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Background: Those who participate in engineering are often assumed to be smart by others. At the same time, the cultural construction of what counts as “smart” is biased and therefore functions as a barrier to broadening participation in engineering. While considerable work has been done to understand engineering identity, how students understand themselves as smart is rarely made explicit in engineering identity research. Purpose: This paper is a theoretical discussion which highlights the need for engineering identity research to integrate students’ understanding of themselves as smart. By not incorporating students’ understanding of themselves as smart explicitly in work on engineering identity, we allow the bias in what gets recognized as smart to remain implicit and oppressive. Scope: In this paper, we argue that the idea of smart is very salient in engineering contexts and contributes to inequity. Then, we demonstrate how three different framings of identity allow for the explicit integration of how students are understanding themselves as smart. We also present selected examples from our empirical data to illustrate the concrete ways in which students’ understandings of themselves as smart manifest in an engineering context. Conclusions: We provided explicit opportunities for researchers to integrate students’ understandings of themselves as smart across three different framings of identity and how such understanding has shown up in our empirical research. In doing so, we conclude that making “smart” explicit in engineering identity provides a way to understand the exclusionary nature of engineering, and a new lens to apply when considering efforts to broaden participation in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We detail our experience running an annual four-day workshop at the University of Minnesota, called the Mathematics Project at Minnesota (MPM). The workshop is for undergraduates who come from groups underrepresented in mathematics and aims to increase the participation and success of such groups in the mathematics major at the University. In this paper, we explain how MPM is organized, discuss its objectives, and highlight some of the sessions that we feel are emblematic of the program's success. The paper concludes with an analysis of achievements and obstacles in the programs' first three years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on data from the National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE-funded LATTICE program (Launching Academics on the Tenure-Track: an Intentional Community in Engineering) to examine how a diverse group of women worked across social and professional identities to support early-career women in academic engineering. We used ethnography to elucidate the social dynamics and power relations involved in forming a coherent group identity for the LATTICE leadership team, and the boundaries we negotiated in running the LATTICE program. We identify the processes and behaviors through which we made boundaries between members salient yet porous to build a coherent community across various dimensions of difference. We offer three actionable strategies that impact change agents' engagement and the group's coherence across multiple dimensions of difference: (1) intentionally creating a socio-emotional culture in our group, one that spans across group members' personal and professional identities; (2) validating other group members' perspectives, and (3) striving to build consensus using storytelling. These strategies of the LATTICE leadership team provide guidelines for others who work across intersecting dimensions of difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Context: Non-traditional training grounds such as coding boot camps that attract a higher proportion of women are important sites for understanding how to broaden participation in computing. Objective: This work aims to help us better understand the women choosing boot camps and their pathways through these camps and into the computing workforce. Method: This paper reports on a longitudinal, qualitative study investigating female boot camp attendees. Findings: Findings show that women attending boot camps are career changers that develop an interest in software development too late to major in CS, discovering a post-college enjoyment of programming undertaken to support work goals at a current job or an aspirational job. Implications: Women at boot camps illustrate a missed opportunity to diversify postsecondary CS classrooms when not recruited early, not given interdisciplinary options, not exposed to enjoyable programming tasks, and not exposed to the array and number of job prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culturally responsive computing (CRC) frames the localized knowledges and practices of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities as assets for working toward racial justice in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). A key part of CRC is the role that local communities play in designing and/or implementing curricula and technologies. Yet, there is a dearth of research on collaborating with local knowledge experts and what they think about CRC. In response, this paper details a two-year long research project on the design and implementation of one CRC program called pH Empowered. pH Empowered uses computing to bridge Black hairstyling, chemistry, and entrepreneurship. Through a mixed-methods study of one pH Empowered professional development workshop, we show how cosmetologists, urban farmers, and librarians had diverse perspectives about how to be culturally responsive with STEM and the racial justice goal of broadening participation in STEM education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Those who participate in engineering are often assumed to be smart by others. At the same time, the cultural construction of what counts as “smart” is biased and therefore functions as a barrier to broadening participation in engineering. While considerable work has been done to understand engineering identity, how students