Our demonstration project (AISES BPC/DP) plans to broaden the participation of American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) students in the computing disciplines; a group that is woefully underrepresented in computing. This project wil  ... more

Our demonstration project (AISES BPC/DP) plans to broaden the participation of American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) students in the computing disciplines; a group that is woefully underrepresented in computing. This project will examine and test factors that are critical to achieving this objective. The students that have participated in the project stated that the research experience has enriched their undergraduate program, helped plan for graduate school, and gave relevance to their career selection. It is interesting to note that American Indian students are motivated by projects that can contribute to serving the needs of native communities; especially the community with which they identify.   less

"Culturally Situated Design Tools" (CSDTs) are web applets based on ethnocomputing: the mathematical and computational knowledge embedded in cultural designs such as cornrow hairstyles. Native American beadwork, Latino percussion  ... more

"Culturally Situated Design Tools" (CSDTs) are web applets based on ethnocomputing: the mathematical and computational knowledge embedded in cultural designs such as cornrow hairstyles. Native American beadwork, Latino percussion rhythms, etc. CSDTs allows students to use these underlying math and computing principles to simulate the original cultural designs, create new designs of their own invention, and engage in specific math inquiries. Based in K-12 schools with majorities of African-American, Latino, and Native American students, preliminary evaluations indicate statistically significant increase in pre/post contrasts for comprehension and career interest, compared to control groups using comparable materials without the cultural design practices. This BPC project has allowed us to develop a new "programmable" interface (pCSDTs) in which students create designs using drag-and-drop "codelets." It has utilized the CSDTs in the Student Leadership Corps (SLC) of the BPC-sponsored STARS alliance, providing new training and resources to students with outreach projects in grade 7-12 and out-of-school education. Our evaluation examines the impact of CSDTs on both SLC students and their outreach constituency, and allows us to compare this impact to the old interface. In addition, students in the SLC will have the opportunity to develop CSDTs of their own creation, following a design protocol that ensures respectful use of cultural materials by a participatory process, and a coding library that allows fast integration into the pCSDT system.   less

The problem of broadening participation in computing runs from middle school where students lose interest in STEM, to graduate schools that are predominantly male and white. Research shows that women and minorities avoid computin  ... more

The problem of broadening participation in computing runs from middle school where students lose interest in STEM, to graduate schools that are predominantly male and white. Research shows that women and minorities avoid computing because they perceive it as boring, tedious, and irrelevant. Our goals are to: 1) Increase the percentage of women and minorities in graduate programs. 2) Double the percentage of women and minorities in undergraduate computing courses. 3) Double the number of Georgia high school teachers capable of teaching CS AP. 4) Increase the number of high schools offering CS AP by 50%. 5) Double the percentage of women and minorities taking CS AP.   less

In this paper I discuss a topic that is relevant and closely related to the issue of minorities and computer science, namely, the digital divide (NTIA, 1999), or the underparticipation of minorities with computers and related tech  ... more

In this paper I discuss a topic that is relevant and closely related to the issue of minorities and computer science, namely, the digital divide (NTIA, 1999), or the underparticipation of minorities with computers and related technologies. There are three questions that I believe are central to this problem: � How can we ensure that minorities have equal opportunity to use computers? � How can we encourage minorities to use computers and pursue computer-related careers? � How can we ensure that computer education recognizes diverse pathways to knowing, thinking, teaching, and learning, particularly as it relates to minorities? The first question is an issue of access. Very simply, we must ensure that minorities have the opportunity to use computers. Without access to a computer, many of the remaining issues are moot. There are a number of initiatives being undertaken to address this problem by the government, corporations, private foundations, and non-profit organizations. The second question is an issue of relevance and motivation. We must provide the proper encouragement for minorities to use computers and pursue computer-related careers. Failure to do so nullifies the benefits of access, and renders the remaining question as irrelevant. We must identify the social, psychological, and cultural reasons why some minorities are not motivated to use computers and pursue computer-related careers, and outline how these obstacles can be overcome. The third question is an issue of pluralism. We must ensure that computer education recognizes diverse pathways to knowing, thinking, teaching, and learning, particularly as it relates to minorities, and propose strategies to address these epistemological and pedagogical concerns. Each of these questions denotes an important and interrelated issue pertaining to minorities and computers. Improvements in one area will undoubtedly cause improvements in others. By providing access we may spark motivation. By embracing pluralism we may increase motivation. By addressing motivation we may encourage access. Naturally, it is by making comprehensive improvements in all of these areas that the greatest progress will be achieved.   less

AISICS is a free two-week residential summer program where students will work with professors, college students, and invited American Indian community members to develop interactive story projects that combine computer game techno  ... more

