Hiring CS Graduates: What We Learned from Employers

Computer science ( CS ) majors are in high demand and account for a large part of national computer and information technology job market applicants. Employment in this sector is projected to grow 12% between 2018 and 2028, which is faster than the average of all other occupations. Published data are available on traditional non-computer science-specific hiring processes. However, the hiring process for CS majors may be different. It is critical to have up-to-date information on questions such as “what positions are in high demand for CS majors?,” “what is a typical hiring process?,” and “what do employers say they look for when hiring CS graduates?” This article discusses the analysis of a survey of 218 recruiters hiring CS graduates in the United States. We used Atlas.ti to analyze qualitative survey data and report the results on what positions are in the highest demand, the hiring process, and the resume review process. Our study revealed that a software developer was the most common job the recruiters were looking to fill. We found that the hiring process steps for CS graduates are generally aligned with traditional hiring steps, with an additional emphasis on technical and coding tests. Recruiters reported that their hiring choices were based on reviewing resume’s experience, GPA, and projects sections. The results provide insights into the hiring process, decision making, resume analysis, and some discrepancies between current undergraduate CS program outcomes and employers’ expectations.

The phantom steering effect in Q&A websites

Virtual rewards, such as badges, are commonly used in online platforms as incentives for promoting contributions from a userbase. It is widely accepted that such rewards “steer” people’s behaviour towards increasing their rate of contributions before obtaining the reward. This paper provides a new probabilistic model of user behaviour in the presence of threshold rewards, such a badges. We find, surprisingly, that while steering does affect a minority of the population, the majority of users do not change their behaviour around the achievement of these virtual rewards. In particular, we find that only approximately 5–30% of Stack Overflow users who achieve the rewards appear to respond to the incentives. This result is based on the analysis of thousands of users’ activity patterns before and after they achieve the reward. Our conclusion is that the phenomenon of steering is less common than has previously been claimed. We identify a statistical phenomenon, termed “Phantom Steering”, that can account for the interaction data of the users who do not respond to the reward. The presence of phantom steering may have contributed to some previous conclusions about the ubiquity of steering. We conduct a qualitative survey of the users on Stack Overflow which supports our results, suggesting that the motivating factors behind user behaviour are complex, and that some of the online incentives used in Stack Overflow may not be solely responsible for changes in users’ contribution rates.

Operationalizing the distribution of oral HIV self-testing kits to men who have sex with men (MSM) in a highly homophobic environment: the Nigerian experience

Background Self-care health interventions are innovative approaches for improving health and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Men who have sex with men (MSM) have been disproportionately affected by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In spite of this, stigma from healthcare workers has reportedly prevented MSM from accessing HIV testing in health facilities. This paper explored the operationalization of using key opinion leaders (KOLs) to distribute HIVST (HIV self-test) kits to MSM. This qualitative survey used a combination of in-depth interviews (IDI) with HIVST users and focus group discussions (FGDs) with KOLs to collect data three months after the distribution of the test kits by the KOLs. Thematic analysis of the data was carried out. Result Three themes were generated namely: KOLs serve as a trusted resource to promote and support HIVST for the MSM community; Skills and qualifications required for KOLs to effectively distribute and promote uptake of HIVST; and Effective strategies used to create demand and promote uptake of HIVST. Conclusion This study showed the practical steps involved in operationalizing KOL support system distribution of HIVST that positively influenced the testing experience for the participants irrespective of the HIV status and engagement in care. KOLs are a reliable resource to leverage for ensuring that HIV self-test kit is utilized and HIV positive individuals are linked to treatment and care in homophobic environments.

Learning about immigrant and migrant readers, transforming libraries: Spanish-speaking readers in North America

Drawing on data from the qualitative survey study of avid immigrant and migrant Spanish-speaking readers residing in Canada and the U.S., this paper looks at their use of libraries, specifically, in the context of leisure reading. Acknowledging a gap in current research on Spanish-speaking immigrants/migrants, the study focuses on avid lifelong readers rather than information seekers; achieves an understanding of their reading practices and interactions with libraries in the context of their pre-migration experiences; and highlights readers’ suggestions for the improvement of collections, spaces, services, and community engagement. Practical suggestions are made for public, academic, and special libraries.

