RESPECT 2024

RESEARCH by conference track

Does the Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) course drive equitable and inclusive CS pedagogy, curriculum, and policy as a means to broaden participation in computing?

Lien Diaz, Terry Foster and Sababu Chaka Barashango

This paper provides a critical perspective of equity in computer science (CS) education, investigating the Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) course as a means to broaden participation with students historically excluded in computing. The Computing Equity Project at the Constellations Center for Equity in Computing leverages a comprehensive professional development model supporting the offering of AP CSP in urban districts with majority Black and Hispanic students. The project analyzes whether AP CSP serves as a catalyst for systemic change in equitable CS pedagogy, curriculum, and policy, and in creating inclusive pathways in CS education.

“Those don’t work for us”: An Assets-Based Approach to Incorporating Emerging Technologies in Viable Hawaiian Teacher Support Tools for Culturally Relevant CS Education

Rachel Baker-Ramos, Ayoung Cho, William Gelder, Jahnavi Kolakaluri, Josiah Hester and Judith Uchidiuno

Hawaiian bilingual language immersion (Kaiapuni) schools infuse curricula with place-based education to increase student connection to culture. However, stand-in teachers often lack the background and tools needed to support immersion learning, resulting in discontinuity for students in their culturally relevant education. This experience report describes a partnership between a university lab and a Kaiapuni school to design a teacher support platform via a hybrid of assets-based design methodology and emerging technology capabilities. We share insights offered by teachers and design requirements for such a platform. We also reflect on how HCI methodologies should adapt to respect Native Hawaiian perspectives.

Lessons Learned from Developing and Implementing a High School CS Bridge Program

Michael J. Johnson, Christopher Hovey, Sherri Sanders, Cedric Stallworth, Ryan Mendes, Andrea Parker, Adrian Choi, Sherilyn Francis, Darley Sackitey, Sonia Chernova, Maithili Patel, Xiang Zhi Tan, Rosa Arriaga, Britney Johnson and Betsy DiSalvo

This experience report describes the design and implementation of the CS Bridge Program, which connects women and gender non-binary individuals from historically underrepresented racial or ethnic groups to learning opportunities in computing subfields. Faculty, staff, and students from UniversitySE collaborated with NatOrg to provide participants computer programming and research experience. We describe the program and present reflections from the facilitation team to capture knowledge and advice on successful and unsuccessful strategies for developing an effective bridge program. We provide a summary of lessons learned by those involved and how their implications affected future iterations of the program.

Belonging, Engagement, and Wellbeing: Latinx Youth Experiences in Informal, Culturally Relevant Computer Science Education Programs

Amita Jyoti Kaneria, Jayma Koval, Taneisha Lee, Pascua Padro Collazo, Diley Hernández and Isaris Quiñones Perez

This critical qualitative study explores the experiences of Latine youth with informal, culturally relevant (CR) computer science education (CSed) programs in which youth learn to code while making music with the goal of informing more inclusive, future policy for CSed. The research question: What are the experiences of Latine youth in a program guided by CR curriculum? Methodologically, the inquiry utilizes an embedded multiple-case approach. Data consist of focus group interviews and observations. Analysis, guided by critical, humanizing theory, included coding, analyzing, and interpreting data through an iterative process. Key project concepts and a lens of CR pedagogy framed code creation and the development of the findings. Findings illustrate the following: students felt a sense of belonging that connected into their cultural identities, inspired engagement, and nourished their psychological/emotional wellbeing. Further, actual and potential outcomes are related to persistence in CSed, increase in CSed content knowledge, and developing CSed identity.