1
MONITORING STUDENT ATTITUDES IN LIGHT
OF CHANGES IN THE CMU CS CURRICULUM:
SUSTAINING THE WOMEN-CS FIT AT CARNEGIE MELLON
Carol Frieze, Ph.D.
School of Computer Science
cfrieze@cs.cmu.edu
Jeria Quesenberry, Ph.D.
Information Systems Program
jquesenberry@cmu.edu
Sponsored by the MSR-CMU Center for Computational Thinking
Earlier Studies 2002, 2004-2005, and 2009-2010
Found a Spectrum of Attitudes Towards CS:
No Strong Gender Divide! And a Good Academic and Social Fit for Men and Women
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“I used to not fit in until I came here”
“We’re all
geeks”
I dream in code
“Coolest group
of people ever”
“I like having the
ability to create
something useful”
> Background
Completed Activities
Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Current Study
Fall 2011- Summer 2012
3
Motivation:

Changes in the introductory CS curriculum (2010)
Research Goals:


Are we sustaining a culture and environment in SCS which
works well for both male and female CS majors?
Can we do better? What can we learn from our students?
> Background
Completed Activities
Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
4
Background
Completed Activities
> Completed Activities
Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Completed Activities
Data Collection Efforts
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Interviews
Survey
• 40 in-depth, face-toface interviews with
sophomores (20
women and 20 men)
conducted (30 to 60
minutes each)
• Survey designed for
ALL undergraduates in
CS
• 4 interviews w/students
who switched majors
• Survey responses
collected from 199 CS
undergraduates (52
women and 147 men)
• Transcribed by Verbal
Inc.
Background
> Completed Activities
• Administered online in
April 2012
Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Completed Activities
Data Analysis Efforts
6

Preliminary analysis of interview and survey responses in
progress:



Identifying emerging themes, common issues, and patterns of
repeated perspectives
Comparison and charting of themes and categories by gender
Determined the strategies for validation of findings:


