Computing Trajectories: Pathways into Computer Science and Programming Experience in the First Year

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Date
2019-07-30Author
Maczka, Darren Kurtis
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Show full item recordAbstract
Many universities across the United States have been experiencing an
increased demand for computer science majors. Adjusting curriculum to
meet increased demand runs the risk of damaging ongoing efforts to
broaden participation in computer science. To manage growth, and
increase the representation of women and underrepresented minorities
in the field, we must first understand current patterns for
participation, and factors that may impact access and persistence.
Universities with common first-year engineering programs present an
opportunity for addressing some of the barriers that have
traditionally limited access to computer science to certain groups. In
particular, common first-year programs could provide early positive
experiences with computer programming which encourage more students to
consider computer science as a viable major.
To better understand how a common first-year engineering program may
impact matriculation and persistence in computer science, I conducted
studies to identify high-level patterns of participation in computer
science, as well as how students experience programming instruction in
an introductory engineering course. All studies share the same
context: a large public research institution with a common first-year
engineering program.
Results indicate that women are leaving computer science at all points
of the curriculum, contributing to a reduced representation of women
earning CS degrees. In contrast, URM and first-generation students
have higher representation at graduation than when declaring major
interest before the start of their first year.
General Audience Abstract
Many universities across the United States have been experiencing an increased demand for computer science majors. Adjusting curriculum to meet demand runs the risk of damaging efforts to increase the diversity of the computer science workforce. To manage growth and increase the representation of women and underrepresented minorities (students who are not white or East Asian) in the field, we must first understand who currently studies computer science, and factors that lead to their success in the major. Universities with general first-year engineering programs present an opportunity for addressing some of the barriers that have traditionally discouraged women and underrepresented minorities from pursuing computer science. In particular, these programs could provide early positive experiences with computer programming which encourage more students to consider computer science as a possible major. To better understand how experiences during students’ first-year transition to college may impact decisions to major in computer science, I conducted studies to explore who enters computer science, and how they succeed in the major, as well as how students experience programming instruction in an introductory engineering course. All studies share the same context: a large public research institution with a general first-year engineering program. Results indicate that women are leaving computer science at all points of the curriculum, contributing to a reduced representation of women earning CS degrees. In contrast, underrepresented minority students and students with parents who did not receive a college degree, make up a higher percentage in the group graduating with a CS degree than in the group who declare CS as their first major.
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