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Change the gender composition of high school computing courses (case study 2): Attracting females and minority students through targeted recruiting (Cohoon, 2010)

  • Findings

    See findings section of this profile.

    Evidence Rating

    Not Rated

Citation

Cohoon, J.M. (2010). Change the gender composition of high school computing courses (case study 2): Attracting females and minority students through targeted recruiting. Boulder, CO: National Center for Women & Information Technology.

Highlights

  • The study's objective was to describe several critical components to targeted recruitment for information technology courses, with a particular focus on the recruitment of girls and women.
  • The author described the strategies used by one high school computer science teacher to increase the enrollment of girls in his Advanced Placement Computer Science course. The author then suggested several components that are necessary for any targeted recruitment strategy to be successful.
  • The study recommended having a strategic recruiting plan that outlined the goal, partners, evaluation plan, and materials of the recruiting effort. The goal should be specific and quantifiable, and partnerships should be based on existing contacts who work with the target audience. The recruitment message should focus on the interests and concerns of the target audience, and should be conveyed in multiple ways and delivered through a credible source. The study summarized these recommendations in a recruiting quick list.

Reviewed by CLEAR

February 2016