2022 EDSIG Proceedings: Abstract Presentation

Building an Inclusive Information Systems Program: An Assessment and Expansion of Initial Interventions

Laura Atkins
College of Business

Danielle Gallagher
James Madison University

Amy Connolly
James Madison University

Even as faculty develop increased awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues, there is near-universal agreement that Computer Information Systems (CIS) programs in higher education lack diversity (Dunaway et al., 2021) and that traditional teaching models may feel exclusionary to students, especially those from underrepresented populations in the discipline (Wijeratni et al., 2022). Our CIS undergraduate program is no different. Undergraduates at our university are 60% female, yet women make up only 21% of our CIS students; 35% are non-white. Students who begin the program are generally successful; the issue is that few underrepresented students declare a CIS major. According to Strayhorn, a “sense of belonging is a basic human need and motivation, sufficient to influence behavior” (2019). Without a sense of belonging, students may develop a negative perception of a major, decreasing their motivation and leading them to choose a different major. We have identified interventions to increase student-student interactions and create a sense of community so that all students feel like they belong.

Research indicates that a perceived lack of community results in fewer women choosing computing careers (Sax et al., 2018; Simon et al., 2017). With current enrollments, some students in our program may not experience a sense of community, yet “fostering a community of learners will create a comfortable, supportive environment where students can take more control of their learning” (Wijeratni et al., 2022).

We developed a community of learners by encouraging self-selection into one section of our introductory programming class, resulting in higher percentages of women and minority students. Student reported increased feelings of belonging as they identified more closely with others in the room. We compared results to “regular” sections and will determine whether the community has persisted as students move through the curriculum.

In Fall 2022 we are introducing two additional interventions to support students more fully and remove grading bias in the introductory programming class.

Historically we’ve offered 2 hours of tutoring once per week. While developing “undergraduates as ‘junior professors’ to teach, monitor, and provide guidance for their peers” has been shown to “increase students’ engagement in their own learning” (Kuh et al., 2010), our model fell short. “Peer interactions can produce or inhibit sense of belonging, [so] it is critical for college student educators to encourage positive interactions among students (Strayhorn, 2019). We will significantly increasing coverage hours with a Learning Assistant program where undergraduate students will hold office hours; students can attend office hours as needed for additional support.

An auto grader will help us eliminate bias in test grading. The auto grader allows grading answers as a group, which removes the potential of unfair treatment of any student. We plan to expand the use of the auto grader to cover programming assignments in future semesters.

In this presentation we will share our findings from the first two semesters of having a specially designated section, as well as details and early results from the Learning Assistant program and the auto grader.

Friday at 4:35 pm