understand themselves as smart is rarely made explicit in engineering identity research. Purpose: This paper is a theoretical discussion which highlights the need for engineering identity research to integrate students’ understanding of themselves as smart. By not incorporating students’ understanding of themselves as smart explicitly in work on engineering identity, we allow the bias in what gets recognized as smart to remain implicit and oppressive. Scope: In this paper, we argue that the idea of smart is very salient in engineering contexts and contributes to inequity. Then, we demonstrate how three different framings of identity allow for the explicit integration of how students are understanding themselves as smart. We also present selected examples from our empirical data to illustrate the concrete ways in which students’ understandings of themselves as smart manifest in an engineering context. Conclusions: We provided explicit opportunities for researchers to integrate students’ understandings of themselves as smart across three different framings of identity and how such understanding has shown up in our empirical research. In doing so, we conclude that making “smart” explicit in engineering identity provides a way to understand the exclusionary nature of engineering, and a new lens to apply when considering efforts to broaden participation in engineering.

As new efforts seek to expand computer science education across the globe, there has been a widespread effort to prepare school teachers for teaching computer science to culturally and racially diverse students. This effort to center diversity and equity is notable as computer science courses are typically homogenous in terms of race and gender, making the need to center diversity in teacher education spaces. This paper reports on an ethnographic study in the United States that describes how teachers dialogue around issues of race and computer science education in a residential week-long professional development workshop. Drawing from the dialogue of a geographically, racially, and culturally diverse group of teachers, this article describes how teachers evade, deflect, center, and reflect on racially explicit discourse around teaching computer science. Grounded in vignettes from two teacher classrooms, this research study considers how culturally responsive computing and critical race theory can illuminate the ways in which teachers discuss race and culture in computer science professional learning environments. The study's findings demonstrate features of long-term professional preparation that can surface colorblind ideologies and help teachers move toward a culturally responsive pedagogy to teaching computer science. Abbreviations: CS - computer science ; PD - professional development ; CRT - critical race theory [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we provide a detailed account of how to implement a peer role model (PRM) program similar to the one that we developed at San Diego State University (SDSU) to broaden participation of college women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In particular, we summarize our findings of the PRM program's best practices, explaining how we recruit, select, and train PRMs, and giving a protocol for successful presentation and implementation of the program. We begin with some background information so that readers understand the rationale for developing the PRM program. We then offer a step-by-step guide to building a PRM program, so that educators and practitioners have a clear guide to follow when implementing their own PRM program. Our PRM program was facilitated by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF DRL 1535117) and the strong support from the mathematics department at SDSU. We recognize that not everyone interested in implementing their own PRM program has access to the same resources and that institutions may differ in the structure of their calculus sequence; hence, in the discussion section we provide some suggestions for how the PRM program's methodology might be adapted and scaled to other institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that computer and information technology occupations are expected to grow by 12% from 2018 to 2028, this will translate to an additional 546,200 new positions. The demand for skilled workers in the computing fields needs to be addressed to fill these positions with talent from diverse backgrounds. The diversity in the computing workforce will enrich the innovations developed and enhanced while ensuring fairness and representation of all groups. Colleges, universities, and boot camps are creating avenues to close the skill gap. However, the STEM fields, including computing, are shown to have barriers to entry for typically underrepresented groups. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded a five-year project to support Robert Morris University's efforts to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in the STEM fields. This paper will highlight the beginning stages of this project and add to the discussion on engaging low-income, academically talented community college transfer students in computing majors (cyber-forensics, computer information systems, data analytics or information science). Additionally, this paper will address the significant role of mentoring to help students achieve success in the STEM fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation of global scale diversity and inclusion efforts within engineering education. The content is an expansion of work that was shared at the 2015 World Engineering Education Forum's first special session on "Diversity & Inclusion in Global Engineering Education." Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) are contextualized topics that shift objectives from country to country. The role of D&I in engineering education and practice has gained prominence in recent years due to the fact that engineers are facing increased need for global collaboration and are expected to be able to work in highly diverse teams and within different cultures. D&I initiatives in the field of engineering generally include gender, ethnicity, and national origin, and may include persons who are economically underprivileged and persons with disabilities. While the prominence of D&I has increased, international learning outcomes and collaborations within these efforts are limited. Within a global community a common platform, presented here as a theoretical framework for decontextualized D&I, would allow for the sharing of best practices and maximize learning opportunities and impact. By examining models from around the world, we can begin to structure, consolidate, optimize, and disseminate the global benefits of D&I. In this work, various programs are reviewed as success cases because they have increased the numbers of underrepresented students who enroll in and graduate from STEM programs. The potential for solidarity amongst Diversity & Inclusion initiatives and programs in different regions of the world is explored. Efforts are made to determine what can be learned from synergies across D&I activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer science (CS) education is plagued by a gender divide, with few girls and women participating in this high-status discipline. A proven strategy to broaden participation for girls and other underrepresented students interested in CS is the availability of teacher preparation that requires classroom teachers to grow their knowledge of CS content as well as the pedagogical practices that enhance inclusive learning opportunities for historically underrepresented students. This case study describes the design and impact of an Online Professional Development (PD) for CS teachers, a year-long PD program aimed at broadening participation in the United States. Using survey and observation data from more than 200 participants over three years in PD settings, this paper examines how the design of an online learning community model of PD provides an inclusive venue for teachers to examine their belief systems, develop inclusive pedagogical practices, and collectively transform the culture of CS classrooms to places that support all learners. Findings suggest that purposeful facilitation creates a transformative culture of "shared experience" whereby facilitators and groups of teachers engage in collaborative lesson planning and debriefing discussions, in both synchronous and asynchronous sessions. This case study can inform other online PD efforts aimed at broadening participation in computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing efforts to broaden the participation of women and people of colour in engineering degree programmes and careers have had limited success. This paper describes a different approach to broadening participation that seeks to work with all students and develop inclusive engineering identities. Researchers worked with the instructors of two first-year engineering courses to integrate curriculum activities designed to promote the formation of engineering identities and build an appreciation for how diversity and inclusion strengthen engineering practice. Multilevel modelling results indicated positive effects of the intervention on appreciation for diversity but no effects on engineering identity, and qualitative results indicated students learned the most about diversity not through one of the intervention activities, but through team projects in the courses. We also describe lessons learned in how to teach engineering students about diversity in ways that are relevant to engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective way to increase the participation of historically excluded students in engineering education is through informal programming that covers science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study is part of a broader investigation conducted by Fletcher aimed at evaluating the programs offered by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) as part of the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) program at different sites. The study collected pre- and post-assessment data from 1235 girls across twelve sites to determine if there were significant differences in interest- and experience-related outcomes at single-gender and coeducation sites. The study found that the two single-gender sites out of the twelve sites had statistically significant differences in participant responses in favor of single-gender sites, with one site showing a significant association with overall enjoyment of the program. The study used social cognitive theory (SCT) and intersectionality to guide the research and found that the site type had a significant association with the results. These findings suggest the need for further exploration of the impact of site type within informal education programs, especially those targeting historically excluded populations in STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for outreach programs to attract a diverse range of students to the computing discipline. The lack of qualified computing graduates to fill the growing number of computing vacancies is of concern to government and industry and there are few female students entering the computing pipeline at high school level. This paper presents three outreach programs that have the underlying assumption that students need to be reminded about the creativity and potential of computing so that it remains on the radar of their future career options. Each program instigated social and cultural change through a paradigm shift where girls moved from being ICT consumers to ICT creators. By exposing students to a wide variety of ICT activities and careers during secondary schooling, they were more likely to consider studying information systems, computer science or any other computing course at the university level. Results are presented showing student attitudinal changes as well as observed increases in enrolments at secondary school and university courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bolstering transfer pathways to a 4-year degree can help fill the country's increasing need for innovative, diverse, skilled workers within engineering. Drawing on survey data from a sample comprised