Exposing the Hidden Curriculum with a First Year Computing Seminar
Computing programs broadly have struggled with equitable representation of diverse populations in the student body for decades in higher education. In this work we present an effort that introduces a non-credit first-year seminar course for all computing majors at UNIVERSITY implemented to address representation and persistence gaps. It is designed to expose the hidden curriculum specific for computing majors and help build community and confidence. The seminar is an optional weekly meeting for 50 minutes that gathers all first-year students to discuss topics like: building a problem-solving peer network, how to successfully answer software development exam questions, how to ask for help, how to manage time, and what different majors within computing do. The seminar introduces collaborative, motivating examples and includes panels of current students, alumni, and employers to expose students to a wide variety of role models and perspectives. In this session, we will present our seminar structure as well as preliminary data gathered regarding efficacy toward addressing representation and persistence gaps and building community. Discussion is sought to identify opportunities for improvement and the desire to open source the model to serve as a tool for other schools to customize and replicate.