Building Recruiting and Inclusion for Diversity (BRAID) in the Computer Science Major: A Longitudinal Research Study

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

In an effort to improve an understanding of how computer science (CS) departments can successfully diversify their undergraduate enrollments, this project will support the longitudinal follow-up of students taking introductory CS courses at fifteen (15) universities across the country. All fifteen CS departments have a stated commitment to diversify their major and are participants in the Building, Recruiting and Inclusion for Diversity (BRAID) initiative. BRAID institutions have committed to a set of approaches to increase diversity within CS departments, including modifying introductory courses to make them more attractive and less intimidating to underrepresented students. This research will focus on the ways in which introductory courses promote interest and persistence in CS, with a special focus on what is most successful for women and underrepresented minority students. Students will be surveyed while taking the introductory course about their experiences in the courses as well as their self-perceptions, perceptions of CS, major choice selection, and career plans. This research will extend a baseline data collection project currently being done into a longitudinal study. Students from the baseline study will be followed beyond the introductory courses and surveyed annually through the spring semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. Doing so will allow the research team to assess student experiences beyond the introductory course, such as involvement in CS extracurricular activities, as well as measure a variety of outcomes, such as student enrollment patterns (e.g., choosing CS as a major or minor) and career plans, across time. Findings from this study will provide policy-makers, higher education administrators, faculty, and the general public with new knowledge about the most effective ways to recruit and retain more individuals into the computing field. Further, this study will provide additional knowledge about how to diversify computing by increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities who complete CS majors and minors.