Attracting Students to Computer Studies

1
Attracting Students to Computer Studies

• Chris Stephenson
• University of Waterloo

2
Curriculum Challenges

• Attracting students to computer studies is
  problematic for many reasons
• all our courses are electives and students have
  very few choices
• students perceive our courses to be more
  difficult than others they can take
• our courses require a great deal of out-of-class
  work

3
Challenges continued

• students have no real understanding of the
  opportunities CS provides
• universities do not yet require our courses for
  entry to computer science and computer
  engineering programs
• a number of social and economic factors impinge
  on our ability to attract students to our classes

4
Why Do We Care?

• we want to share the excitement of our discipline
• we want to teach them something they cannot learn
  as well in any other discipline...logical
  thinking and analysis
• we want to give our students choices and
  opportunities

5
What is CS?

• The field of computer studies/information
  technology includes
• the study, design, development,
  implementation, support or management of
  computer-based information systems, particularly
  software applications and computer hardware
  (ITAA)

6
Who is CS?

• A CS/IT worker is anyone using and accessing
  computer technology
• systems analyst
• computer programmer
• computer engineer
• database administrator
• network specialist

7
Who is CS continued

• enterprise business specialist
• digital media specialist
• technical writer
• technical support person

8
The Economic Imperative

• The CS/IT industry is
• responsible for a greater percentage of the GNP
  than all resource-based industries the foundation
  for organizational productivity
• the prime source of leading-edge products and
  services
• essential for growth global competitiveness

9
Professional Facts

• 80 of all CS/IT professionals work for small
  companies
• 92 of all CS/IT professionals work for non-IT
  companies
• computer programmers are the single largest CS/IT
  skills category
• the demand for CS/IT workers rose 30 in 2002
  (1.1 million positions to be filled)

10
Workforce by Category
2,039,880
Programming/SW Engr
.
1,751,552
Tech Support
1,300,023
Other
Other
1,086,020
Enterprise Systems
960,626
Database Dev/Admin
837,917
Web Dev/Admin
733,473
Network Design/Admin
655,988
Digital Media
Tech Writing
530,437
9,895,916

TOTAL

11
Demand by Job Category
Demand
IT Career Clusters
Gap
281,406
143,683
Tech Support
143,683
57,037
100,766
Database Dev/Admin
57,037
100,766
80,524
80,524
161,487
161,487
Programmer
72,722
156,372
Web Dev/Admin
72,722
156,372
98,097
199,348
Network Design/Admin
98,097
199,348
32,199
68,247
Tech Writing
32,199
68,247
42,071
79,825
Enterprise Systems
42,071
79,825
33,204
62,285
Other
33,204
62,285
31,119
38,902
Digital Media
31,119
38,902
590,656
590,656
1,148,639
1,148,639
TOTAL
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Jobs in IT Companies
Avg

Will fill
Have
Position
Avg

Will fill
Have
Position
Openings
position
Position
Openings
position
Position
9.4
60
97
Tech Support
60
97
Tech Support
16.5
44
80
Database dev/admin
44
80
Database dev/admin
29.3
57
57
60
60
Programming/SW Eng
Programming/SW Eng
15.5
44
80
Web dev/admin
44
80
Web dev/admin
14.4
37
87
Network design/admin
37
87
Network design/admin
2.2
34
35
Technical writing
34
35
Technical writing
10.0
32
52
Enterprise systems
32
52
Enterprise systems
31.3
41
24
Other IT related
41
24
Other IT related
8.3
37
21
Digital media
37
21
Digital media
13
Jobs in Non IT Companies
Avg

Will fill
Have
Position
Have
Position
Openings
position
Position
Tech Support
1.7
41
91
41
91
Database dev/admin
1.6
23
58
23
58
2.8
26
48
Programmer
26
48
Web dev/admin
3.6
20
53
20
53
1.6
21
78
Network des/admin
21
78
9.8
11
11
14
14
Technical writing
Enterprise systems
3.6
12
35
12
35
Other IT related
2.0
27
22
27
22
Digital media
2.3
23
14
23
14
14
Early Determiners

• A number of factors which incline students
  toward CS have been identified
• the need to know how things work (the tinkerer)
• love at first site (the obsessor)
• fearless engagement (the risk taker)

15
Early Determiners continued

• parental interest in computing (the next
  generation)
• parent of the same sex as role model (master of
  the machine)
• a computer in the students own bedroom (not in a
  common room or brothers room)
• parental expectations of behavior

16
High School is Key

• High school is critical for introducing students
  to computer science
• 30 of young women choose CS major based on high
  school course
• 9 of young men choose CS major based on high
  school course

17
Its Not Too Late

• Even though many factors affect student choices
  long before high school, teachers can still
• encourage broader interest
• overcome fears and misconceptions
• create a positive and engaging learning
  environment
• inform students of opportunities

18
The CS Culture

• Students perceive that there is a CS culture in
  high schools which excludes many of them
• the same boys all the time (the clique)
• too smart to be cool (the geek)
• girls are not welcome (the freak)
• CS is definitely not fun (the bleak)

19
Geek Mythology

• real programmers versus wimps
• the monitor tan (sleep-code-sleep)
• relationships as mere distractions
• At CMU 69 of female and 32 of male CS
  students said they were different from their
  peers because their lives do not revolve around
  computers.