of a disproportionately large percentage of Hispanic/Latino students, this study focuses on understanding engineering transfer students' reasons for starting at a different institution. Financial/Affordability, Nonacademic Commitments, and Academic Flexibility were top reasons for starting at a different institution with multiple differences across subpopulations like Hispanic/Latino status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research question : For students enrolling in introductory computer science classes at community colleges, how did they experience the class in an emergency remote teaching environment, particularly in contrast to in-person instruction at the start of the semester? Methods : Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students from diverse backgrounds who were enrolled in introductory computer science at a community college in California during the first semester of online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounded theory data analysis was conducted on the interview data. Results : Students' overall educational trajectories were largely unchanged by the shift to emergency remote teaching. However, one crucial factor in many students' learning experiences was the lack of a physical transition to the campus and a corresponding transition into a school or studying mode supported by physically gathering with other students and away from distractions at home. Experiences in the classroom were found less engaging by many, and virtual interactions were sometimes awkward. Students struggled to get individualized help from instructors and campus resources and to interact with peers. Conclusions/Contributions : Instructors and administrators in community colleges need to be aware that the loss of college campus spaces and embodied peer interactions may pose an especially large barrier to success for the population they serve. An important takeaway for instructors is that the modalities and tools employed in emergency remote teaching are experienced quite differently by different students, and that additional supports, such as videotaped classes and flexibility in due dates, can be key for students' success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guest editors introduce best papers on broadening participation in computing from the RESPECT'15 conference. The five articles presented here are part two of a two-part series representing research on broadening participation in computing. These articles study participation in intersectional ways, through the perceptions and experiences of African-American middle school girls, the sense of belonging in computing for LGBTQ students, the impact of a STEM scholarship and community development program for low-income and first-generation college students, a leadership development program, and how African-American women individually take leadership to enable their success in computing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The guest editors introduce best papers on broadening participation in computing from the RESPECT'15 conference. The five articles presented here are part one of a two-part series representing research on broadening participation in computing at all levels of education: from K-12 schools through graduate school, with a focus on diversity with regard to gender, race, and ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Though minoritized undergraduate engineering students earn less than 25% of engineering bachelor's degrees, minority‐serving institutions (MSIs) are leading the way in producing a large percentage of those underrepresented engineering bachelor's degree holders. However, much of the published research about the experiences of underrepresented engineering students occurs within the context of predominantly White institutions. Upon deeper inspection into the apparent success of some MSIs, graduation rates of specific minoritized populations (e.g., Black students) remain critically low. This suggests that there is more to be learned about how to better support Black engineering students' success. Purpose: We explored the experiences of Black undergraduate engineering students at a large public doctoral university with very high research activity. Design/Method: We used interpretative phenomenological analysis to understand the experiences of eight participants. Findings: We inductively developed two themes to describe how Black engineering students experience success at a Hispanic‐serving institution, which include building success networks and implementing rules of engagement. Conclusion: Participants enacted their cultural capital to construct their circles of success through the intentional engagement of others, resources, and themselves to realize success. This work sheds light on how Black students describe what it means to be successful in their engineering environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Makingis a rapidly emerging form of educational practice that involves the design, construction, testing, and revision of a wide variety of objects, using high and low technologies, and integrating a range of disciplines including art, science, engineering, and mathematics. It has garnered widespread interest and support in both policy and education circles because of the ways it has been shown to link science learning to creativity and investigation. Making has taken root in out-of-school settings, such as museums, science festivals, and afterschool and library programmes; and there is now growing interest from primary and secondary educators in how it might be incorporated into the classroom. Making expands on traditions associated with Technology Education and Design-Based Learning, but differs in ways that can potentially broaden participation in science and STEM learning to include learners from communities historically underrepresented in STEM fields. STEM-Rich Making is centrally organised around design and engineering practices, typically integrating digital tools and computational practices, and positions scientific and mathematical concepts and phenomena as the materials for design. This paper takes a