Grounding Student Recruitment and Retention in CS

A variety of qualitative and quantitative data was collected from the participants that allowed the authors to assess the degree to which the workshop objectives were met as well as to reveal themes important to the participants. Participants completed a Likert scale assessment survey at the end of the workshop. Likert scale surveys present statements, not questions, to which the participants rate their level of agreement using a scale provided with each statement. Using an even number of response options prevents participants from providing a neutral response; they are forced to find their level of agreement. The survey employed in this study provided six levels of agreement (strongly agree, agree, slightly agree, slightly disagree, disagree, strongly disagree.)

Within the framework of sessions one and three, participants provided free written responses to open prompts (given in the agenda). Within the domain of qualitative research, prompts may be closed or open. Closed prompts elicit specific information, such as according to the respondentshes to the topic of the prompt. One such open prompt is "What is necessary to recruit qualified CS students?" The free responses to the open prompts framed qualitative themes that suggest important areas for future investigations into recruitment and retention in CS.

Preliminary results were presented at Frontiers in Education in Fall 2004. (paper, slides)