First-year undergraduate computer science students have less investment in the field, making switching to another field of study an easier decision. This study extends understanding of undergraduate women students' experiences in computer science by spotlighting the development or lack of development of peer relationships in the first year of study and how these relate to in-class experiences. Interviews with 36 demographically diverse women from 22 U.S. campuses revealed that classroom teaching practices encourage or discourage development of community and belonging, that peer interactions shape positive and negative perceptions of self-efficacy, and that in the absence of formal curricular interaction, some students sought belonging in extracurricular activities unrelated to their computing major. A fifth of the students described exclusionary behaviors that also influenced sense of belonging, while many more experienced inclusionary behaviors. The poster describes the study, its findings, and relationship to existing research, and concludes with a discussion of implications for CS first-year student experiences.

Black women are significantly underrepresented in computer sci- ence, which limits the field's diversity and innovation. Existing university programs often lack cultural relevance, making interven- tions that resonate with Black women's experiences crucial. This paper details the auto-ethnographic design and implementation of a multi-modal community during the 2023-24 academic year at a predominantly white institution in the U.S. Designed by a Black woman, the community aimed to increase participation and support for Black undergraduate women in computing. The virtual commu- nity grew, with increasing engagement in in-person events. The paper explores the cultural foundations, design process, challenges, and recommendations for expanding similar interventions across other institutions

This work details an experimental study to test an educational method in introductory programming designing around interdisciplinary transfer between algebra and computer science to target several problems commonly identified by researchers: Unoptimized cognitive load, low self-efficacy, difficulties with conceptual understanding of generality and abstraction (parameters, functions, variables), and programming skill.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly critical component of not only the computing workforce but also society. It is essential for a diverse group of young people to contribute to this field. However, even within computing, AI is not taught to all post-secondary students. Students often must self-select into AI courses, meaning their reasons for choosing AI may be based on preconceptions of the discipline that may or may not be accurate. We extend the work of a small-n interview study of primarily Asian/Asian American undergraduate students, many of whom expressed perceptions of AI that paralleled identified computing stereotypes. Many of these stereotypes have the potential to discourage undergraduate computing students to take classes or specialize in AI, particularly those from underrepresented groups. Here we present a larger scale validation of those findings in the form of survey data conducted at a large public research institution in the USA. The survey largely confirmed the findings of the interview study at a larger scale, and we also found that gender did not significantly influence the results. Finally, we discuss strategies for AI integration into non-AI computing courses based on those previously used in responsible computing contexts, the goal being to counter harmful preconceptions before students specialize into computing subareas.

Cybersecurity expertise continues to be relevant as a means to confront threats and maintain vital infrastructure in our increasingly digitized world. Public and private initiatives have prioritized building a robust and qualified cybersecurity workforce, requiring student buy-in. However, cybersecurity education typically remains siloed even within computer and information technology (CIT) curriculum. This paper's goal is to support endeavors and strategies of outreach to encourage interest in cybersecurity. To this end, we conducted a survey of 126 CIT students to investigate student perceptions of cybersecurity and its major crosscutting concepts (CCs). The survey also investigates the prevalence of preconceptions of cybersecurity that may encourage or dissuade participation of people from groups underrepresented in computing. Regardless of prior learning, we found that students perceive cybersecurity as a relatively important topic in CIT. We found student perspectives on conceptual foundations of cybersecurity were significantly different (p < .05) than when simply asked about "cybersecurity," indicating many students don't have an accurate internal construct of the field. Several previously studied preconceptions of cybersecurity were reported by participants, with one misconception - that cybersecurity "requires advanced math skills" - significantly more prevalent in women than men (p < .05). Based on our findings, we recommend promoting cybersecurity among post-secondary students by incorporating elements of cybersecurity into non-cybersecurity CIT courses, informed by pedagogical strategies previously used for other topics in responsible computing.

The use of synchronous remote learning (SRL) by computing departments to teach classes is increasing. This paper reports survey results of U.S. computing students from 53 classes offered by in 21 U.S. institutions, assessing the extent to which SRL fulfilled their need for social connection. A reliable social presence importance composite variable was created from nine survey questions. Across all demographic categories, respondents report social presence is important and that in-person instruction is easier to accomplish it. Being able to safely sense and engage with peers socially and intellectually is both perceived as important and easier in in-person classes. Students were more likely to prefer the in-person setting for social expression, getting to know other students, and feeling an obligation to engage. A small majority of students prefer in-person learning to remote learning, with 66% finding it easier to learn in person and 47% stating that they would take all classes in person if given the option. Consistent with prior research, students older than 24 showed greater preference for SRL instruction (p<.001).

When faculty behaviors foster students' sense of belonging in class, students report better learning experiences and are more likely to remain in the major. Sense of belonging is the feeling of being a valued and legitimate member of a community. Understanding teacher immediacy behaviors that cultivate belonging in postsecondary synchronous remote classrooms is important for retaining students in computing, where remote coursework is increasingly used to address increases in enrollment. This paper reports on an exploratory, survey-based study on the relationship between instructor immediacy behaviors and use of conferencing software features (e.g., chat, breakout rooms) with student sense of belonging in synchronous remote learning environments. Responses from 125 computing students from approximately 53 courses across the US show that students feel a moderate sense of belonging in their courses, with no differences found across demographic groups. Belonging was found to have a strong relationship with students' overall opinions of their courses and their likelihood of completing the major. Students' camera preferences and instructor camera requirements had no effect on belonging. A regression analysis showed that no tool use variables predicted student sense of belonging. However, two teacher immediacy behaviors, setting aside class time to talk about upcoming course content and use of humor, were significantly associated with an increase in sense of belonging.

Computing departments increasingly use synchronous remote learning (SRL) to offer courses. This poster reports on initial survey results to better understand undergraduate computing students' experiences with SRL as compared to in-person educational environments, particularly the extent to which SRL fulfilled their needs for developing social bonds with faculty and other students. Regardless of demographic categories, students feel that social presence factors in classes are important and find in-person environments better at accommodating them.