Attract More and Diverse Students to Your CS Courses

1. Attract More and Diverse Students to Your CS Courses Joanne Cohoon, UVA & NCWIT June 25, 2013

2. The Big Picture • What’s the problem? • Stereotype threat • What you can do • Actively recruit • Minimize stereotype threat • Use messages that attract females • Resources

3. BLS Projected 2020 Occupational employment for jobs requiring college degree only CS

4. 30% of jobs for college grads will be in computing

5. There is not enough low hanging fruit We need to branch out

6. Recruit from the majority

7. Stand up if your class is ≥40% girls

8. Why so few females?

9. Stereotypes & Stereotype Threat Affect Technical Students

10. Common Stereotype: Feminine ≠ Technical Lagesen 2005

11. Stereotypes can feel threatening • Fear of confirming negative beliefs about my group … • Hinders performance • Affects choices and aspirations • Leads to harsh personal standards, opting out if not met • Correll 2004; Chasteen et al. 2005

12. Some triggers Gender imbalance in room Stereotyped physical space Attention called to gender Stereotype Threat: Easy to Trigger; Affects Motivated Students

13. Stereotype Threat Masks Ability • Remove 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

14. 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

15. Stereotype Threat has subtle negative effects too • Don’t speak up in groups or classes • Reluctant to take leadership roles • Discount their performance

17. Actively Recruit using messages that counter stereotypes without repeating them

18. Gender balance in room Create a welcoming physicalspace Do not call attention to gender Avoid triggering stereotype threat

19. Capitalize on how we choose our occupations

20. Ignite your students’ interest

21. Showcase projects tied to current & future interests

22. Exhibits, Posters, Guest Speakers • Link to girls’ existing interests & ambitions • Robots saving lives, cute • Take every opportunity to recruit • Joint projects • Photos on posters • People rather than things

23. Describe careers that spark women’s interest • Flexibility: industry, geography • Socially relevant • Work with others • Time with family • Job projections • High salaries • Satisfied professionals

24. 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

25. Computer Scientists give back to their communities • Technology 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

26. Best Jobs in America 2011 • Software Engineer • Mathematician • Actuary • Statistician • Computer Systems Analyst • According to CareerCast

27. Computer Scientists work in every industry Source: dotdiva.org

28. Computing occupations are well paid Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

29. 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

30. The effort to master difficult material actually increases intellectual ability Emphasize Growth in Intelligence See Carol Dweck’s work

31. Don’t mistake confidence for ability

32. 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

33. Describe opportunities for Community service Conference attendance Poster presentation Outreach projects (Really, developing the identity of a computing expert)

34. Remember • Cultivate students’ • Interest • Confidence • Belonging • Identity

35. May actually create stereotypes Once implanted, difficult to dislodge Avoid mythbusting, geeks, cubicles, code monkeys, … “I’ve heard that before so it must be true” See “How Warnings about False Claims Become Recommendations” www.acrwebsite.org/topic.asp?artid=250

36. 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

37. NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing ncwit.org/award

38. Advisors can deliver the message • Provide them with up-to-date information

40. Seth’s Story • Excellent teacher in a failing high school • 12% girls in AP CS • Actively recruited Yearbook and Student Government • Explained and demonstrated the value of CS • Assured students they would succeed • 33% girls in AP CS + highest enrollment ever • New school – even greater success (39% in AP CS) • Moral – Active recruiting works

41. BeforeAfter

42. 2009-2010 AP Computer Science 1st Year at Lake Brantley about 60 AP Computer Science students

43. Lake Brantley High School 2011 - 2012 144 students in AP Computer Science 45 % female .5 % mascot

44. 2012-2013 at Lake Brantley HS OVER 300 AP Computer Science Students 40% female

45. Time Out for Brainstorming Generate three ideas for how you will actively recruit female students to your computing class

46. NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology Mobilizing for Change: NCWIT Our coalition includes more than 250 universities, corporations, and non-profits.

47. Free Resources to Help You Inform Others Statistics about computing education and workforce in your area www.ncwit.org/edjobsmap

48. Finally • Track and report your outcomes

49. Questions or comments?