Impact of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) on Gender-inclusive Student Engagement in an Introductory Computer Programming Course Conference

Solis, T, Secules, S. (2024). Impact of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) on Gender-inclusive Student Engagement in an Introductory Computer Programming Course .

cited authors

  • Solis, T; Secules, S

abstract

  • Despite women representing more than half of the US population, they remain underrepresented in Computing fields. An introductory programming course (CS1) is critical for progression in the Computer Science (CS) degrees. It often presents challenges for retention and graduation, especially among underrepresented students. Previous research has indicated that women may be more likely to leave or lose interest in computing due to various challenges. The computing classroom culture needs to improve engagement and create a welcoming environment for women. As more schools are using peer instruction, such as LA (Learning Assistant), PLTL (Peer-Led Team Learning), and UTA (Undergraduate Teaching Assistants), some research indicates that such practice for recitation, laboratory sessions, and grading may promote engagement and improve the educational students' experiences, especially women. This study aims to determine whether using UTAs is an effective practice for underrepresented students and to identify strategies that UTAs can employ to enhance active engagement. The paper presents institutional data showing the outcomes of students in the programming sequence of the first three courses. This data includes a comparative analysis between classes with UTAs and those without UTAs. Institutional data supported our results of increased student retention in CS1 and progression to CS2 and CS3. We also discuss a qualitative research approach by observing classroom dynamics from video recordings depicting student interactions in computing. Our qualitative findings, informed by video recording observation, suggested positive experiences and comfort for the students in the class and the UTAs. Our findings point towards a future research agenda to investigate the classroom enactment of UTA instruction and the operationalization of inclusive classroom interactions.

publication date

  • June 23, 2024