3C: Cultural Competence in Computing

Cultural Competence in Computing (3C) Survey

The Cultural Competence in Computing (3C) Survey is designed to help universities and companies measure the cultural competence of students, faculty, and staff. We've streamlined the process to allow for smoother/quicker distribution of the assessment (in pre/post format).

About Cultural Competence

Cultural competence was first defined in social work in 1989, as graduates must effectively communicate and work with clients from various identities, especially vulnerable populations. It quickly expanded into education and healthcare, for the same reasons. While computing graduates may not work directly with vulnerable populations, there is plenty of evidence that shows how the technologies created impact them.

For this reason, it was important to not only find ways to improve cultural competence, but also find a way to accurately measure it.

Survey Distribution Timeline

NOTE: The survey is available at the beginning of each semester. Please follow the appropriate timeline, based on your intended distribution.

  • Early January/August: Distribute organization enrollment for survey and pre-survey. Organizations receive informed consent forms, recruitment letters, and pre-survey links.
  • Mid-late January/August: Organizations distribute survey AT THE START OF THE COURSE/ACTIVITY.
  • Late March/October: Organizations receive post-survey links, recruitment letters, and informed consent forms via email.
  • Early April/November: Organizations distribute post-surveys.
  • May or December/January: Data analysis and results returned to organizations.
Interested in Using the 3C Survey?

The survey takes approximately 5-7 minutes to complete and can be used for establishing baseline scoring. However, it is best used for pre/post-surveys and control groups for longitudinal studies.

To begin distributing the survey to students and/or faculty/staff: Complete this form noting your contact information (where deidentified, aggregate results will be sent following the end of semester. You will then be emailed the recruitment text to send participants to review the appropriate consent forms (faculty/staff or student) and begin the survey.

FAQ

Review the Survey FAQ for answers to a number of questions about the 3C Survey.

Relevant Publications
  • Washington. A.N., Romanova, P., Grady, S., and Burge, L. (June, 2023), "On Measuring Cultural Competence: Instrument Design and Testing," presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. https://peer.asee.org/43762.
  • Washington. A.N. "When Twice As Good Isn't Enough: The Case for Cultural Competence in Computing," SIGCSE '20: Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, February 2020, Pages 213–219. https://doi.org/10.1145/3328778.3366792.