Volume 6

Volume 6, Number 50

December 4, 2008

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8 pages411 K bytes

Introductory Course Improves Retention, Especially For Women


Saralyn Grenga Mathis
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Pomona, NJ 08240 USA

Abstract: An introductory course helps freshmen, especially women, who plan to major in Computer Science and Information Systems be successful in the major. Among the women (n = 31) who intended to major in Computer Science and Information Systems, 100% (n = 7) of those who enrolled in this introductory course were still enrolled and remained Computer Science and Information System majors a full year later versus 83.3% (n = 24) of the non-introductory course students. Persistence rates at least to the end of the second year and beyond are more striking (100% for course females vs. 33.3% for non-course females); males also benefited (66.7% (n = 6) vs. 49.7% (n = 149)). Course content and pedagogy are based upon factors that research has found to positively influence women majors.

Keywords: IS education, CS education, pedagogy, cooperative learning, gender issues, women, introductory computer course

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Recommended Citation: Mathis (2008). Introductory Course Improves Retention, Especially For Women. Information Systems Education Journal, 6 (50). http://isedj.org/6/50/. ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2008: §1712. ISSN: 1542-7382.)