Equity and Access Research Project
Title: Equity Initiative to Improve Success and Retention Rates of First Year Female Computing StudentsType: Action Research
Area: Equity and Access
Researchers: Mary Martin, Lorraine Staehr
Status: 1994 - ongoing
Title: Equity Initiative to Increase Success and Retention Rates of First Year Female Computing Students
Background: This project evolved from an earlier project commenced in 1993, which was designed to provide assistance to encourage women into Computing. It was initiated by the Equal Opportunity Officer at La Trobe University, Bendigo who had obtained funding from DEET. The Department of Information Technology was invited to submit proposals outlining initiatives which could be undertaken, and a small group (Women Into Computing Equity Group) of interested staff was formed to implement them. In 1994, with additional funding also obtained by the Equal Opportunity Officer, Lorraine Staehr and Mary Martin from the original group devised the above titled research project which implemented an intervention program for first year female computing students.
Synopsis: The program employs female final year students as demonstrators
to supervise study groups and activity sessions for first year female students
who consent to participate. The activities are planned and organised by
the researchers. Pre and Post Questionnaires and weekly diary entries are
completed by the participants. Reports are submitted by the demonstrators
at the cessation of the program. Evaluation carried out at the end of 1994
suggested that the program was successful (see Table 1 and 2 below) in
retaining students who would otherwise have dropped out and so the project
was continued in the first semester of 1995. A successful application to
the La Trobe Equity funding committee allowed the program to continue in
1996, and also in 1997 after a further successful application to the La
Trobe, Bendigo Research Grant Scheme.
| BComp | BBus/BComp | Retention Rate | |
| No. Women - 1993 cohort | 12 | 7 | |
| No. Women - Early 1994 | 3 | 4 | 36.8% |
| No. Women - 1994 cohort | 11 | 14 | |
| No. Women - Early 1995 | 6 | 6 | 48% |
| No. Women - 1995 cohort | 17 | 12 | |
| No. Women - Early 1996 | 8 | 5 | 44.8% |
| No. Women - 1996 cohort | 6 | 8 | |
| No. Women - Early 1997 | 3 | 7 | 71% |
| No. Women - 1997 cohort | 15 | 10 | |
| No. Women - Early 1998 | 8 | 7 | 60% |
| No. Women - 1998 cohort | 11 | 13 | |
| No. Women - Early 1999 | 2 | 10 | 50% |