Understanding how to apply fundamental computer science problem solving skills is quickly becoming a required competency. It is critical to address issues of equity and inclusion so that we can engage all people in learning key concepts in computing. The Third Annual Conference on Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT) is intended to serve a premier venue for peer-reviewed research on broadening participation in computing. Since broadening participation research is inherently interdisciplinary, we invite contributions from computer science education, educational leadership, learning sciences, cognitive or social psychology, social sciences, and related disciplines. Topics of interest include:

• Inclusive computing curricula and pedagogy
• Recruiting and retention strategies for college computing departments
• Computing outreach in K12
• Teacher factors such as preparation to support learning computing for diverse students, efficacy, beliefs and attitudes, or access to support
• Sociological factors in the pursuit of and persistence in CS education such as contemporary racial attitudes, culture, or family life
• Systemic approaches to addressing equity and inclusion in CS education at different levels of analysis, including the institution, the groups or units that constitute institutions, and the networks in which institutions are embedded
• Computing education research focused on differential impacts based on diversity and/or intersectionality (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, LGBT status)
• Equal or widening access to computing education
• The role of CS in education reform
• Interdisciplinarity and its impact on sustained participation

We welcome submissions of research papers and experience reports. All papers should explicitly state their motivating questions, relate to relevant literature, and contain an analysis of effectiveness. Research papers should adhere to rigorous standards, describing hypotheses, methods, and results. Experience reports should carefully describe the context and provide a rich reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and why. In addition, we invite submissions of panels, posters, and lightning talks as a highly interactive forum for discussion of emerging ideas. As in previous editions of the conference, the RESPECT 2018 proceedings will be submitted for inclusion to IEEE Xplore library. For the first time, RESPECT will be co-located with the ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) on February 21, 2018 in Baltimore, MD.

Presentation types & page limits             

• Research papers (full: 8 pages and short: 4 pages)
• Experience report papers (4 pages)
• Panels (2 pages)
• Lightning Talks (2 pages)
• Posters (1 paragraph)
• Submissions will be in PDF format using EasyChair

Important Dates

• Research papers, experience reports, and panel proposals
  • Submission: September 25, 2017 EXTENDED!
    • Extended deadline dates:
      • Paper registration/abstract submission: November 3
      • Paper submission: November 6
  • Notification:December 17, 2017 December 22, 2017
  • Camera ready: January 19, 2018
• Posters and lightning talks: 
  • Submission: January 5, 2018
  • Notification: January 19, 2018
  • Camera ready: January 26, 2018

RESEARCH PAPERS

Submissions to this track are strongly encouraged to link to a foundation of theory and to build upon that theory. Broadening participation research is inherently interdisciplinary; related literature may be drawn from computer science education, education, learning sciences, cognitive or social psychology, social sciences, and other related disciplines. Papers reporting on empirical studies must leverage appropriate research methods, and it is strongly recommended that authors explicitly state their research questions and hypotheses. Papers will undergo a blind peer review process. Full papers must not exceed eight pages in length. Short papers (work in progress) must not exceed four pages in length.

EXPERIENCE PAPERS

Experience reports that describe an educational or outreach approach are encouraged to submit to the experience report track. Experience reports describe and activity or approach, but have not necessarily employed a rigorous research design methodology and/or analysis. An acceptable experience report need not add to the body of knowledge of the broadening participation community by presenting novel results or conclusions. An experience report should be short (4 pages maximum) and must state a clear thesis and provide supporting evidence. That is, make a claim about the impact of the activity involving broadening participation and produce evidence to support your claim. Acceptance will be based on whether the reviewers find the evidence to be convincing. Anecdotal evidence will be acceptable in an experience report provided it is well argued and the author explains what efforts were made to gather as much evidence as possible. The most convincing evidence often includes comparisons of situations before and after the introduction or discontinuation of the broadening participation efforts. Papers will undergo a blind peer review process. Papers for the experience track must not exceed four pages in length.

PANELS

A panel session brings together multiple perspectives on a different topic to discuss, present, and debate. Ideally, panels will consist of no more than four panelists and one moderator. The panel submission should clearly indicate how the positions of each of the panelists comes together to create for an interesting discussion about a topic. Panel proposals must not exceed two pages and will be given between 45-60 minutes in the program.

POSTERS

Posters describe approaches or research that are really works in progress. Poster abstracts are limited to one paragraph. The poster session for the conference allows for poster authors to interact with conference attendees one-on-one.

LIGHTNING TALKS

Lightning talks provide an opportunity to present ideas, opportunities, or works in progress in a brief way. Lightning talk proposals must not exceed two pages in length. Lightning talk presentations will be a maximum of 2 minutes in length, which will be strictly enforced.

Submission Information

Submissions must be PDF files in IEEE format. Submissions are not anonymous but undergo a blind peer review.

Submissions are made through EasyChair.

Conference Presenter Substitution/No-Show Policy

Submission of a paper, panel, workshop, lightning talk or anything else for presentation at RESPECT means that if the proposal is accepted at least one of the authors will register for the conference and attend the conference to “present” the proposal. Failure for at least one author to register for the conference by the end of early registration will result in the submission not being included in the conference proceedings.

If, after registering, unforeseen circumstances prevent the presenting author from attending and presenting, it is his/her responsibility to notify the conference program chairs regarding the situation as soon as possible.  It would be most preferable to arrange for a substitute presenter.