critical view of the claims about Making as a productive form of science teaching and learning, and reviews the current research literature’s substantiation of the ways in which Making supports students’ agency, promotes active participation in science and engineering practices, and leverages learners’ cultural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We examine the distribution of federal research and development funding across the academy early in the researcher's pipeline. We use a unique program, the US National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), to document diversity and disparity in allocation and assess the relative impact of federal funding across four different academic divisions that include engineering, life sciences, math and physical sciences, and social sciences and psychology. After controlling for disciplinary differences in research practices, we find that the impact of federal funding yields similar rates and impact of research. However, we document disparity in how federal funding is allocated across the country to institutions and individuals. Together, these findings prompt a discussion around the trade-offs of funders focusing on national priorities or broadening participation. We conclude with recommendations for the GRFP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, there has been a wealth of research on participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, but most research focuses on the implementation of programs and whether these programs work. Such research can be expanded and enhanced by considering geographic perspectives on participation in the STEM fields and by examining the factors that prevent participation in these fields. In this paper, we seek to examine geographic perspectives to broadening participation in the STEM fields in two ways. We first conduct a literature review on the geographical understanding of barriers and facilitators of higher education that encompasses underrepresented populations in STEM fields. Second, we present a case study that catalyzes geography and seeks to broaden participation in the STEM fields. Both the literature review and case study show the significance and the role played by place-based factors and approaches, spatial thinking and inquiry-based learning, and environmental education and civic engagement work in helping advance the science of broadening participation in STEM fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed methods case study presents the experience of a group of middle school students in a year-long, after-school computing programme in a large, inner-city school district in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this research is to explore informal educational strategies that are conducive at giving underrepresented minority youth access to information and communication technology tools and content. Results indicate that hands-on support from mentors, peer collaboration, and options for customising work and creating unique projects contributed positively to the student experience in the programme. This study suggests giving students more creative freedom, adequate scaffolding and the option for peer collaboration when working in informal learning environments. Results are specific to the context of the one school in which this pilot study was conducted, though the findings confirm the research of others in this area. Data sources included a perceptions survey, participant interviews and researcher observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As teachers work to broaden the participation of racially and ethnically underrepresented groups in computer science (CS), culturally responsive computing (CRC) becomes more pertinent to formal settings. Objective: Yet, equity-oriented literature offers limited guidance for developing deep forms of CRC in the classroom. In response, we support the claim that "it takes a village" to develop equity-oriented CS education but additively highlight the roles of cultural experts in the process. Methods: We use a case study methodology to explore one instance of this: a collaboration between a multi-racial team of researchers, a Black cosmetologist, and a White technology teacher. Findings: Three themes supported the CRC collaboration: multi-directional relationship building, iterative engagement with culture-computing, and collaborative implementation of a hybrid lesson. Implications: As opposed to orienting broadening participation around extractive metaphors like "pipelines," our case study constructs the metaphor of an "open village" to orient CS education toward collaborations between schools and the communities they serve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship in computer science (CS) education shifts from a focus on the technical-cognitive skills of computational thinking to the socio-cultural goal of computational participation, often illustrated as remixing popular media (e.g. music, photos, etc.) in online communities. These activities do enhance the participatory dimensions of CS, but whether they also support broadening the participation of underrepresented youth remains unclear. While online communities that are dedicated to computational participation have existed in the U.S. for over a decade, many communities of color remain underrepresented in CS disciplines. How might CS educators, researchers, and technologists promote culturally responsive forms of computational participation? To answer this question, we propose a culturally responsive framework for computational participation called generative computing. Generative computing approaches CS as a means for strengthening relationships between learning environments and local communities, leveraging culturally relevant sources of wealth generation in technology design and implementation. To explore this concept, we conducted a mixed-methods study with a cosmetology high school program that predominantly serves young African-American women. Through a series of computationally and culturally rich cosmetology projects, we tested our hypothesis that generative computing can enhance connections between