Solo versus Supported: How Computing Students Experience Belonging and Non-Belonging
Conference
Lunn, SJ, Rahman, F, Billionniere, EV et al. (2026). Solo versus Supported: How Computing Students Experience Belonging and Non-Belonging
. 410-419. 10.1145/3796496.3811769
Lunn, SJ, Rahman, F, Billionniere, EV et al. (2026). Solo versus Supported: How Computing Students Experience Belonging and Non-Belonging
. 410-419. 10.1145/3796496.3811769
Sense of belonging plays a critical role in whether computing students feel supported and persist in their programs. However, these experiences are unevenly distributed, particularly for students from historically marginalized groups. This qualitative study analyzes 315 computing student responses across three institutions to examine how students describe belonging and non-belonging in academic, social, and institutional contexts. Guided by Community Cultural Wealth and a capacity-based approach, our reflexive thematic analysis highlights how interactions with instructors, peers, and computing cultures shape students' perceptions of belonging. The findings characterize belonging as dynamic and context-dependent, identifying equity-relevant opportunities for fostering more inclusive computing environments.
