System Update Required: Rethinking the Introductory College Computer Science Course Through Gender-Inclusive Design

Abstract

This thesis examines gender inequality in Computer Science through the lens of the introductory college Computer Science course. Drawing on existing literature and gender theory, it develops a three-layer framework of exclusionary culture signaling, representational scarcity, and curricular masculinization to explain why inequality persists across the field. This framework is applied to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of introductory courses at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Harvey Mudd College. Findings from a combination of literature analysis and interviews with teaching staff demonstrate that while successful interventions that dismantle exclusionary culture signaling and curricular masculinization are widespread, they rarely target representational scarcity. Ultimately, this thesis concludes that the introductory Computer Science course is a critical intervention site through which gender inequality can be addressed, but its impact depends on the institutional culture in which it is situated.