Generation and Evaluation of Culturally Relevant Computing Resources for Latines in Introductory Programming

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

The University of California, San Diego will generate and evaluate culturally relevant computing resources for Latine students in undergraduate Computer Science (CS) programs by creating a culturally relevant textbook for introductory programming and conducting controlled experiments to compare its effectiveness against traditional textbooks. Latin Americans (Latines) have historically been underrepresented in computing in the United States. To address challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Culturally Relevant Computing (CRC) has been gaining popularity, showing increased student engagement, interest, and understanding, especially in K-12 education. However, there is limited research on CRC's effectiveness in higher education. One popular CRC method in higher education is bilingual education, where teaching is conducted in both the students' native language and English. Prior studies in bilingual education (in India and the United States) have shown that although bilingual teaching improves student engagement, there is no evidence on the effectiveness of bilingual education on student learning, if the study resources (e.g., textbooks) that students use are still in English. At the same time, a series of studies in bilingual education by Yogendra Pal et. al show that there is an improvement in student learning, if the study resources are culturally relevant (e.g., resources in students' native language). This Broadening Participation in Computing Demonstration Project seeks to address a critical gap in the research of CRC in higher education and contribute valuable insights into the effectiveness of CRC resources in attracting and retaining Latine students in the field of computing. The project team will conduct these interventions at both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an emerging HSI to understand the impact of culturally relevant resources on Latines in majority- and minority-Latine classrooms, as well as on non-Latines. The control group will be students taking their CS1 course using their original, traditional textbook that has previously been used for that course. The experimental group will be students taking their CS1 course using our newly generated, culturally relevant textbook. Our culturally relevant textbook will cover all the topics that are typically covered in a CS1 course (e.g., functions, conditionals, loops, lists) taught at these institutions. The experiments will focus on evaluating the efficacy of CRC resources with respect to student learning, retention, sense of belonging, self-efficacy, attitudes towards the culturally relevant material, and attitudes towards computing in a CS1 course. The findings from this research can serve as a model for creating inclusive computing curricula that resonate with diverse student populations. By improving the learning experiences of Latine students in introductory programming, this project could positively impact retention rates and inspire more Latines to pursue advanced studies and careers in computing. 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.