Engage students not already drawn to computing by creating academic and social environments where these students feel like they belong. Students respond positively to solving real-life problems that draw on their existing knowledge and interests and that involve collaboration in hands-on projects. Globaloria is the country’s largest social learning network of schools and community centers using a game design curriculum to develop students’ digital literacies, computing knowledge, and global citizenship skills.

By removing time and location constraints, e-mentoring allows women to connect with many more women than face-to-face mentoring permits. It can also promote more open mentor-protégé communication by limiting status differences. MentorNet is an online resource for women in engineering and science who seek one-on-one guidance from mentors in their respective fields. By providing mentors with online resources for training, coaching, and consulting, MentorNet provides positive structure for the mentor- protégé relationship. Both mentors and protégés report benefiting from the program.

Making curricula more relevant to students, introducing collaborative learning into the classroom, and tailoring courses to different student experience levels benefit female as well as male students. This approach to introductory computing involves encouraging social interaction and creativity while presenting subject matter that is relevant to non-computing majors. Evaluation at Georgia Tech showed that the Media Computation approach resulted in increased student success rates (earning an A, B, or C) from 72 percent to about 85-90 percent.

Sexism has measurably harmful effects, but sexist behavior can be minimized. Instructors and supervisors can practice zero tolerance and facilitate positive peer interactions, and they can provide highly visible leadership, policies, and procedures that go beyond legalities to explicitly denounce sexism. This case study identifies available surveys and issues that should be considered when assessing the prevalence of sexist behavior in an organization.

Collaborative learning can improve retention rates, critical thinking, appreciation of diversity, and development of social and professional skills. When implementing collaborative learning, match students roughly according to experience levels and make sure to give students opportunities to work together for both graded and un-graded assignments. Peer-led team learning in computer science allows students to work together with a classmate or more advanced peer directing group exercises and discussion. Courses that have utilized PLTL boast lower course drop rates and higher grades.

Women and minority students are not in computing courses under the same conditions as their white male classmates. Instructional practices offer opportunities to level the playing field and improve the retention of underrepresented students. A new, smaller introductory computer science class tailored for inexperienced students at the University of Virginia recruited more minority and women students and resulted in many more students declaring a major in computer science.

In addition to demonstrating expertise and experience, intentional role models display their strengths and weaknesses and help observers see how they could attain a similar position. Role modeling is less interactive than mentoring, but is often a component of mentoring relationships. Women attending the Indiana and Ohio Celebrations of Women in Computing observe role models who are keynote speakers from technical fields, panelists with technical careers in industry, and presenters of technical papers.

Faculty mentoring programs help junior faculty to acclimate and promote relationships that can cover a broad range of topics. These programs enhance career commitment and self-confidence in women. Successful programs initiate mentor pairings early for new faculty and formally facilitate the relationship until the mentor-protégé bond is established.

Engage students not already drawn to computing by creating academic and social environments where these students feel like they belong. Students respond positively to solving real-life problems that draw on their existing knowledge and interests and that involve collaboration in hands-on projects. In this easy-to-implement classroom activity, individual LEGOS® bricks are used to express a special-purpose programming language, allowing students to kinetically approach concepts and skills in computing in a non-intimidating fashion.