Social-belonging Intervention in a Computer Science Systems Course

A brief social-belonging intervention was implemented in an upper level computer science (CS) course. This intervention uses storytelling to help improve a sense of belonging and establish the importance of persistence in the classroom. In previous experiments using this one-time intervention, there were significant results (Walton; Brady, 2017). Recent CS graduates were interviewed about their own struggles and failures in their computer science courses. These interviews were videotaped and edited to follow the storytelling pattern of a struggle, followed by an attribution, and concluding with redemption. Interviewees were selected to represent a diverse group of students including both dominant majority and under-represented minority populations. There were two groups of students, the first group took a systems course without seeing the storytelling videos and second group took a systems course where the storytelling videos were featured. There were approximately 390 computer science students enrolled over both semesters. Survey data was received from approximately 212 students which measured student's perception of their own belonging to the field of CS. Additionally, students were asked to respond to mock scenarios, gathering data on their attitudes and beliefs on how much other students belong in CS. Results are presented that describe how the control and intervention groups responded to the questions about their own sense of belong, as well as their opinion about who belongs in CS.