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This research paper explores the potential use of chatbots (simulated interactive virtual conversations) in future faculty mentoring. In this case, a mentee asks career advice of a chatbot that draws responses from a pre-programmed database populated by renowned emeriti engineering faculty. Chatbots are being developed under the National Science Foundation INCLUDES Design and Developments Launch Pilot award (17-4458). Their efficacy for future faculty mentoring is explored through a phenomenological design grounded by the Efficacy of Chatbots for Future Faculty Mentoring conceptual framework utilizing focus groups with underrepresented minority (URM) doctoral engineering students. Chatbots were found to be effective as a supplementary mentoring option as URM doctoral students have ample unmet mentoring needs. Yet, intent to use this type of mentoring was mixed, despite high satisfaction ratings on positive user interface and perceived trustworthiness, because of the lack of personalization in this type of mentoring relationship. The preferred presentation method for this research paper is a traditional lecture, although a demonstration of the chatbot will be provided to afford session participants the opportunity to view and offer feedback on its perceived utility. 

Presentation of embodied conversational agents as a candidate virtual supplement in virtual faculty mentoring. 

There is a rapidly growing demand for individuals in cybersecurity and a deficit of persons able to fill those roles. To help meet this need, students not majoring in computing can be utilized to fulfill this demand by exposing them to date mining, cybersecurity practices, and applications of these concepts in the field. This paper presents findings from a twenty-one-week program in which minority undergraduate college students all members of the Reserve Officer Training Coprs (ROTC), were taught computer programming, natural language processing, data visualization, and computer vision fundamentals. Midshipmen and cadets used their newly gained knowledge, teamwork, planning, and communication skills to develop a threat dectection prototype using publicly available social media data. Resuls from pre and post python assessments and post-program interviews that recorded participant attitudes and sefl-efficacy are reported to highlight the programs' effectiveness. 

This Research Full Paper presents a qualitative interview study on the effectiveness of a computing identity development listserv. The demand for diverse computing careers increases, yet African Americans continue to participate and succeed in computing fields proportionately less than their White and Asian counterparts. An individual’s computing identity can influence their performance and willingness to participate. The African American PhDs in Computer Science Listserv is an email listserv created to increase and maintain members’ sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and resilience in computing. Semistructured interviews of graduate student, faculty, and industry professional members were conducted to investigate how effective the listserv was at increasing and maintaining computing identity. Findings include decision making processes for joining, duration and dosage of interaction members partake, maintenance of computing resilience, members’ self-reflection, willingness to seek help, and attitudes towards computing. Recommendations were made about the listserv and if other African Americans in computing should join. Findings can be used to develop new approaches to supporting the computing identities of underrepresented groups. This paper is in conjunction with other papers in an extended case study on resilient identity development in African American computer scientists. 

This Research Full Paper presents a qualitative interview and descriptive study on computing resilient identity development of African Americans who have earned a Ph.D. in a computing field. Low sense of belonging and self-efficacy contributes to low participation and performance of African Americans have lower participation and performance in computing as compared to their White and Asian counterparts. Computing identity including sense of belonging and self-efficacy contributes to this deficit. To increase African American successful representation in computing, resilience is explored to identify the support systems, challenges, and coping processes of African Americans who have earned a Ph.D. in computing. Indepth, semi-structured interviews of African American post-docs, faculty, and industry researchers in computing fields were implemented. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed with a hybrid inductive-deductive qualitative content analysis. Surveys were employed to document participants’ work resilience and personality to supplement the qualitative data. Results include the resilient identity development of participants by reciting background information, challenges and support systems in their respective employment, and how they react to such stressors and supports, and the productive they are while persevering. Findings from this work can be used to improve academia and industry conditions for African American professionals and to identify resources that were suggested to be pivotal in participants’ resilient identity development within the computing field. This paper is in conjunction with other papers in an extended case study on resilient identity development in African American computer scientists. 

To increase the number of minorities that enter highly demanding computing field, a conversational agent is being developed to serve as a supplemental virtual mentor for minority students pursuing the professoriate. As minority engineering and computing professoriate interest is limited in the literature, it is important to identify the level of interest and concerns minority students have in pursuing the professoriate. A survey was administered to undergraduate students at an HBCU enrolled in one of three computer science courses. The results identify likelihood of pursuing the professoriate, persuasive and discouragement themes for pursuing the professoriate, as well as frequently asked questions over several variables of the minority STEM professoriate experience. Questions and data on question type, grammar, syntax and word choice will be used to improve the knowledgebase of the virtual mentor. 

The STEM workforce is vastly growing, however, underrepresented groups only account for under 12% of those in science and engineering occupations and for many in these jobs and industries, a 4 year degree is the most reasonable path. It is through this research that we seek to focus and address the challenges that inhibit minority populations in K-12 levels from the motivation and preparation that will align them with future computer science/IT college and career pathway (CSTEM) career fields. Prior research has shown that beliefs around self identity in STEM fields can positively impact behavior and achievement of students in computing disciplines, while increasing African American students belonging can decrease the student achievement gap. The initiatives presented in this paper seek to leverage the inherent value of minority student presence on the campus of a Historically Black institution as a means to normalize student perception of college access and future C-STEM identity 

To increase the number of minorities that enter highly demanding computing field, a conversational agent is being developed to serve as a supplemental virtual mentor for minority students pursuing the professoriate. As minority engineering and computing professoriate interest is limited in the literature, it is important to identify the level of interest and concerns minority students have in pursuing the professoriate. A survey was administered to undergraduate students at an HBCU enrolled in one of three computer science courses. The results identify likelihood of pursuing the professoriate, persuasive and discouragement themes for pursuing the professoriate, as well as frequently asked questions over several variables of the minority STEM professoriate experience. Questions and data on question type, grammar, syntax and word choice will be used to improve the knowledgebase of the virtual mentor. 

Poor computing identity contributes to a deficit in performance of Black American computing students compared to their other ethnic counterparts. As the demand for computing careers continues to increase, it is imperative to discover novel ways to improve the deficit of minority college and career performance in computing. Black American social media influencers that produce video log (vlog) commentary content were investigated on the YouTube platform to determine the influence they have on improving computing identity of minority students through computing and academic advisement. This exploratory study consists of two studies: (1) a synthesis of vlog commentary college and career advisement videos, coding for the quality of advisement, usability, and user experience, and (2) an advisor effectiveness and user experience survey using a selected minority social media influencer who provides computing college and career advisement. Findings suggest YouTube influencers were effective (over a series of measures), particularly for beginners in the computing field. As minorities heavily participate in and enjoy the use of YouTube and social media, computing advisement influencers on social media allow for supplemental advisement at a wide scale. Future studies intend to further experiment minority computing advisement through social media over a long term and at varying levels of interaction. Findings help validate existing academic advisement influencers and prompts new approaches for organizations and industries to engage with prospective Black American students and members for preparation and training purposes. 

To improve the academic and professional achievement of underrepresented minorities in computing, a newfound interest in innovative mentoring practices has captivated STEM education researchers. Studies suggest that virtual mentoring conversational agents can be leveraged across multiple platforms to provide supplemental mentorship, offsetting the lack of access to in-person mentorship in disadvantaged communities. A within-subjects mixed-method experiment was carried out to assess the usability of a mentoring conversational agent. Mobile interfaces (Twitter and SMS) were compared to each other and against a web-based embodied conversational agent (ECA). Results suggest that mobile interfaces are more usable than the web-based ECA. The findings from this study help to identify areas for improvement in virtual learning alternatives and other potential applications for pervasive conversational interfaces.