AISICS is a free two-week residential summer program where students will work with professors, college students, and invited American Indian community members to develop interactive story projects that combine computer game technology with traditional American Indian culture. At AISICS, students will learn about computer science and technology fields and they will be introduced to a university environment. Students will also have the opportunity to tour various departments at UCI so that they will be better informed when selecting a major. In the Communication Skills segment of the program, students will create videos to post on YouTube, give short presentations to other students, and complete a college application form. All students in the program will receive follow-up mentorship by UCI staff and students throughout their remaining years of high school, which will include guidance in choosing their coursework, financial aid, and applying to a university.   less

This ACM web site provides key information about opportunities in computing. The web site includes information on educational pathways, job opportunities, and skills matching for a wide variety of computing careers. It also includ  ... more

This ACM web site provides key information about opportunities in computing. The web site includes information on educational pathways, job opportunities, and skills matching for a wide variety of computing careers. It also includes a downloadable student brochure.   less

Ethnomathematics is the study of mathematical ideas and practices situated in their cultural context. Culturally Situated Design Tools (CSDTs) are web-based software application that allow students to create simulations of cultura  ... more

Ethnomathematics is the study of mathematical ideas and practices situated in their cultural context. Culturally Situated Design Tools (CSDTs) are web-based software application that allow students to create simulations of cultural arts -- Native American beadwork, African American cornrow hairstyles, urban graffiti, and so forth -- using these underlying mathematical principles. This article is a review of the anthropological issues raised in the CSDT project: negotiation the representations of cultural knowledge during the design process with community members, negotiation pedagogical features with math teachers and their students, and reflecting on the software development itself as a cultural construction. The move from ethnomathematics to ethnocomputing results in an expressive computational medium that affords new opportunities to explore the relationship between youth identity and culture, the cultural construction of mathematics and computing, and the formation of cultural and technological hybridity.   less

The Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program aims to significantly increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents receiving post secondary degrees in the computing disciplines, with an emphasis on students  ... more

The Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program aims to significantly increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents receiving post secondary degrees in the computing disciplines, with an emphasis on students from communities with longstanding underrepresentation in computing: women, persons with disabilities, and minorities. Included minorities are African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The BPC program seeks to engage the computing community in developing and implementing innovative methods to improve recruitment and retention of these students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Because the lack of role models in the professoriate can be a barrier to participation, the BPC program also aims to develop effective strategies for encouraging individuals to pursue academic careers in computing and become these role models. There are three components to the BPC program: Alliances. Broad Alliances of institutions and organizations will design and carry out comprehensive programs that address underrepresentation in the computing disciplines. Alliances will join academic institutions of higher learning with secondary (and possibly middle) schools, government, industry, professional societies, and other not-for-profit organizations. In most cases, Alliances will involve multiple academic institutions of higher learning. Together, the participants will (1) develop and implement interventions that support students, (2) create sustainable changes in culture and practices at the institutional, departmental, and organizational levels, and (3) serve as models and repositories for effective practices to broaden participation. The emphasis will be on activities that have significant impact both in the quality of opportunities afforded to students and in the number of students potentially served. While the focus is on implementations, an Alliance may include complementary research that informs the design of its activities. The leveraging of existing efforts both across and within the underrpresented communities is strongly encouraged. Alliance Extensions. Successful BPC Alliances can propose additional funding to significantly expand the impact of their work. The new funding can overlap with the final year of the Alliance project and can extend it for up to two years. Extensions must increase not just the duration of the Alliance award but also its scope, introducing additional targeted student groups, partners, and/or projects. Demonstration Projects. Demonstration Projects (DPs) are smaller in scope and narrower in focus than Alliance projects. Typically DPs will be pilots of innovative programs that, once fully developed, could be incorporated into the activities of an Alliance. Projects might, for example, be proposed by a single institution or might focus on a specific underrepresented community, a specific point in the academic pipeline, or on a specific impediment to full participation in computing. As in the case of Alliances, complementary, well-defined research aimed at informing the development of the project can be included.   less

Demonstration Projects (DPs) are focused initiatives in broading participation in computing. Typical DPs pilot innovative programs that, once fully developed, could be incorporated into the activities of an Alliance or otherwise s  ... more

Demonstration Projects (DPs) are focused initiatives in broading participation in computing. Typical DPs pilot innovative programs that, once fully developed, could be incorporated into the activities of an Alliance or otherwise scaled for widespread impact. Projects might, for example, be proposed by a single institution or might focus on a single underrepresented community, a single point in the academic pipeline, or a single impediment to full participation in computing.   less

The Computer Science Collaboration Project aims to efficiently increase participation of underrepresented groups in computer science opportunities and activities by effectively building collaborations between K-12 education, commu  ... more

The Computer Science Collaboration Project aims to efficiently increase participation of underrepresented groups in computer science opportunities and activities by effectively building collaborations between K-12 education, community-based organizations, higher education and industry. Project activities include in-person and online collaboration opportunities, mini-grants as an incentive for collaborative projects, and dissemination of exemplary practices via a Web site, webcasts, and in professional development events.   less