Formal Research Experiences for First Year Students: A Key to Greater Diversity in Computing?

Underrepresented students in computing (women and non-White/non-Asian men) are known to feel a weaker sense of belonging than majority students (Asian/White men). This difference is important because a low sense of belonging can lead to disengagement and attrition in education settings. In the current study, we assessed whether and how early formal research experience might narrow this gap in sense of belonging. The sample for this study derives from a longitudinal study on undergraduate students affiliated with computing departments across the United States. We used propensity scores to generate an appropriate sub-sample of students to compare against formal research participants (n = 110 formal research students; n = 110 students with no formal research experience). We found formal research experience during students/ first year was associated with a strong sense of mentor support during their second year. Perceived mentor support predicted a strong sense of belonging for underrepresented students, but not majority students. Importantly, the typical gap in sense of belonging among underrepresented and majority students disappeared among students with high mentor support. Our work suggests that formal research, when introduced early, might promote greater diversity in computing in the long term. We present a model for early undergraduate research, and resources for readers who wish to adopt the model.