The Research-Backed Framework for Inclusive & Engaging CS Education

Stop Attrition. Start Retention.

This research-backed compilation of pedagogical and curricular practices is designed to help faculty and educators engage all students and significantly improve their motivation, performance, and persistence in computing.  The framework is organized around three powerful engagement principles:

Make It Matter

All students are more motivated, perform better, and more likely to persist when they can see how a lesson connects to their experiences, interests, goals, and values. And students who don’t fit the stereotype of someone pursuing computing may need even more explicit connections for them to envision themselves in the field.

Help all students connect to computing by connecting computing to their lives!

Grow Inclusive Student Community

Students are more likely to persist when they have a community related to their academic pursuits.

Faculty can help establish, support, and grow an inclusive student community in their programs by following some relatively simple practices in the classroom and by providing leadership and support outside of regular courses.

Build Student Confidence and Professional Identity

Computing has come to be associated with some fairly strong stereotypes about who is a “computer scientist,” or more narrowly, a “programmer.” Anyone who doesn’t fit the stereotype may have difficulty seeing themselves in the field, and be less likely to have people supporting them in their pursuit of computing.

Faculty can help by building student confidence, modeling inclusive behavior, and teaching students norms of professional behavior.

In this resource, you will find tips for implementing each practice, some examples, and links to resources to learn more.

Access the Engagement Practices Framework here.

• Engagement Practices Framework (Poster): You can also print a poster of the Framework and related practices to display (e.g., in your office or the faculty mailroom to remind you and your colleagues of effective ways to engage all students).
• EngageCSEdu: A collection of over 600 faculty-contributed, peer-reviewed introductory CS course materials. All of these materials use at least one NCWIT Engagement Practice. (A great way to see the EPF in action!)