Cultivating Sense of Belonging in Computing Education: Identifying Servingness Traits Among Community College Population

Adversarial Thinking (AT) is essential in cybersecurity, fostering strategic problem-solving by anticipating worst-case scenarios.However, its integration into early computing education, especially in the first two years, remains underexplored.Introductory courses like CS 0 build foundational skills but are challenging to implement in resource-limited community colleges.Strengthening AT in these students can enhance their workforce readiness and support transfers to four-year programs.Servingness describes how Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) go beyond merely enrolling Latinx students to address their specific cultural, academic, and social needs.It involves creating inclusive environments where students feel a strong sense of belonging, supported by culturally relevant practices, leadership opportunities, and community engagement.These environments generate feelings of being accepted, valued, and included within a community or group, also called a sense of belonging.This work presents research focused on the incorporation of AT within the first two years of computer science education at community colleges, in particular to a course CS 0. By examining the integration of AT principles in early coursework, the study identifies key characteristics and a sense of belonging that are instrumental in cultivating AT capabilities among students.The findings aim to offer actionable insights for educators in community colleges, enabling them to more effectively prepare students for the complexities of modern computing careers and to address the broader needs of the cybersecurity field.Through this targeted educational approach, students can develop a more robust understanding of adversarial strategies, enhancing their overall computational thinking and problem-solving skills.