Implementation and Impact of Four Practices on Students' Perspectives of Sense of Belonging, Confidence, and Performance

In the fields of Computer Science and Engineering, a lack of diversity remains a significant challenge. However, implementing certain practices can help increase student participation, regardless of their identity. Many such practices have been studied in literature. Results from our prior study revealed that CS Education community is familiar with such practices but there is a lack of adoption and evaluation of such practices. As a part of a bigger study, we implemented the following four practices in an introductory computer science course at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: allowing late submission, resubmission, scheduling meetings, and hosting review sessions. In this poster, we present the implementation and evaluation of these four practices, examining their impact on students' perceptions of sense of belonging, confidence, and performance, as well as their overall experiences with these practices. We utilized a survey at the end of the course to collect student perspectives on the impact of these practices. The survey was implemented in two sections of the course and 39 students completed the survey among which 31 students consented to participate in the study. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize the study's results, while thematic analysis will be applied to examine students' feedback. The findings provide empirical evidence of whether these practices can enhance students' sense of belonging, confidence, and academic performance, and what are students’ experiences with these practices. The results can inform the adoption of such practices into courses to support student success beyond traditional pedagogical approaches.