Attract More and Diverse Students to Your CS Courses

Joanne Cohoon, UVA & NCWIT

June 25, 2013

The Big Picture

What’s the problem?» Stereotype threat

What you can do» Actively recruit

• Minimize stereotype threat• Use messages that attract females

» Resources

Recreation workers Recreational therapists Athletic trainers

Reporters, correspondents, broadcast news ana-lysts

Set & exhibit designers Interior designers Industrial designers

Graphic designersArchivists

Health educators

Survey researchers

Microbiologist

Zoologists

Atmospheric scientists

Biological technicians

Chemists & materials scien-tists

Conservation scientists

Economists

Environmental scientists Geographers

Geoscientists

Mining & geological engineersNuclear engineers

Petroleum engineers

SurveyorsAerospace engineers

Agricultural engineersBiomedical engineers

Cartographers

Chemical engineersCivil engineers

Elec & electonic engineers

Environmental engineers

Health and safety engineersIndustrial engineersMarine engineers Materials engineers

Mechanical engineersComputer hardware engineers

Computer programmers

Computer systems analysts

Network and computer systems admin

Software developersOperations research analysts

Human resources specialists

Market research analysts

Personal financial advisors

Accountants and auditors

Budget analystsCost estimators

Financial analystsMedical & health services mgrs

BLS Projected 2020 Occupational employment for jobs requiring college degree only

CS

30% of jobs for college grads will be in computing

There is not enough low hanging fruit

We need to branch out

Recruit from the majority

Stand up if your class is ≥40% girls

WHY SO FEW FEMALES?

STEREOTYPES & STEREOTYPE THREAT

AFFECT TECHNICAL STUDENTS

Common Stereotype: Feminine ≠ Technical

Lagesen 2005

Fear of confirming negative beliefs about my group …

» Hinders performance» Affects choices and

aspirations» Leads to harsh

personal standards, opting out if not met

Stereotypes can feel threatening

Correll 2004; Chasteen et al. 2005

Stereotype Threat: Easy to Trigger; Affects Motivated StudentsSome triggers

Gender imbalance in room

Stereotyped physical space

Attention called to gender

Stereotype Threat Masks AbilityRemove threat and women test better» Advanced calculus

course with 100 male, 57 female students

» No gender difference in course grades

» Significant difference in test performance without threat

Good, Aronson, Harder, 2008

Stereotype Threat Reduces Learning and Persistence»Note-taking skill reduced by stereotype threat

»Feelings of belonging impaired

Appel et al. 2011; Good et al. 2012

» Don’t speak up in groups or classes

» Reluctant to take leadership roles

» Discount their performance

Stereotype Threat has subtle negative effects too

Actively Recruit using messages that counter stereotypes without repeating them

Avoid triggering stereotype threat

Gender balance in room

Create a welcoming physicalspace

Do not call attention to gender

Capitalize on how we choose our occupations

Interest Confidence Belonging

Identity

Ignite your students’ interest

Showcase projects tied to current & future interests

Link to girls’ existing interests & ambitions» Robots saving lives, cute

Take every opportunity to recruit» Joint projects

Photos on posters» People rather than things

Exhibits, Posters, Guest Speakers

Describe careers that spark women’s interestFlexibility: industry, geographySocially relevant Work with othersTime with familyJob projections High salariesSatisfied professionals

Computing offers exciting work that affects our world and the people in it

Create technology for

• Tracking endangered dolphins• Mobile forensics labs for instant analysis

at crime scenes• GPS systems that guide blind people• Scanning DNA for childhood diseases• Designing and displaying new fashions• Restoring and preserving art work

Source: dotdiva.org

Computer Scientists give back to their communitiesTechnology for human rights• Design secure databases to

record human rights abuses while shielding the identities of victims or witnesses

• Create tools that help ordinary people collect extraordinary amounts of money for important causes

1. Software Engineer2. Mathematician3. Actuary4. Statistician5. Computer Systems Analyst

According to CareerCast

Best Jobs in America 2011

Computer Scientists work in every industry

27

Source: dotdiva.org

Computing occupations are well paid

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Build confidence

Showcase successes of current & former students

“You’d be great at this”

Provide opportunities for experiencing success

Describe how the course promotes success

Emphasize Growth in Intelligence

The effort to master difficult material actually increases intellectual ability

See Carol Dweck’s work

Don’t mistake confidence for ability

Promote belonging, inclusivity Recruit in groups Have friends recruit

friends Use inclusive language Set-up a welcoming

physical environment Tell them you want them

to study computing

Describe opportunities for

Community serviceConference attendancePoster presentationOutreach projects

(Really, developing the identity of a computing expert)

Remember

Cultivate students’InterestConfidenceBelongingIdentity

Avoid mythbusting, geeks, cubicles, code monkeys, …

May actually create stereotypes

Once implanted, difficult to dislodge

See “How Warnings about False Claims Become Recommendations” www.acrwebsite.org/topic.asp?artid=250

“I’ve heard that before so it must be true”

Reach out!

Develop media, e.g., posters, announcements, videos

Show up at orientation / elective fairs Current students talk to prospective

students Clubs Advisors, other teachers, principals Parents

NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing

ncwit.org/award

Advisors can deliver the message

Provide them with up-to-date information

http://www.ncwit.org/edjobsmap

Seth’s Story

Excellent teacher in a failing high school12% girls in AP CSActively recruited Yearbook and Student

GovernmentExplained and demonstrated the value of CSAssured students they would succeed33% girls in AP CS + highest enrollment everNew school – even greater success (39% in AP CS)

Moral – Active recruiting works

Before After

1st Year at Lake Brantley about 60 AP Computer Science students

2009-2010 AP Computer Science

Lake Brantley High School 2011 - 2012144 students in AP Computer Science45 % female

.5 % mascot

2012-2013 at Lake Brantley HSOVER 300 AP Computer Science Students40% female

Time Out for BrainstormingGenerate three ideas for how you will actively

recruit female students to your computing class

NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology

Our coalition includes more than 250 universities, corporations, and non-profits.

Mobilizing for Change: NCWIT

Free Resources to Help You Inform Others

Statistics about computing education and workforce in your area www.ncwit.org/edjobsmap

Finally

Track and report your outcomes

Questions or comments?