While computing programs in the U.S. are experiencing growth in enrollment trends, they are still grappling with matters related to retention and persistence of computing undergraduates. One construct identified by scholars as having an impact on persistence in computing is computing identity, which is shaped by constructs such as recognition, performance/competence beliefs, sense of belonging, and interest. Likewise, participation in what scholars call communities of practice (CoPs) can aid in the development of their computing identity. To help foster computing identity development, an initiative was designed at three large public universities named Flit-Path (Florida IT Pathways to Success). Flit-Path was established using the principles inherent to communities of practice with the goal of recruiting and retaining computing students. The Flit-Path program leveraged curricular and co-curricular support to engage academically talented students with financial need in computing disciplines (e.g., computer engineering, computer science, and information technology) and provided financial assistance via scholarships. The guiding research question for this study was, What is the impact of a computing community of practice (the Flit-Path program) on students’ computing identity, specifically the constructs of recognition, performance/competence, sense of belonging, and interest? In order to address this question, a validated survey instrument was used to compare 64 computing students who enrolled in the Flit-Path program with students from the same universities with matched years in college, computing GPA, race/ethnicity, gender, home/environment support, and work hours outside the home. For comparing the two groups, the research team used multivariate matching methods in R. The results of the study revealed that students in the Flit-Path program demonstrated substantially higher computing identities. Students who participated in the Flit-Path program experienced higher recognition, performance/competence, and sense of belonging in the computing field than their non-Flit-Path counterparts. There was also a borderline positive effect for interest. Together, the results indicate that well-designed CoP interventions in computing programs can have a significant effect on students’ identification with computing and ultimately their persistence.

尽管美国的计算机专业的入学人数呈增长趋势，但它们仍在努力解决与计算机本科生的保留和坚持相关的问题。学者们认为对计算持久性有影响的一种构造是计算身份，它是由识别、绩效/能力信念、归属感和兴趣等构造塑造的。同样，参与学者所谓的实践社区（CoP）可以帮助他们的计算身份的发展。为了帮助促进计算身份的发展，三所大型公立大学设计了一项名为 Flit-Path（佛罗里达 IT 成功之路）的计划。Flit-Path 是利用实践社区固有的原则建立的，其目标是招募和留住计算机专业的学生。Flit-Path 计划利用课程和课外支持来吸引有学术才华且有经济需要的计算机学科（例如计算机工程、计算机科学和信息技术）学生，并通过奖学金提供经济援助。本研究的指导性研究问题是：计算实践社区（Flit-Path 计划）对学生的计算身份（特别是认知、表现/能力、归属感和兴趣的构建）有何影响？为了解决这个问题，我们使用了经过验证的调查工具，对参加 Flit-Path 项目的 64 名计算机专业学生与来自同一大学且大学年数相匹配的学生进行了计算机 GPA、种族/民族、性别、家庭/环境的比较支持和外出工作时间。为了比较两组，研究团队在 R 中使用了多变量匹配方法。研究结果表明，参加 Flit-Path 项目的学生表现出明显更高的计算同一性。与非 Flit-Path 项目的学生相比，参加 Flit-Path 项目的学生在计算领域获得了更高的认可度、表现/能力和归属感。对兴趣也有一定程度的积极影响。总之，结果表明，精心设计的 CoP 对计算机课程的干预可以对学生对计算机的认同以及最终他们的坚持产生重大影响。