BPC-DP: Building Ecosystems of Belonging for Neurodiverse Computer Science Students

The University at Buffalo’s Open Education Lab is designing and testing neurodiversity micro-credentials to create an ecosystem of belonging in undergraduate Computer Science programs. Micro-credentials, similar to digital badges, are tools that can deliver bite-size curriculum and then both assess and verify learning for a given audience. In this case, students are the audience; this training is designed to increase instructor preparedness for teaching neurodiverse Computer Science students in undergraduate programs while presenting students with information about their instructors’ training through digital badges. Neurodiversity refers to differences in cognition and brain development common to conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These students are often attracted to STEM career paths and possess traits that would make them valuable members of the United States’ computing workforce, but drop out before graduation when they encounter misaligned teaching practices or instructors who discourage accommodations and supports for students with invisible disabilities. These micro-credentials are designed to give instructors the training they need to be able to transform their practice for neurodiverse undergraduate Computer Science students, as well as providing students with opportunities to identify trained instructors. In a process guided by the Universal Design for Learning framework, which is used to create educational interventions that will meet the needs of as many students as possible, the project consists of two major components. The curriculum for the training is comprised of prior, piloted ADHD training course for teachers and additional evidence-based strategies for improving educational success among diverse Computer Science students. The digital badges (micro-credentials) are co-designed with students and faculty to design a system of delivering curriculum to instructors and displaying instructor training to students. As instructors complete courses, badges display instructor preparation and willingness to learn about student needs directly to students. This allows students to identify instructors who will be safe to talk to about their needs and trained to support them, whether choosing mentors or making class selections. Micro-credentials are evaluated at multiple stages of the co-design and implementation process to iterate on the design. The micro-credentials and curriculum will be published on the Open Education Lab’s website at the completion of the project to allow other schools to access and update the tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.