HSI Implementation and Evaluation: Bridging the Gap: Designing a Technology Learning Community Integrating Computational Thinking to Improve STEM Engagement Across Disciplines

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 2 project aims to create a Technology Learning Community that integrates Computational Thinking into both formal classroom-based and informal co-curricular learning environments to mitigate the intimidation barriers encountered by the HSI students in STEM. While computational fields and careers are the focus of the 21st century, many minority students and women are still underrepresented in STEM, which can impact innovation.

Research shows this is often due to lack of confidence and self-efficacy. This project will create a generalizable and effective model that will enable Hispanic, URM, and female-identified students to gain the self-efficacy needed to persist in STEM/allied fields by combining Computational Thinking within both formal and informal learning. Involving both Computer Information Systems (CIS) and non-CIS majors (i.e., social science and business), this technology focused learning community will improve the student's problem-solving skills and innovation.

By infusing Computational Thinking into both CIS and non-CIS courses, providing students access to solve real-world problems via Hack-a-thons and Make-a-thons, as well as providing faculty training - this project will improve persistence, retention, and increased interest of URM/women students in STEM/allied fields promoting innovation.

The goal of the project is to create an inclusive Technology Learning Community (TLC) to increase student efficacy, STEM engagement, STEM interest, and persistence, through three objectives: (1) Integrate Computational Thinking in CIS and non-CIS courses using real world problems to introduce concepts such as Artificial Intelligence Ethics and Data Science. (2) Bridge formal to informal learning through a hybrid Success and Innovation Lab, Hack-A-thons, and collaborative Make-a-thon Projects for Social Good, supported by faculty, peer mentors, and industry experts. (3) Expand Computational Thinking Across Disciplines by training faculty across both CIS and non-CIS disciplines (such as Business, Social Sciences). The project will study how to combine Computational Thinking and Project-based learning to link formal classroom activities to informal learning engaging a total of 600 HSI students.

This project will facilitate relationships and engagements by incorporating local business and incubator partnerships. This intervention conducts research on whether a TLC that increases participation in STEM by engaging diverse students in learning across disciplines can meet three major needs: increasing retention and persistence, reducing the STEM intimidation barrier, and filling a gap for interdisciplinary learning communities.

Achieving these aims, given the diverse nature and context of the HSIs, requires innovative approaches that incentivize institutional and community transformation and promote fundamental research (i) on engaged student learning,(ii) about what it takes to diversify and increase participation in STEM effectively, and (iii) that improves our understanding of how to build institutional capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also draw from these approaches to generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.

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.