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The Danger of a Single Story: A Critical and Holistic Account of Rachel’s Experience in Computing for Broadening Participation

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Technical Session 5

Tagged Divisions

Equity and Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

19

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44076

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/44076

Download Count

152

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Paper Authors

biography

Nivedita Kumar Florida International University

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Nivedita is pursuing her Ph.D. in Engineering & Computing Education at Florida International University. She has a computer science and engineering background as well as K-12 teaching. She thinks about creating an inclusive learning environment using critical and feminist frameworks in undergraduate engineering and computing classrooms.

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biography

Stephen Secules Florida International University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-2306

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Stephen is an Assistant Professor Engineering and Computing Education at Florida International University. He has a prior academic and professional background in engineering, having worked professionally as an acoustical engineer. He has taught several courses on design, sociotechnical contexts, and engineering education. He runs the Equity Research Group which incorporates qualitative, ethnographic, participatory, and action-oriented research methods to examine and improve equity in engineering education contexts.

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Abstract

With an increase in the number of research for broadening participation in computing, we observe that these scholarships point out the deficit stories of why women are not pursuing computing degrees (for example: geek culture, lack of self-efficacy, etc.,) and the asset stories that they possess to persist in a structure not designed for them (for example: having resilience, cultural capitals, etc.,). However, these stories are one-dimensional and harmful in their own ways. To understand multiple dimensions of one woman’s experiences in and out of a computing classroom, we present three different stories of one participant’s interview discourse. We contrast the stories to build towards a more holistic representation and towards cultural critique. Rachel, a Hispanic woman and a transfer student, stood out in the way she presented herself, sharing her experiences of navigating the computing spaces her out-of experiences. Our analysis showcases the limitations of single stories that focus on one’s deficits or on one’s assets. A focus on assets alone may seem positive and supportive, but it does not recognize the starting point and reality for a student like Rachel, particularly when relating to her future. Likewise both of these stories focus on the individual and do not translate towards critical improvements for our everyday environments in computing. We hope that more holistic account we model can help scholars work towards cultural change in the computing field.

Kumar, N., & Secules, S. (2023, June), The Danger of a Single Story: A Critical and Holistic Account of Rachel’s Experience in Computing for Broadening Participation Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44076

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