Learning Circles Frequently Asked Questions | National Center for Women & Information Technology

Higher Ed Learning Circles — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the participant roles?

Learning Circle Participants are individuals serving as a “Team Lead” who will attend the online Learning Circle meetings and lead a designated broadening participation in computing team at their institution (e.g. planning, scheduling, and facilitating their local team meetings). Only one participant attends the Learning Circle meetings from each institution.

Local Team Members are three to eight people from the institution/school/department representing a variety of roles and perspectives, including faculty (e.g. teaching, tenure-line) and staff (e.g., advisors, admissions staff). Local Team Members should support the Team Lead by assisting in tasks throughout the strategic planning process because broadening participation is a team effort and not the work of one person.

What’s the time commitment?

Learning Circle Participants attend up to eight weekly one-hour Learning Circle meetings during the fall. During the spring, they shift into the Team Lead role by facilitating TIJ-UP discussions and strategic planning sessions on their campus (approximately nine-twelve hours). Team Leads also have access to two Learning Circle meetings and open office hours with NCWIT research scientists in the spring.

Local Team Members complete the TIJ-UP, review program data, and participate in approximately nine weekly one-hour meetings (alternative configurations include a full day retreat or two half-day retreats) to discuss the findings from the six interrelated focus areas (program entry, classroom experience, community & belonging, program curriculum & supports, institutionalization, data & evaluation).

What are the benefits of participating in Learning Circles?

Learning Circles help you evaluate and update your undergraduate computing program through a systemic change lens to ensure success for all students. Through free, synchronous training sessions, you will learn from and network with colleagues. In addition, you’ll be provided with proprietary tools to help bring your colleagues on board for strategic planning and to track your department’s progress year after year. The TIJ-UP also connects users to resources and information about relevant practices for broadening participation that align with each of the major strategies within the six focus areas of program entry, classroom experience, community & belonging, program curriculum & supports, data & evaluation, and institutionalization.

You will also have access to NCWIT social scientists that walk you through a template for a 2-5 page strategic plan (which can be condensed into a departmental plan for NSF grants).

What is the TIJ-UP?

NCWIT’s Tech Inclusion Journey® for Undergraduate Programs (TIJ-UP), is an online tool that enables a department to assess the practices in their computing program, guides team discussions, connects the team to relevant broadening participation resources, and provides the basis for strategic planning. The TIJ-UP will lead your change team through the strategic planning process from start to finish using the six interrelated focus areas of the NCWIT Undergraduate System Model.

What is the Tracking Tool 2.0?

NCWIT staff research scientists will also work with you and your institutional research offices to obtain your program’s enrollment and outcomes data for NCWIT’s Tracking Tool 2.0, which creates secure, shareable visualizations of long-term data trends. Local teams will then be able to use the data to identify problem areas, guide strategic decision-making, and evaluate outcomes of broadening participation efforts. If needed, visualizations can be customized to meet available data (e.g. schools with smaller student populations, demographic categories in Canadian institutions, state requirements).

How do I sign up to participate?

Step 1: Visit ncwit.org/learning-circles and complete the interest form.

Step 2: We’ll reach out to set up a short interest meeting to answer your questions!

Step 3: After the interest form and meeting, all Learning Circle participants obtain support for participation from their chair, director, and/or dean (a commitment letter template will be provided).