular on the attitudes and retention of women and African Americans in computing.