AAPHDCS Listserv Project

Let me forward you what’s going on. (Overview)

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Check out the full thread below:

or download the pdf

Exploratory Research

Some prior messages. (Background)

I did some literature research with a graduate assistant on the rates of Black Americans earning PhDs in computing (computer science, computer engineering, IT, or some closely related program):

  • High demand for diversity in computing careers

  • Computing PhDs earned in total by Black Americans: 1% (hasn’t grown much in 20 years)

  • 2017 computing PhD degrees awarded to Black Americans (as of 2017): 18 of 1,648

  • Current faculty & new hire rates annually for computing PhD Black Americans: 2%

Then I searched literature with the grad assistant on how that would effect those Black American students who do choose to pursue graduate programs in computing:

  • Influences performance, belief of performance (self-efficacy), and coping mechanisms (resilience)

  • Influences willingness to participate in computing activities, interest in computing activities, and feelings of belonging

Accessing AAPhdCS listserv

Next, I got access to the African American PhDs in Computer Science (AAPhDCS) listserv

  • AAPhDCS is an email listserv used to increase and maintain resilience in Black American computing PhD students and professionals who earned a computing PhD

  • It was created in 1996 by Vernard Martin and Charles R. Hardnett of the Georgia Institute of Technology

Exploring members. (Discovery user interviews)

I developed an interview protocol from identity literature suggestions:

  • Academic Resilience Scale (Cassidy, 2016)

  • Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (Spencer et al, 1997)

This resulted in the following codes to investigate resilience and why people use the pilot listerv:

  • How did users discover AAPhDCS?

  • What resources from AAPhDCS helps to motivate users?

  • How do users use AAPhDCS for self-reflection?

  • How do users approach AAPhDCS to seek help?

  • How has AAPhDCS influenced their view on the computing field?

Then, I had the grad assistant schedule interviews.

  • We planned for virtual interviews using phone or video conferencing

  • We sent an email through AAPhDCS to recruit participants

  • Participants scheduled an interview time

Then we conducted the virtual interviews.

  • Interviews were semi-structured

  • There were 21 participants:.

    • 5 Ph.D. candidates

    • 4 interns or early industry professional researchers

    • 4 graduate students

    • 3 post-doctoral researchers

    • 2 assistant faculty (one at a historically Black college (HBCU), one at a predominately white institution

    • 2 senior industry professional researchers

    • 1 tenured faculty at an HBCU

  • All Black, Afro-Caribbean, or African American

  • 22-54 year old

  • 14 females & 7 males

  • Interviews were audio recorded & later transcribed

Then I taught and helped the grad assistant perform a thematic analysis.

  • we used a hybrid inductive-deductive thematic analysis to code some responses based on suggestions by Spencer et al. (1997)

  • we checked each other’s work for reliability

What was the reply? (Interview results)

Testing

I have some questions to send over. (UX survey)

I created an online survey and had the grad assistant help.

  • We used Qualtrics to create the survey

  • The survey had 2 parts:

    • Access demographic information and what products/research users worked on

    • UX assessment using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) which rates a product on attractiveness, learnability,

      efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty on a scale from -3 to 3.

  • The survey was sent through the same email to schedule interviews

  • We used descriptive statistics to analyze the survey

Results from the UEQ

How did they reply? (UX survey results)

Results from the UEQ suggests participants viewed the AAPhDCS Listserv as

  • Relatively attractive (M=1.62, SD=0.95)

  • Relatively clear (M=1.63, SD=1.21)

  • Relatively efficient (M=1.11, SD=0.73)

  • Relatively dependable (M=1.39, SD=0.75)

  • Relatively stimulating (M=1.49, SD=1.36)

  • Neutral on novelty (M=0.25, SD=1.92)

Forwarding previous messages. (UX during interviews)

There were also UX questions during the discovery interviews

  • Codes were developed using UEQ suggestions

  • They made recommendations for users of AAPhDCS and how to improve

  • Data was analyzed the same as the other portion of the interview

What was marked as important? (UX results from interviews)

Delivery

What are the starred messages? (Conclusion)

Here’s some key insights from this study:

What does AAPhDCS do?

  • Strengthen resilient identity

  • Strengthen self-efficacy

  • Strengthen sense of belonging

  • Helping abate feelings of loneliness

  • Access to a relatable community facing similar adversity

  • Facilitates vicarious experiences through congratulatory emails

  • Find (Black) computing opportunities and resources

  • Build their professional networks,

  • Gain Black mentors

  • Increases levels of optimism

  • Gain feedback on work

Why do people join AAPhDCS?

  • Networking

  • Mentoring

  • Share & see accomplishments

How can we improve AAPhDCS?

  • Improve interactive design to combat lack hedonic quality (stimulation and novelty)

  • More control over info visibility

  • Perhaps use another a combination of chat services such as Slack

  • AAPHDCS App or website?

Message received.

I co-wrote a conference manuscript

  • I also presented it at IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference in Cincinnati, OH in October 2019

  • Nelson, W., Cummings, R. T., & Gosha, K. (2019). A qualitative investigation on the effectiveness of a computing identity development emailing list for African American computer scientists. Proceedings of 2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). doi:10.1109/fie43999.2019.9028570

This information was also distributed to the administrators of AAPhDCS

  • They can use these findings to enhance and recreate the existing platform in the ways they see fit.

Special thanks to AAPhDCS