Developing and Measuring the Adoption of Identity-Inclusive Computing Tenets

Abstract

This work-in-progress paper discusses the design of an instrument that examines how K-16 computing educators, staff, and advocates incorporate the identity-inclusive computing (IIC) tenets developed by the Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education (AiiCE) into curricula, departmental policies, and individual practices. IIC defines how identity (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, socioeconomic status, and their intersections) impacts and is impacted by computing. This area aims to infuse more social science-related topics into computing, with the goal of fostering more equitable and inclusive academic environments for students from marginalized identities. Using identity-inclusive interventions that decenter students from marginalized groups, the work of AiiCE targets the people (K-16 educators and peers), policies, and practices impacting them.

As IIC continues to grow in the K-16 computing community, AiiCE developed a set of tenets to guide strategic planning, resource allocation, and collective action to increase the representation, power, and protection of marginalized people in computing. The tenets were developed in 2022 and focus on three areas: K-12 and postsecondary policy, professional development, and curricula and pedagogy.

With the release of the tenets to the greater computing community, a means for measuring how IIC is demonstrated was also necessary. This work focuses on the design and development of a novel instrument that captures how the computing community incorporates these IIC tenets (if at all) and/or any barriers preventing the incorporation of more. The instrument includes both closed and open-ended responses, and it was designed and distributed in the fall 2023 semester across various computing and STEM education-based listservs and networks. In this work, we discuss motivation as well as instrument design, development, and preliminary results. We also discuss challenges identified, lessons learned, and next steps for this work, including instrument updates and applications to the greater STEM community.

This instrument serves several important purposes. It is the first of its kind to examine if/how IIC is incorporated into the computing community. Additionally, data from this instrument will provide a baseline for the current state-of-the-field, with respect to equity, justice, and inclusion-centered actions and policy. Finally, it provides a means for assessing the direct and indirect impact of the growing AiiCE network on broadening participation in computing. We anticipate that the results from this survey will better inform the greater computing community of IIC successes, challenges, and growth opportunities. Ultimately, we aim for the broader STEM community to be informed and find benefit from this work to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive STEM academic environments.

Citation

Prefontaine, B. E., & Washington, A. N., & Daily, S. B., & Blaser, B., & Goode, J., & Barr, V. B. (2024, June), Work in Progress: Developing and Measuring the Adoption of Identity-Inclusive Computing Tenets Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--48347

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