Black heritage, CS, and cosmetology while supporting students' academic interests and knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To build educational capacity for the rapidly evolving science and profession of geocomputation, the American Association of Geographers piloted an Encoding Geography research-practice partnership (RPP) composed of geography and computer science educators and researchers. This commentary describes the process, known as Collective Impact, that was implemented to investigate the persistent problems of practice that have limited the participation of women and minorities in geocomputational education and careers. We also discuss the RPP's data-driven approach for developing an inclusive curriculum pathway aligned with student aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opportunities for marginalized students (such as women, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students, first-generation college students, LGBTQ+-identified individuals, and people/persons with disabilities) to engage in undergraduate research can help increase their persistence in STEM degrees and careers. The incorporation of citizen science projects into higher education provides unique opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in scientific research, yet there is still much to be learned about how students, especially those with marginalized identities, interact with and perceive citizen science in higher education settings. Our goal was to understand student perspectives on citizen science, examine connections between participation in citizen science and student interest and sense of belonging in science, and explore how this varies based on demographic attributes. We did this using a case study with a mixed-methods design: a survey of students at a large predominantly white institution (PWI) (n = 143) and interviews with a subset of citizen science participants (n = 6). Results indicate that participation in citizen science occurred both within and outside of traditional classroom settings. Citizen science was valued most by students with an existing interest in science, and students who participated in citizen science projects reported a stronger sense of belonging in science. Our study uncovered challenges and misconceptions related to citizen science participation within higher education settings, highlighting the need for a commitment to broadening participation. Additional investigations of student perspectives regarding citizen science could allow for broader engagement of citizen science projects in higher education, ultimately helping to retain marginalized students in STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the significant roles that faculty play, it is important to understand how and why engineering graduate students choose faculty careers over other professional opportunities. Yet little is known about this decision‐making process, particularly for students of color. Purpose This article offers a rich, empirically grounded account of the development of one graduate student's professorial intentions as a launch‐point from which to explore how to broaden participation in the professoriate among underrepresented students of color in engineering. Method: Narrative data were analyzed chronologically and thematically to investigate the influences that help explain Allen's professorial intentions. This study foregrounds Allen's meaning‐making pertaining to how his educational experiences and various identities shaped his evolving understandings of the professoriate and of his suitability for a faculty career. Results: Allen's journey describes a trajectory from disinterest to interest in the professoriate through his evolving understandings of the academy and the professoriate, the development of a faculty prototype and its role in his thinking about faculty norms and roles, and finally, envisioning himself in the professoriate. Conclusions: The underrepresentation of historically marginalized individuals among engineering faculty will remain a problem until more knowledge is gained about why students choose to pursue the engineering professoriate. Future studies that follow this line of inquiry by focusing on smaller numbers of participants may similarly identify key experiences and factors that promote interest in or turn students away from faculty careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past three decades, the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology (HF‐SRPE) has been at the forefront of expanding the ecological tent for minoritized or otherwise marginalized students. By broadening the definition of ecology to include fields such as data science, software engineering, and remote sensing, we attract a broader range of students, including those who may not prioritize field experiences or who may feel unsafe working in rural or urban field sites. We also work towards a more resilient society in which minoritized or marginalized students can work safely, in part by building teams of students and mentors. Teams collaborate on projects that require a diversity of approaches and create opportunities for students and mentors alike to support one another and share leadership. Finally, HF‐SRPE promotes an expanded view of what it means to become an ecologist. We value and support diverse career paths for ecologists to work in all parts of society, to diversify the face of ecology, and to bring different perspectives together to ensure innovations in environmental problem solving for our planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article develops a conceptual model of users' and designers' knowledge roles in the information and communication technology design process. The "ideal" center at the intersection of the axes for division of knowledge work and privileging of knowledges represents a balanced distribution of knowledge work between users and designers and an avoidance of privileging either group over the other. The article then applies this model to analyses of the design process for six video games wherein the knowledges of Indigenous peoples in North America were