Actively Recruit Girls to CS

1. Actively Recruit Girls to CS Joanne McGrath Cohoon UVA Associate Professor NCWIT Senior Research Scientist Michigan Tapestry Workshop August 2, 2012

2. Following up on Self-Affirmation • Identify your most important value(s) • E.g., relationships with friends, family, being good at ** • Write a paragraph about why this value is important to you

3. Girls studied computing when they had • Positive early experiences • Positive female role models • Adult encouragement • Information tying computing to existing values / interests

4. Provide intentional role models

5. Support and encourage Cheering works! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gQ84-vWNGU Cohoon, 2006

6. Actively Recruit using messages that counter stereotypes without repeating them

7. Useful messages for recruiting women & minority men

8. Conditions needed for choice Expectation of success is crucial

9. Ignite your students’ interest

10. Girls morethan boys are interested in • Helping people • Saving the planet

11. An example for those interested in health fields

12. An example for those interested in fashion or helping the handicapped

13. Help girls get what they want • Belong, with potential to have status in group • NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing • Recruit groups instead of individuals • Fulfill role - conform to expectations • Computing is social • Computing helps people • Computing helps the nation • Computing lets you give back to your community

14. Effective messages depend in part on culture • Flexibility: industry, geographic • Socially relevant • Work with others • Time with family • Job projections • High salaries • Satisfied professionals

15. Computer Scientists work in every industry Source: dotdiva.org

16. Computing offers exciting work that affects our world and the people in it • Create technology for • Tracking endangered dolphins • Mobile forensics labs for instant analysis at crime scenes • GPS systems that guide blind people • Scanning DNA for childhood diseases • Designing and displaying new fashions • Restoring and preserving art work Source: dotdiva.org

17. Computer Scientists give back to their communities • Technology for human rights • Design secure databases to record human rights abuses while shielding the identities of victims or witnesses • Create tools that help ordinary people collect extraordinary amounts of money for important causes

18. Best Jobs in America 2011 • Software Engineer • Mathematician • Actuary • Statistician • Computer Systems Analyst • According to CareerCast

19. Take care what you communicate • Beware of communicating or reinforcing stereotypes • Avoid comparisons of girls with boys • Refrain from implying only geniuses succeed in CS Do many young women want to turn into Dilbert, a nerd, a geek?? Who will think your joke is funny?

20. May actually create stereotypes Forget details Once implanted, difficult to dislodge Avoid mythbusting, geeks, cubicles, code monkeys, … “I’ve heard that before so it must be true” See “How Warnings about False Claims Become Recommendations” www.acrwebsite.org/topic.asp?artid=250

21. Messages Embedded in Activities, Messenger, Images • Robots • Saving lives v. fun or competition • Young women talking to girls • Greater sense of “possible self” • Greater chance that language choices and understanding will be similar • Photos on posters • People rather than things • Teams that are mostly girls

22. Convey Your Message • Go where the capable students are • Recruit friendship groups to avoid isolation • Personally extend invitations – “You’d be great at this” • “Use your love of math…” Sell it!

23. Overcome objections • Use student’s name • Assure student s/he can succeed (if you believe that) • Listen, acknowledge student’s expressed beliefs – “I understand why you think that CS is …” • Offer persuasive evidence – “… but can I show you the actual numbers?” or “but can I tell you about my former students?” • Don’t let refusal be permanent – “Can we talk again before you choose your courses for next year?”

24. Introductory courses are crucial • Use the course as a recruiting tool • Inclusive pedagogy • Tie concepts to interesting uses • Inhibit grandstanding • Collaborative learning • Encourage!! See practice sheets on Harvey Mudd & UVA successes

25. Consider Influencers Parents’ Ranking of Hopes for Kids • Sons • Persevere to meet future family responsibilities • Daughters • Be happy in career choice

26. Inform & enlist guidance counselors • NCWIT C4C campaign equips counselors • Up-to-date information • Resources for effective advising Brought to you by the K-12 Alliance of NCWIT

27. Gender & Computing Joanne McGrath Cohoon UVA Associate Professor NCWIT Senior Research Scientist

29. Finally • Remember to track and report your outcomes

30. Now that you knowGo beyond the already interested Get more and diverse students

31. Role play conversation with student

32. NCWIT is the National Center for Women & Information Technology Mobilizing for Change: NCWIT Our coalition includes more than 250 universities, corporations, and non-profits.