Exploring the Needs and Preferences of Underrepresented Minority Students for an Intelligent Virtual Mentoring System

Abstract

Many reports highlight a significant lack of minority representation in graduate computing programs. However, effective mentorship has been heavily documented in research as pivotal for students aspiring to persist and excel in computing. Research suggests that virtual mentoring, a form of mentorship between a human user and a computer/software agent, viably supplements existing mentoring practices, which removes the inconveniences of meeting in-person and addresses the lack of willing and suitable mentors. The aim of this research is to develop an intelligent virtual mentoring system (VMS) and to help prepare minority students for matriculation through graduate computing school. In order to design and develop an effective intelligent virtual mentoring system, it is critical to improve the understanding of existing mentoring relationships and user preferences. This paper presents findings from focus groups with minority graduate students and explores their needs and preferences in a mentor.