Supporting U.S. Latine Computing Higher Education Students with Culturally Relevant Computing

Abstract

This talk presents findings from my dissertation examining how culturally relevant computing (CRC) is understood, implemented, and experienced in undergraduate computer science, with a particular focus on Latine culture. As departments seek to broaden participation in computing, instructors have expressed interest in CRC but lack clarity around what it looks like in practice and how it fits within existing curricular and institutional structures. Drawing on three complementary studies, I first share interview findings from CS faculty at Hispanic-Serving Institutions that surface how instructors conceptualize culture in relation to computing, the instructional strategies they adopt, and the constraints they navigate when aligning culturally relevant approaches with disciplinary norms and course outcomes. Then, I present student interview findings that examine how undergraduates interpret culturally relevant materials, what makes these materials feel authentic or superficial, and how CRC shapes students’ engagement, sense of belonging, and perceptions of computing’s relevance to their lives and communities. Finally, I present the design and in-class implementation of CRC materials in an undergraduate CS course, analyzing how these materials function in practice, how students take them up in different ways, and where CRC succeeds or breaks down during instruction. Across these studies, I argue that CRC is most effective when approached as an intentional and contextsensitive instructional practice rather than a set of add-on examples. Implications for CS educators and departments seeking to adopt CRC in sustainable ways is presented, as well as directions for future research on culturally responsive pedagogy in computing education.

Biography

Ismael Villegas Molina is a computer science education researcher whose work focuses on culturally relevant computing in undergraduate computing contexts. His research examines how culturally relevant approaches are understood by faculty, experienced by students, and enacted in classroom practice, using qualitative methods and classroom-based design and implementation studies. Across his work, he aims to support more inclusive and context-responsive computing instruction while remaining attentive to disciplinary norms and institutional constraints. Ismael has teaching experience in introductory computer science and has designed culturally relevant computing materials for undergraduate courses. His broader interests include broadening participation in computing, equity-focused pedagogy, and preparing faculty to adopt inclusive instructional practices in sustainable ways across computing contexts.