Background
Responses to specific questions separated to produce sets of
anonymous answers
Volunteers to categorize the responses as they think appropriate
> Completed Activities
Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
7
Preliminary Analysis
Early results are positive about sustaining
the Women-CS Fit.
Sample analysis of interview and survey findings to follow….
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Interview Q7: Why did you decide on CMU?
8
Representative Quotes
Interview Responses
“Because it was the best
computer science school” M.
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
“It has a very strong computer
science program, and it also has
a very strong arts program.” W.
women
men
“I can do arts as well as
computer science at one place
that’s amazing at both” M.
“I could definitely imagine
myself sitting in one of the
computer science classes” W.
Categories
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Interview Q17: Do you like or dislike programming?
9
Interview Responses
Representative Quotes
“It's amazing how much you
can do with just writing
code.” M.
12
10
“You can create so many
things with it.” W.
8
Women
6
Men
4
“What I like most is the
sense of accomplishment”
M.
2
“It’s fun and the feeling that
you get when you actually
solve your problem is so
good.” W.
0
Love
Like
Mixed
Dislike
Categories
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Interview Q9: How would you describe the atmosphere or the
environment in the CS Department?
10
Interview Responses
Representative Quotes
12
“A collaborative and helpful
environment.” M.
10
8
“It’s competitive in that you
want to do well, but, it’s a
collaborative environment.” W.
6
4
Women
2
Men
0
“It’s not cut-throat tech like
other schools … Here, we’re
all just in it for the love of it.”
W.
Categories
Background
Completed Activities
“It’s a very good environment
for fostering creativity.” M.
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Survey Q31: The environment at CMU provides me with everything
I need to succeed.
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Survey Responses
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Women
Men
Agree
Unsure
Disagree
Categories
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Survey Q37: The professors at Carnegie Mellon are not
approachable.
12
Survey Responses
60%
50%
40%
women
30%
men
20%
10%
0%
Agree
Unsure
Disagree
Categories
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Interview Q29: What is the best thing about doing this major?
13
Representative Quotes
Interview Responses
12
“I’m learning new ways of
thinking about things. I don’t
feel like I’m just memorizing a
bunch of facts” W.
10
8
6
4
women
2
men
0
Completed Activities
“Half of it is the people and
half of it is everything you
learn … it’s just kind of
amazing” W.
“Learning things that are
directly useful to doing cool
things and changing the
world” M.
Categories
Background
“Being in an atmosphere with
so many bright and supportive
people” M.
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Interview Q30: What is the worst thing about doing this major?
14
Representative Quotes
Interview Responses
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
“The amount of work, but at the
same time, you do want that
amount of work.” W.
“The soul-crushing amount of
work, but not in a bad way.” M.
women
men
“I’m definitely sleep deprived.” W.
“Physically, I’m in worse shape
than when I came here. Mentally,
I’m in much better shape.” M.
Categories
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Interview Q31: What is your favorite class so far?
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Interview Responses
Representative Quotes
“I like all my classes” W.
Classes
All
Non-CS
251-Great Theoretical
213-Computer Systems
men
210-Data Structures
women
15-251:
“…kind of like a love and hate
relationship.” W.
“…was both my favorite and the
least favorite.” M.
“Getting through it with your
friends is the greatest feeling.” W.
150-Functional Programming
122-Imperative Computation
110-Prin. of Computing
0
2
4
6
8
10 12
15-150:
“It’s just a whole new perspective.”
W.
“It’s so unique.” M.
210-Parallel and Sequential Data Structures and Algorithms; 150-Principles of Functional Programming; 122-Principles of Imperative Computation
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Interview Q32: What is your least favorite class so far?
16
Interview Responses
Classes
Representative Quotes
“Even our worst classes that
people hate, you still love them at
the end of the day.” M.
None
Non-CS
251-Great Theoretical
men
213-Computer Systems
women
210-Data Structures
150-Functional Programming
122-Imperative
Computation
0
2
4
6
8
10
15-251:
“It’s painful but it’s enjoyable.” M.
“Very painful, but I appreciate it.”
W.
15-150:
“The class felt weird … I didn’t like
the theory so much in that class.”
M.
“…it was just strange.” M.
210-Parallel and Sequential Data Structures and Algorithms; 150-Principles of Functional Programming; 122-Principles of Imperative Computation
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Interview Q26a: Do you feel that your confidence in your ability
to do well in CS has increased or decreased?
17
Perceptions of
confidence?
Interview Responses
14
Cumulative QPA
12
10
8
women
men
6
4
Women
Men
4.0
2
1
3.99-3.50
6
9
3.49-3.00
6
3
Below 2.99
5
6
Not given
1
1
2
0
Increased
Stable
Decreased
Unsure
Categories
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Overall, do you feel like you fit into CS academically?
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Sophomores: Interview Q53
ALL Years: Survey Q38
20
100%
15
80%
Women
10
Men
60%
40%
5
20%
0
0%
Yes
Unsure
Categories
No
Representative Quotes
“....wondering if I’m up to par with everybody else. But I think
that’s something that most everyone here also has.” M.
“You’re always feeling that you’re trying to fit in struggling
with all the academic concepts and things. Overall I think
everyone is doing the same thing.” W.
Background
Completed Activities
Women
Men
Agree
Unsure Disagree
Categories
Representative Quotes
“For the most part, I can keep up with my friends gradewise.” W. Freshman
“I do very well academically, but sometimes I see peers
around me doing even better.” M. Senior
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
Overall, do you feel like you fit into CS socially?
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Sophomores: Interview Q54
20
15
Women
10
Men
5
0
Yes
Unsure
Categories
No
Representative Quotes
ALL Years: Survey Q40
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Women
Men
Agree
Unsure Disagree
Categories
Representative Quotes
“Yeah, I'm definitely a CS major at heart.” W.
“People here are like me.” M. Freshman
“Yes. I am a CS major at heart.” M.
“CMU has every type of person.” W. Junior
Background
Completed Activities
> Preliminary Analysis
Planned Activities
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Background
Planned Activities
Completed Activities
Preliminary Analysis
> Planned Activities
Planned Activities
Summer/Fall 2012
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Interviews:
Survey:
Dissemination:
Background
Completed Activities
• Isolate remaining questions for analysis
• Complete preliminary analysis
• Conduct validation of findings
• Conduct further analysis of data
• Conduct validation of findings
• Integrate interview and survey results
• Write-up research results and identify
implications
Preliminary Analysis
> Planned Activities
Preliminary Conclusions
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

No evidence of a strong gender
divide among CMU CS majors
A spectrum of attitudes towards
CS among both men and
women including many gender
similarities
Carol Frieze, Ph.D.
School of Computer Science
cfrieze@cs.cmu.edu

Overall both male and female
CS majors feel they have a
good fit both academically
and socially
Background
Completed Activities
Jeria Quesenberry, Ph.D.
Information Systems Program
jquesenberry@cmu.edu
Preliminary Analysis
> Planned Activities