skip to main content
10.1145/3653666.3656089acmconferencesArticle/Chapter ViewAbstractPublication PagesrespectConference Proceedingsconference-collections
research-article

HBCU Students' Experiences with Data Structures and the Need for Equity Pedagogies

Published: 16 May 2024 Publication History

Abstract

Data structures are a known foundational topic for computing students. Thus, it is important to understand students' experiences, particularly minority students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This work discusses HBCU computing students' and alumni's experiences learning data structures and the potential of culturally sustaining pedagogy as a solution to improve those experiences. Our research shows that participants have negative experiences in data structure classes, leading to a lack of long-term understanding and frustration during learning. Students want and understand the importance of including culture in computing education despite little to no direct experience in their current education.

References

[1]
Eman Almadhoun and Jennifer Parham-Mocello. 2021. Exploratory Study on Accuracy of Students' Mental Models of a Singly Linked List. In 2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). IEEE, Lincoln, NE, USA, 1--9. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE49875.2021.9637318
[2]
Eman Almadhoun and Jennifer ParhamMocello. 2021. Identifying Student Misunderstandings About Singly Linked Lists in the C Programming Language. In 2021 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC). 1--9. https://doi.org/10.1109/VL/HCC51201.2021.9576162
[3]
Isis Artze-Vega and Patricia Elizabeth Delgado. 2019. Supporting faculty in culturally responsive online teaching: Transcending challenges and seizing opportunities. In Care and culturally responsive pedagogy in online settings. IGI Global, 22--40.
[4]
Takeria Blunt and Tamara Pearson. 2021. Exploring the Digital Identity Divide: A Call for Attention to Computing Identity at HBCUs. In Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education. ACM, Virtual Event USA, 640--646. https://doi.org/10.1145/3408877.3432459
[5]
Diana A. Chen, Susan M. Lord, Joel Alejandro Mejia, and Gordon D. Hoople. 2021. A Critical Reflection on the Challenges of Implementing Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. In 2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). IEEE, Lincoln, NE, USA, 1--5. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE49875.2021.9637339
[6]
Lori Patton Davis and Samuel D. Museus. 2019. What Is Deficit Thinking" An Analysis of Conceptualizations of Deficit Thinking and Implications for Scholarly Research. NCID Currents, Vol. 1, 1 (Nov. 2019). https://doi.org/10.3998/currents.17387731.0001.110
[7]
Amy Seely Flint and Wanda Jaggers. 2021. You matter here: The impact of asset-based pedagogies on learning. Theory Into Practice, Vol. 60, 3 (July 2021), 254--264. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2021.1911483
[8]
Geneva Gay. 2002. Culturally responsive teaching in special education for ethnically diverse students: Setting the stage. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, Vol. 15, 6 (2002), 613--629.
[9]
Geneva Gay. 2002. Preparing for Culturally Responsive Teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 53, 2 (2002), 106--116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053002003 _eprint: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053002003.
[10]
Juan E Gilbert, Wanda Eugene, Cheryl Swanier, Keena Arbuthnot, Stafford Hood, Michael McKenzie Grant, and Melanie L West. 2008. Culturally Relevant Design Practices: A Case Study for Designing Interactive Algebra Lessons for Urban Youth. Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 5, 3 (2008), 54--60.
[11]
Stuart Hall. 2015. " Cultural Identity and Diaspora. In Colonial discourse and post-colonial theory. Routledge, 392--403.
[12]
David James and Lelia Hampton. 2020. Using Black Music as a bridge to understanding introductory programming concepts. In 2020 Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT). IEEE, Portland, OR, USA, 1--4. https://doi.org/10.1109/RESPECT49803.2020.9272409
[13]
Revathy Kumar, Akane Zusho, and Rhonda Bondie. 2018. Weaving Cultural Relevance and Achievement Motivation Into Inclusive Classroom Cultures. Educational Psychologist, Vol. 53, 2 (April 2018), 78--96. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2018.1432361
[14]
Gloria Ladson-Billings. 1995. Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American educational research journal, Vol. 32, 3 (1995), 465--491.
[15]
Gloria Ladson-Billings. 2014. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix. Harvard Educational Review, Vol. 84, 1 (mar 2014), 74--84. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.p2rj131485484751
[16]
Lucas Layman, Yang Song, and Curry Guinn. 2020. Toward Predicting Success and Failure in CS2: A Mixed-Method Analysis. Proceedings of the 2020 ACM Southeast Conference (April 2020), 218--225. https://doi.org/10.1145/3374135.3385277 arXiv: 2002.11813.
[17]
Tia C. Madkins, Nicol R. Howard, and Natalie Freed. 2020. Engaging Equity Pedagogies in Computer Science Learning Environments. Journal of Computer Science Integration (Nov. 2020), 1--27. https://doi.org/10.26716/jcsi.2020.03.2.1
[18]
Dorian L. McCoy and Dirk J. Rodricks. 2015. Critical Race Theory in Higher Education: 20 Years of Theoretical and Research Innovations. ASHE Higher Education Report, Vol. 41, 3 (2015), 1--117. https://doi.org/10.1002/aehe.20021
[19]
Cherry A. McGee Banks and James A. Banks. 1995. Equity pedagogy: An essential component of multicultural education. Theory Into Practice, Vol. 34, 3 (June 1995), 152--158. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849509543674
[20]
Marlon Mejias, Ketly Jean-Pierre, Legand Burge, and Gloria Washington. 2018. Culturally Relevant CS Pedagogy - Theory & Practice. In 2018 Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT). IEEE, 1--5. https://doi.org/10.1109/RESPECT.2018.8491699
[21]
Jessica Morales-Chicas, Mauricio Castillo, Paloma Ramos, and Bianca L Guzman. 2019. Computing with Relevance and Purpose: A Review of Culturally Relevant Education in Computing. International Journal of Multicultural Education, Vol. 21, 1 (2019), 125--155.
[22]
Jaye Nias. 2021. Educational Programming Practices that Inspire Change: Social Justice as Situated in a Computer Programming Course. In 2021 Conference on Research in Equitable and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT). IEEE, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 1--5. https://doi.org/10.1109/RESPECT51740.2021.9620618
[23]
Emiel W Owens, Andrea J Shelton, Collette M Bloom, and J Kenyatta Cavil. 2012. The significance of HBCUs to the production of STEM graduates: Answering the call. Educational Foundations, Vol. 26 (2012), 33--47. Publisher: ERIC.
[24]
Django Paris. 2012. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: A Needed Change in Stance, Terminology, and Practice. Educational Researcher, Vol. 41, 3 (2012), 93--97. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X12441244
[25]
Django Paris and H. Samy Alim. 2014. What are we seeking to sustain through culturally sustaining pedagogy? A loving critique forward. Harvard Educational Review, Vol. 84, 1 (2014), 85--100. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.982l873k2ht16m77
[26]
Yolanda A Rankin and Jakita O Thomas. 2016. Leveraging Food to Achieve 100% Student Retention in an Intro CS Course. J.Comput.Sci.Coll., Vol. 32, 2 (Dec. 2016), 127--134. Place: Evansville, IN, USA Publisher: Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges.
[27]
Yolanda A. Rankin, Jakita O. Thomas, and Sheena Erete. 2021. Real Talk: Saturated Sites of Violence in CS Education. In Proceedings of the 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE '21). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 802--808. https://doi.org/10.1145/3408877.3432432 event-place: Virtual Event, USA.
[28]
Mollee Shultz, Jayson Nissen, Eleanor Close, and Ben Van Dusen. 2022. The role of epistemological beliefs in STEM faculty's decisions to use culturally relevant pedagogy at Hispanic-Serving Institutions. International Journal of STEM Education, Vol. 9, 1 (2022), 1--22.
[29]
Simone Smarr and Juan Gilbert. 2022. Higher Education Computing Curriculum for the Black Community: A Review. In 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
[30]
Gloria Washington, Marlon Mejias, Saurav Aryal, Todd Shurn, and Legand Burge Iii. 2021. Opportunities for Using HBCU Culture to Teach Elementary Data Structures to Computing Students. (2021), 11.
[31]
Tara J. Yosso, Laurence Parker, Daniel G. Solórzano, and Marvin Lynn. 2004. Chapter 1: From Jim Crow to Affirmative Action and Back Again: A Critical Race Discussion of Racialized Rationales and Access to Higher Education. Review of Research in Education, Vol. 28, 1 (Jan. 2004), 1--25. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X028001001
[32]
Daniel Zingaro, Cynthia Taylor, Leo Porter, Michael Clancy, Cynthia Lee, Soohyun Nam Liao, and Kevin C. Webb. 2018. Identifying Student Difficulties with Basic Data Structures. In Proceedings of the 2018 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research. ACM, Espoo Finland, 169--177. https://doi.org/10.1145/3230977.3231005showDOI

