Fighing Impostor Syndrome - SIGCSE 2014 "Birds of a Feather" proposal - http://sigcse2014.sigcse.org/authors/bof.php

Proposer

Aidan Feldman, Education Hacker at GitHub, [email protected], http://api.afeld.me

Title

Fighing Impostor Syndrome

Abstract

When working in the constantly challenging field of Computer Science, all but the most brazen individuals will inevitably feel "in over their heads", which is the simplest incarnation of impostor syndrome. This issue affects members of this field at all levels: students, teachers, researchers, etc. For students, impostor syndrome is a great barrier to success, because they don't have full context of the skills necessary to be successful in CS.

Computer Science attrition rates are extremely high relative to other areas of study, particularly among first and second-year college students. What can be done by educators and the industry to retain talent, that would otherwise be lost by those individuals not feeling like they belong? How can we instill confidence and encourage growth? How can these strategies applied personally, or to other experienced members of the field?

Significance and Relevance of the Topic

The number of computer science job openings are growing far faster than the number of capable candidates available to fill them. The success of books like Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In - and the success of the self-improvement industry in general ($12bn in 2008 - Forbes) - highlight this gaping hole of achievement potential, and interest from those who are affected to overcome it.

Expected Audience

This topic is broadly applicable, even outside of computer science. The personal experiences and coping strategies at all levels of CS experience are relevant.

The format will be largely discussion-based, so portable handheld mics would be useful, but a lecture-style podium is not necessary.

Discussion Leaders

Aidan Feldman, Education Hacker at GitHub, [email protected]

Matthew McCullough, Trainer at GitHub, [email protected]

Expertise of Discussion Leaders

Aidan Feldman is on the education team at GitHub, thinking about ways to encourage collaboration in an academic context. Aidan organizes various tech meetups in NYC, including open office hours for new programmers, and teaches Advanced JavaScript at NYU.

Matthew McCullough helps lead the Training team at GitHub. An accomplished speaker and writer, Matthew jumps at the chance to help anyone entering the world of programming understand the potential and power of properly using version control and collaboration tools.

Special Requirements

None.

afeld/gist:6903915