mobilized. It concludes by discussing implications for research and design practice, particularly for broadening the participation and self-articulation of marginalized groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dedicated science learning spaces such as science museums, science cafes, or science media attract mostly those who seek out science learning experiences. This self-selection represents a major challenge for broadening participation in informal science learning (ISL). In this study, we examine an approach to ISL that aims at reaching audiences who may not ordinarily engage with science. Termed Guerilla Science, this approach blends elements of access, by removing barriers to participation by embedding science into unexpected places, with those of inclusion, by designing activities that speak to the learning identities of participants. Our research investigated whether such ISL experience are indeed able to attract and engage 'new' audiences. In this study, Guerilla Science events were featured at the Oregon Eclipse Festival, a large multi-day music and arts festival. We conducted a multi-method study that included participants of the Oregon Eclipse Festival who engaged with Guerilla Science events, and those who did not, with a focus of understanding whether these two groups were different in key characteristics associated with their interest in, and engagement with science. The full range of festival goers, from those with little connection and interest in science to science enthusiasts, who participated in Guerilla Science, were similar to festival goers overall, indicating the effectiveness of the approach for engaging adults from beyond the science choir. Providing access points to science engagement within non-science cultural contexts and designing the science experiences to align with cultural identity of the audience represents an evidence-based practice for broadening participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 25 years, reforms in undergraduate biology education have transformed the way biology is taught at many institutions of higher education. This has been fueled in part by a burgeoning discipline-based education research community, which has advocated for evidence-based instructional practices based on findings from research. This perspective will review some of the changes to undergraduate biology education that have gained or are currently gaining momentum, becoming increasingly common in undergraduate biology classrooms. However, there are still areas in need of improvement. Although more underrepresented minority students are enrolling in and graduating from biology programs than in the past, there is a need to understand the experiences and broaden participation of other underserved groups in biology and ensure biology classroom learning environments are inclusive. Additionally, although understanding biology relies on understanding concepts from the physical sciences and mathematics, students still rarely connect the concepts they learn from other STEM disciplines to biology. Integrating concepts and practices across the STEM disciplines will be critical for biology graduates as they tackle the biological problems of the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While much is known about how Black students negotiate and navigate undergraduate studies, there is a dearth of research on what happens when these students enter graduate school. This article presents the results of a study of 21 Black male graduate students in engineering from one highly ranked research-intensive institution. This article provides evidence of structurally racialized policies within the engineering college (e.g., admissions) and racialized and gendered interactions with peers and advisors that threaten Black males’ persistence in engineering. We argue for taking an anti-deficit approach to understanding Black males’ persistence in engineering. We conclude with implications for policy, practice, and research that could further improve the scholarship and experiences of Black males in engineering graduate programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research foundations for broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and the workforce appear in several different strains of social science research. The science of broadening participation (SoBP) is necessary to inform a comprehensive understanding of what the pertinent issues are, why they occur, and how various organizations—in academia, business, and government—are creating pathways toward more diverse, inclusive, and productive entities. Inspired by and building upon the 2016 Symposium on the Science of Broadening Participation, this special issue is a compendium of articles that are representative of the various topics that formed the core of the discussions that took place and of recommendations that ensued from them. Focused on questions linked to increasing the participation and inclusion of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in STEM fields, matters related to frameworks, measurement, education, and the workforce were explored with the aim of SoBP delineation and the determination of research-based approaches for policy development and implementation. Moreover, a set of challenges is presented for scholars, analysts, and other stakeholders to pursue in furthering and supporting SoBP goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I describe how data and econometric methods can be used to study the science of broadening participation. I start by showing that theory can be used to structure the approach to using data to investigate gender and race/ethnicity differences in career outcomes. I also illustrate this process by examining whether women of color who apply for National Institutes of Health research funding are confronted with a double bind where race and gender compound their disadvantage relative to Whites. Although high-quality data are needed for understanding the barriers to broadening participation in science careers, it cannot fully explain why women and underrepresented minorities are less likely to be scientists or have less