Index Terms

  1. HBCU Students' Experiences with Data Structures and the Need for Equity Pedagogies

      Recommendations

      Comments

      Information & Contributors

      Information

      Published In

      cover image ACM Conferences
      RESPECT 2024: Proceedings of the 2024 on RESPECT Annual Conference
      May 2024
      321 pages
      ISBN:9798400706264
      DOI:10.1145/3653666
      Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than the author(s) must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected].

      Sponsors

      Publisher

      Association for Computing Machinery

      New York, NY, United States

      Publication History

      Published: 16 May 2024

      Permissions

      Request permissions for this article.

      Check for updates

      Author Tags

      1. CS education
      2. HBCU
      3. culturally relevant
      4. data structures
      5. equity pedagogy
      6. student experience

      Qualifiers

      • Research-article

      Conference

      RESPECT 2024
      Sponsor:

      Upcoming Conference

      Contributors

      Other Metrics

      Bibliometrics & Citations

      Bibliometrics

      Article Metrics

      • 0
        Total Citations
      • 55
        Total Downloads
      • Downloads (Last 12 months)55
      • Downloads (Last 6 weeks)2
      Reflects downloads up to 05 Jan 2025

      Other Metrics

      Citations

      View Options

      Login options

      View options

      PDF

      View or Download as a PDF file.

      PDF

      eReader

      View online with eReader.

      eReader

      Media

      Figures

      Other

      Tables

      Share

      Share

      Share this Publication link

      Share on social media