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Case Study

Better Outcomes for Black Students in Computer Science Through Mentoring

In 2015, MentorNet, Great Minds in Stem, Pollinate, and iAAMCS worked together to amass the experiences of Black students in computing sciences across America. The result was educational content to prepare mentors to partner with Black students and to provide the students themselves the opportunity to hear other people’s stories and add their own. These materials are of high quality and impact, and can provide a good background on the Black experience in STEM fields.

Quote from Jess, grad student, "Not one person encouraged me to come to grad school."

The Challenge

While Black people account for ~13% of the total U.S. population, they account for less than 2% of enrollment in Computer Science Master’s programs, and less than 1.5% of enrollment in PhD programs. The Institute for African-American Mentoring in Computing Sciences (iAAMCS) partnered with Pollinate Networks, Great Minds in STEM, and MentorNet to produce a set of perspective-taking materials for mentors based on the lived experience of recent Black graduates in Computing Sciences. Partially funded by The National Science Foundation, the goal of USES (Using Student Experiences to improve Student experiences), a sub-project of iAAMCS, is to impact advisor perspective-taking by sharing the realities of being underrepresented in a graduate program. 

Great Minds in STEM, MentorNet, Pollinate, iAAMCS logo group.

Pollinate Approach:

  • Worked with recently graduated computer science students to gather first hand accounts of their experiences in STEM education programs.
  • Research conducted to determine unconscious biases and what strategies can be deployed to overcome these biases.
  • Engaged non-black mentors to understand how they are working with Black students and how the role of unconscious bias affects their abilities to work effectively with Black students as they navigate their education pathway.
  • Engaged a vast target audience of Black Students, Community Leaders, and Academia professionals in feedback surveys to understand how our research was aligning with their experiences and if they found the content to be useful.

Highlights

Engaged a diverse group of Black students in STEM to capture their lived experiences

Produced one of the first online resources for mentors highlighting undocumented realities

Undocumented Realities module screens.

Results

  • Created a 25-minute self-paced online learning module called ‘Undocumented Realities of African American Students in Computer Science’ that frames stereotype threat and unconscious bias through real personal stories from previous graduate students.
  • Presented an abstract of the Undocumented Realities module titled "Using Student Experiences to improve Student Experiences: Increasing the Quality of Mentoring Through Perspective-Taking" at RESPECT21 (Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology), an annual conference, and the premier venue for research on equity, inclusion and justice in computing and computing education.
  • Positioned the Undocumented Realities module with academic mentors as a key tool for combating unconscious bias and stereotype threat as methods for improving students’ experiences and interactions.
  • Provided a tangible resource for improving mentors and advisors efficacy when supporting mentees with diverse backgrounds.
  • Encouraged the practice of sharing experiences to empower mentees, and create higher quality conversations even where the mentoring relationship is online.
  • In 2019, Black students accounted for approximately only 5% of Bachelor enrollment, less than 2% of Master’s program enrollment, and roughly 1.5% of Ph.D program enrollment.
  • When we turn our eye to degrees awarded, representation declines further. Black students receive just over three percent of Computer Science Bachelors degrees, just over one percent of Master’s degrees, and one percent of Ph.Ds.

Feedback from Students

“Sometimes I haven’t known if I was experiencing pushback and roadblocks because of color or because of gender - being Black or being female - but there was definitely a bias. But in undergrad is where I learned this, and picked up the tools that allowed me to survive.”

Elaine

Grad Student

“The other Black person, a good friend of mine, just graduated. It is inspiring to see people finish. That’s been the best encouragement for me. It’s good to get encouragement, and also someone to help you understand how to navigate the environment you are in.”

Nathan

Grad Student

“Not one person encouraged me to come to grad school … I had a few profs in undergrad who told me that my work and interests were ‘interesting’ and ‘promising’, but no one ever said, ‘Hey, you should pursue that’.”

Jesse

Grad Student

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