Diversity in Software Engineering: A Survey about Scientists from Underrepresented Groups

TL;DR

This paper surveys students' awareness of underrepresented scientists in software engineering, revealing limited knowledge and suggesting that highlighting historical figures could promote diversity and inclusion in the field.

Contribution

It provides preliminary survey results showing students' limited awareness of underrepresented scientists and proposes using historical role models to foster diversity in software engineering education.

Findings

Students have limited knowledge of underrepresented scientists.

Highlighting historical figures could motivate underrepresented students.

Opportunities exist to improve diversity through educational strategies.

Abstract

Technology plays a crucial role in people's lives. However, software engineering discriminates against individuals from underrepresented groups in several ways, either through algorithms that produce biased outcomes or for the lack of diversity and inclusion in software development environments and academic courses focused on technology. This reality contradicts the history of software engineering, which is filled with outstanding scientists from underrepresented groups who changed the world with their contributions to the field. Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, and Clarence Ellis are only some individuals who made significant breakthroughs in the area and belonged to the population that is so underrepresented in undergraduate courses and the software industry. Previous research discusses that women, LGBTQIA+ people, and non-white individuals are examples of students who often feel unwelcome and ostracized in software engineering. However, do they know about the remarkable scientists that came before them and that share background similarities with them? Can we use these scientists as role models to motivate these students to continue pursuing a career in software engineering? In this study, we present the preliminary results of a survey with 128 undergraduate students about this topic. Our findings demonstrate that students' knowledge of computer scientists from underrepresented groups is limited. This creates opportunities for investigations on fostering diversity in software engineering courses using strategies exploring computer science's history.