Understanding fire learning experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand

Purpose This paper aims to present exploratory research on how people in Aotearoa New Zealand experience and learn about fire, and how they think and feel about fire as adults. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative survey with a sample of 40 young adults aged 18–23 years in Aotearoa New Zealand were recruited through Prolific Academic. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to construct themes across participants experiences. Findings Four themes were constructed that described participants’ learning about fire and were named influence of context and internal responses to fire, development of normative beliefs about fire, learning how and when fire can be used and learning about fire safety. Two themes were developed that described participants thoughts and feelings about fire as an adult. These were named knowledge is power and emotional congruence with fire. Results highlight the significant role of parental modelling, reinforcement and sensory experiences in the way individuals experience and learn about fire. Practical implications Understanding fire learning is important for establishing which experiences may lead to appropriate and inappropriate fire use which in turn can inform fire prevention initiatives. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research represents one of the first studies to directly examine fire learning in the general population.

Delivering Higher Education in public Health Emergencies

With the general closure of universities and schools in Sierra Leone due to the COVID-19 pandemic, digital learning has become a credible alternative to maintain students in educational, training, and research links. The study responds to three primary questions: 1) What digital learning modalities have shown to be most effective for providing continuity in learning amid temporary or permanent school closures? 2) What digital learning modalities are promising for their use but evidence for their use evidence about them is still lacking? 3) What are the challenges and considerations when planning for and implementing digital learning? The study utilised qualitative research methods: interviews; focus group discussions; qualitative survey; and document reviewing. A stratified sample of 260 participants (161 male and 99 female) was randomly drawn from teachers, education officials and information technology experts. This paper provides snapshots of the different distance learning initiatives and program that have been implemented, including both the promises they offer.

Student’s Awareness Towards Corruption Cases in Indonesia

Background : The current corruption case in Indonesia are severely problematic since it is normalized by society. As a response, the current agenda of the Indonesian government to tackle it is by raising awareness of youth towards Indonesia’s corruption case. Aim : This study aims to knowing the importance of anti-corruption education and its applications among students. Method : The methodology of this study is the use of a qualitative survey on Faculty of Pharmacy students and interviews with representatives of students of the Faculty of Pharmacy. The population of this study is students of Airlangga University. The sample of this study is 52 students of class C the Faculty of Pharmacy Result : Students have awareness about corruption and even proposed that the current anti-corruption education is not enough to tackle corruption. Recommendation : The researcher suggests that students can be brave to campaign about the importance of anti-corruption education to the public. Limitation : The limitation of this study is that it is difficult to conduct research because in the online pandemic era, this results in delays in the research process.

School strike for climate are leading the way: how their people power strategies are generating distinctive pathways for leadership development

Since November 2018, Australian high school climate strikers have become leaders in the movement for climate action, giving rise to a new generation of young people who have learnt how to lead change. This article focuses on the question of leadership across social movements and in global youth movements. It then investigates the different forms of leadership emerging in School Striker for Climate (SS4C) through a qualitative survey of its leaders. We argue that leadership is multifaceted, shaped by the different strategies that movements use to engage people in collective action. We present three different people power strategies – mobilising, organising and playing by the rules – and explore how these different strategies generate varied pathways for leadership development. We identify the strengths and limits of each strategy, and we find that peer learning, mentoring, learning by doing, confrontation, reflective spaces and training are important leadership development tools. This article’s greatest strength comes from the positionally of us as researchers – two of us are student strikers, and the third is an active supporter, giving us a distinctively engaged perspective on a powerful movement for change.

CRIMINOLOGY GRADUATES IN THE PRACTICE OF THEIR PROFESSION: AN ANALYSIS OF EMPLOYERS’ FEEDBACK

The main purpose of this study is to determine the employers’ feedback in the performance of NEUST criminology graduates in the practice of their profession. This study made use of a descriptive-quantitative-qualitative survey technique. The study was conducted in the different agencies of the law enforcement with in Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces area where graduates were employed or assigned, specifically, Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Army (PA), Universities and Colleges within Nueva Ecija, and Private Sector. Based on the findings, employers were very much impressed with the performance of the NEUST criminology graduates as can be seen from their positive responses during the conduct of the study.