Promoting Successful Outcomes for Diverse Computer Science Students through Mentored Professional Experiences

National-Louis University, Wheeling IL

Investigators

Abstract

This project will apply innovative approaches to professional mentoring and early workplace experiences to increase the success of diverse undergraduates in computer science programs. While the number of undergraduate computer science (CS) programs have skyrocketed over the past decade, the rates at which Black and Latinx students successfully complete CS degrees falls below the national average. Research points to the well-known ‘digital divide’ as a factor, with Latinx and Black youths less likely to have had computer science classes, or in some cases even extensive exposure to computers. Students from these groups who enter computer science programs report lower confidence in their abilities to succeed, which is often magnified by a sense that they do not belong in the field. This project addresses these issues by providing students with purposefully structured contact with CS worksites and professionals. With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Program, National Louis University and industry partners will design and offer opportunities for mentored experiences in professional settings, with follow-up mentoring sessions to reinforce the experiences and provide continued encouragement and support. These experiences will take place in advance of senior internships, which can be students' first exposure to the realities of CS professions, providing early students with important tools and perspective to enrich their academic and professional experiences in the workforce. Computer science industry partners will be provided with training in culturally-responsive mentoring and will regularly meet to discuss their mentoring experiences and refine strategies. This partnership model will develop a cadre of STEM companies that have the commitment and capacity to support diverse STEM undergraduates as interns and early professionals, providing a model of rich university-to-workplace collaborations that can be replicated at a breadth of institutions. This project explores the hypothesis that increasing students' early exposure to culturally-responsive professional experiences and increased participation in academic and external communities will strengthen their academic agency and improve academic outcomes. Academic agency is a student’s belief that they can be effective in their work and have the knowledge of strategies and resources needed to succeed. A mixed method research effort will study the development of academic agency as participants progress through the project’s mentored industry experiences. Training materials and other systems developed by the project team with industry and community partners will be shared widely, supporting replication of the project model at institutions nationwide. Over 300 undergraduates in computer science and information systems will participate in mentored industry experiences and an estimated 160 of those students will enter the workforce over the course of the project. Project alumni will be invited to share their perspectives and experiences at meetings with partners, which will support efforts to continuously improve the project activities and promote diversity in the STEM workforce. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs. Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning, (ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also draw from these approaches to 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.