productive science careers. As researchers, it is important to use all forms of data—quantitative, experimental, and qualitative—to deepen our understanding of the barriers to broadening participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underserved and underrepresented communities have been studied from different perspectives. Nevertheless, until recently, little attention has been paid to integrating these different points of view into a cohesive discipline to support analyses of androcratic and gynocratic power asymmetries entrenched in social, cultural, and political institutions that result in governance policies that constrain the integration of underserved and underrepresented populations into the common weal. A framework for a science of broadening participation is presented that emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, methodological pragmatic, and a focus on the interdependencies among commodities, capabilities, and functionings to achieve human well-being a means to address the neglect of minority populations. Such a framework will not only support academic research but also the development of practical solutions by policy makers, educators, and workforce specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in science and technology (S&T) have fueled significant progress in modern society, creating greater demand for a skilled workforce. An important source for S&T talent is being missed due to the loss in greater numbers of people from underrepresented backgrounds such as women, ethnic and racial minorities, and people with disabilities. Progress has been realized in supporting underrepresented individuals (URIs) in S&T by creating strong support systems through same-identity or minority–majority communities such as the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing, Association of Women in Mathematics, Society of Women in Engineering, the Society of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, and many more. And yet there is a significant gap between the potential URIs in the S&T workforce and their actual presence. The time has come to expand diversity and inclusion efforts in mainstream scientific communities where professional lives and careers are played out. However, for real change to occur, we cannot just support the underrepresented; we need to transform mainstream communities into places where everyone is not just welcome but is thriving and productive. The easy part of this equation is to apply evidence-based methods for supporting URIs in mainstream communities. The hard part is transforming communities through education, empirical experiences, and sustained efforts that result in tangible benefits to all. This article explores issues and posits potential approaches to develop sustainable methods for broadening participation by transforming mainstream S&T communities through the normalization of inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The computer science (CS) education field is engaging in unprecedented efforts to expand learning opportunities in K-12 CS education, but one group of students is often overlooked: those with specific learning disabilities and related attention deficit disorders. As CS education initiatives grow, K-12 teachers need research-informed guidance to make computing more accessible for students who learn differently. This article reports on the first phase of a National Science Foundation-supported exploratory research study to address this problem. The authors present their education research-practice partnership, initial findings, and highlights of a collaborative process that has furthered their work to support more equitable learning in CS. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One important rationale for federal funding of social science research is its role in addressing pressing social problems. In this article we examine the impact of the National Science Foundation's Information Technology Workforce Program (ITWF) on broadening participation in computing and IT careers. Established in 2000 in response to the declining participation of women and minorities in computer science education and IT careers, the ITWF Program awarded almost US$30 million in research funding through its final solicitation in 2004. We document the quantitative and qualitative effects of this research funding, both to illustrate the complex ways in which R&D funding can advance scientific understanding and to identify the challenges that such problem-driven social science research may encounter. The problem of diversity in the IT workforce has not been solved. Nonetheless, the ITWF program had important effects on the understanding of this problem and efforts to address it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Pervasive computing research is often couched in socially relevant applications, yet we've largely failed to leverage its potential to excite and engage the public. By focusing research efforts on engaging everyday users as an essential part of research, design, and evaluation processes, the pervasive computing community can interest the masses while also increasing the quality and impact of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than 40 years, there has been a concerted national effort to promote diversity among the scientific research community. Yet given the persistent national-level disparity in educational achievements of students from various ethnic and racial groups, the efficacy of these programs has come into question. The current study reports results from a longitudinal study of students supported by a national National Institutes of Health—funded minority training program, and a propensity score matched control. Growth curve analyses using Hierarchical Linear Modeling show that students supported by Research Initiative for Science Excellence were more likely to persist in their intentions to pursue a scientific research career. In addition, growth curve analyses indicate that undergraduate research experience, but not having a mentor, predicted student persistence in science. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]