Implementing Culturally Responsive Computer Science in Higher Education: A Framework for Code, Culture, and Classroom

Abstract: Although the demand for a diverse talent base has increased in the global technology industry, introductory Computer Science courses in higher education still have high dropout rates, especially for female and minority students. Traditional Computer Science courses give abstract, hard programming problems irrelevant to students' lives and social norms. This paper proposes a practical framework for the design and implementation of Culturally Responsive Computer Science Curricula (CRCSC) in higher education. The framework actively brings culture into computational thinking by introducing "civic context" through community-based projects that incorporate locally available datasets to solve civic problems (i.e., the possibility of using datasets from the community to address civic inequities). This paper describes a mixed-methods case study of this framework for an introductory programming course (CS1). Quantitative assessment results indicate a significant increase in student self-efficacy and a decrease in course attrition. Most importantly, the overall course dropout rate dropped from 21.4% (historical average) to 6.1%, with high gains for female and minoritized students. The paper summarizes practical tips and concrete pedagogical mappings for university teachers focusing on updating Computer Science curricula to design a more inclusive talent ecosystem.

Keywords: Computer Science, Education, Pedagogy, Diversity, STEM, Curriculum Design, Student Retention.