20
Geek Tragedy

• Both women and minority students reported that
  they found geek culture
• insular
• isolating
• out of balance
• scary

21
Pedagogical Problems

• Comprehensive research by the AAUW determined
  that
• assignments and teaching examples are gender and
  culturally biased
• girls lack confidence in their own math skills
  (often with no connection to their actual
  abilities)

22
Responsibility for Change

• It is education and not students that have to
  change
• schools and their culture
• curriculum
• faculty-student relationships
• norms
• standards

23
Why Males Choose CS
Percent
Reason
70
Enjoyment of computing
26
Versatile field
13
Math/science related
13
Employment prospects
4
Encouraged by others
4
Exciting field
24
Why Females Choose CS
Percent
Reason
63
Enjoyment of computing
41
Versatile field
38
Math/science related
33
Employment prospects
31
Encouraged by others
22
Exciting field
25
Non-Traditional Attractors

• Non-typical students can be attracted to CS
  based upon
• connection between computing and other sciences
  
• connection between computing and arts
• aspects of human and social computing

26
Attractors continued

• Important aspects of computing that are not given
  enough emphasis
• love of puzzles
• creating something from nothing
• the art of thinking
• interaction
• communication

27
Students and Programming
Female
Male
Reason
40
Satisfaction of success
57
20
34
Creativity
100,766
26
161,487
31
Control
49
20
156,372
Problem solving
43
9
Challenge
199,348
14
68,247
9
Ownership
14
9
Logic
79,825
29
6
Math related
28
The Confidence Gap

• Students with less early computing experience are
  more likely to
• express doubts about their abilities
• feel like they do not fit in
• feel like they do not know what others are
  talking about
• be negatively affected by large classes and poor
  teaching

29
Interestingly....

• A major Carnegie Mellon study shows that prior
  computing experience level is not a predictor of
  eventual success in a university computer science
  program.

30
Building Bridges

• The relationship between the teacher and
  student is the key to success, especially for
  women and minority students, when
• students are valued for their potential
• students are valued as people
• students lacking confidence are mentored and
  encouraged

31
Changing the Culture

• Emphasize the link between effort, hard work, and
  success
• Focus on success of the team
• Teach students to build support groups
• Address how students can integrate studying and
  learning into their social lives
• Be highly motivated
• Be creative

32
Enriching Assignments

• Make it useful
• Make it personal or local
• Interface with other programs
• Focus on ease of use
• Use big data
• Use real-world data
• Make it sensory

33
Assignments continued

• Make it socially relevant
• Simulate
• Include observations
• Bring in experts
• Explain how everyday computational objects work
• Make it fun

34
Focusing on Real Computing Goals

• Too often students think that what matters is
  how fast they can create a program or how fast it
  can run. That is not what counts in the real
  word. Heres what counts

35
Real Goals continued

• compatibility - works with other programs
• composability - combines with other programs
• durability - outlasts changes to systems
• extensibility - features functions can be
  added
• flexibility - can operate in many environments
• maintainability - can be easily changed

36
Real Goals continued

• portability - runs on multiple platforms
• readability - can be understood by others
• reliability - bug-free, deals with unexpected
• scalability - runs efficiently in a network
• usability - easy-to-use interface
• utility - useful solution to a problem

37
Go Get Them

• Dont wait for them to come to you Recruit,
  Recruit, Recruit!
• talk to students in earlier grades
• talk to the math teachers
• talk to the guidance people
• talk to parents
• use the Graham Smyth method (dazzle them with
  lights)

38
Final Note

• Examining ways to make CS more attractive to
  non-traditional students requires us to focus our
  attention on both what and how we teach, which in
  turn enriches the learning experience for all
  of our students and for ourselves.

39
One Girls Experience

• Introduced to CS in a grade 6 enrichment activity
• Involved typing some set of 1s and 0s that made
  no sense, eventually CELINE appeared on screen
• A BIG turn-off!
• First exposure MUST be positive!

40
Stereotype Issue?

• In grade 6, the geek stereotype was not an issue
  (not a TV person)
• In grade 9, in a gifted math class with a CS
  enrichment opportunity, the geek stereotype was
  an issue just a bunch of geeky guys in the
  computer room
• Decided against CS classes despite parents
  encouragement

41
Later in High School

• Started to realize computers would make essay
  writing much easier
• Took a WP5 course at local college
• Started using computers in school library because
  of my OAC Economics teacher
• No teacher ever encouraged me to do CS or
  scienceI was considered artsy

42
The Transition

• Did an undergrad degree in Economics
• In CS100, HATED programming!
• Met an English prof who liked my writing
• Computer interest came from tech writing
• HTML showed me I could be creative
• Started taking CS courses now a Ph.D
• Lucked out by missing CS undergrad

43
The Lessons

• First exposure MUST be positive
• Girl-friendly lab is a must because GEEK
  stereotype is so strong
• Low-level stuff is a bad starting point
• Programming math equations is also bad
• Teacher encouragement is critical!!!

44
Show me

• How to change the world
• Where the technology is going, let me try it out
  and be a part of it
• How to create something new
• The tech writing, user interface, health and
  social studies applications
• Living role models who do interesting things with
  computers
• The women in CS History

45

• SHOW ME THAT IM WELCOME!

46
Why Is Diversity Important?

• First, engineering is a very creative
  profession. That is not the way it is usually
  described, but down to my toes I believe that
  engineering is profoundly creative. Second, as in
  any creative profession, what comes out is a
  function of the life experiences of the people
  who do it. Finally, sans diversity, we limit the
  set of life experiences that are applied, and as
  a result, we pay an opportunity cost - a cost in
  products not built, in designs not considered, in
  constraints not understood, in processes not
  invented.
• Wm. A. Wulf
• President of the National Academy of Engineers