Advancing Gender Equity by Scaling Systemic Change in Community College Computing Programs with Research-Based Resources and Communities of Practice

This project aims to serve the national interest by focusing on the computing education and workforce development at two-year institutions. Recognizing the increasingly crucial role of community colleges in education and workforce development in computing and a significant gender gap in computing programs within these institutions, the aim of this research and development project is to address and investigate the systemic issues related to the recruitment and retention of intersectionally diverse women in community college computing programs. The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) and its partners, the County College of Morris, and the University of Washington will enhance and tailor existing research-based resources and tools for broadening participation in computing developed and disseminated by NCWIT. These resources are based on scholarly literature and applied experience in increasing awareness and action that are oriented toward fostering gender diversity, equity, and inclusion. This effort tightly couples the development of resources, the facilitation of change through professional development and services, and research into conceptualization and implementation of project activities at local community college campuses. To advance knowledge, the project is pursuing four objectives. First, is adapting existing research-based resources developed for four-year institutions to the two-year institutional context and create new research-based resources. Second, is mapping the resources to the NCWIT’s Undergraduate Systemic Change Model, a framework based on the organization change literature. Third, is to curate and integrate the resources into a ready-to-use online platform and guidance system modified for the two-year college context. Fourth, and finally, is to facilitate Learning Circles and faculty professional development for department action teams from nine community colleges across the country for use in developing plans for systemic change in their computing programs. Based on the complexity of the proposed effort, a comprehensive mixed methods evaluation is guided by in-depth knowledge of NCWIT current efforts and organizational change model; commitment to gender diversity, equity, and inclusion; and tightly coupled research and development activities. The set of evaluation questions are aligned with project activities and their implementation, data collection and analyses, and outcomes. Drawing on this set of informational resources, the quantitative and qualitative evaluation includes six components. First, is resource adaptation review and focus group analyses to assess relevance and remaining gaps in the new NCWIT resources. Second, is beta testing of the Tech Inclusion Journey platform and guidance. Third, is a midpoint survey of Learning Circles to assess organizational change processes and outcomes. Fourth, is a final survey of participants to assess changes in knowledge, motivation, and action over time. Fifth, are bi-monthly project team meetings with review of documents to report on challenges for formative purposes. Sixth, and finally, is assessment of the extent to which resources are filling the need for increasing gender diversity, equity, and inclusion in computing. The NSF program description on Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education supports project that advance STEM education initiatives at two-year colleges. This program description promotes innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. 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.