An introductory course format for promoting diversity and retention

Abstract

We report on a pilot section of an introductory computing course offered at a top tier university through its engineering school. Although targeted for students with no prior programming experience, its goals were same as the goals of the other sections. The course enrolled 43 students. They were 49% female, 23% black, and 12% Hispanic. The demographics are different from the typical 1st year class at the school, which is 26% female, 6% black, and 3% Hispanic. Two important pedagogies differentiated the pilot section from other sections: computer availability at all class meetings and the methodology for selecting motivating examples. A priori only one student in the section intended a computing major, but upon completion the students chose a computing major at a higher rate than the rates for other sections: 19% versus 13%. More striking is that 33% of the pilot section women and 27% of its minority students chose a computing major. All students completed the course and no student left the school. These outcomes compare favorably to a school course withdrawal rate of 12% and a school attrition rate of 10%, a female attrition rate of 12%, and a minority rate attrition of 25%. Copyright 2007 ACM.