Case studies in admissions to and early performance in computer science degrees

Abstract

We present seven case-studies of undergraduate recruitment to Computer Science courses together with analysis of students' success during the early part of their study. We focus particularly upon qualification on entry, the subjects studied in the early university curriculum, and student grades.We find that while university admissions are complex processes, there exists sufficient commonality to permit some useful comparisons. These suggest that predicting undergraduate performance on the basis of entry qualifications is fraught. Nevertheless, it seems that students who arrive at university with a record of success in earlier studies may be more likely to succeed than otherwise. In particular, good grades in pre-university study may indicate that they are more likely to do well in the mathematical part of the university curriculum. Conversely, we find nothing in entry qualifications to indicate which students will be successful in the study of programming.

Decision Mathematics as Preparation for Undergraduate Computer Science

“…However, the relatively high number of students with post-compulsory mathematics qualifications does not mean that new Computer Science undergraduates expect to be, or are excited by, studying mathematics once they begin their university studies [8,9].…”

“…A certain level of prior attainment in mathematics is required for undergraduate Computer Science courses all around the world [8], and this requirement is longstanding in the UK [13]. However, Gordon [9] observes that A-level Mathematics requirements for admission to Computer Science have decreased within recent decades, something he attributes to staff expertise, student recruitment and changes in the course content.…”

“…The Computer Science education literature points towards decision mathematics as being the most useful preparation for undergraduate Computer Science [8,24,25,26].…”

High School Students Learning University Level Computer Science on the Web – a Case Study of the DASK-Model

“…During ITiCSE 2003 (Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education -an international conference for researchers and practitioners in the field of CS education), a working group convened around the topic "Preparing students for university study in CS." Among other things, it analyzed the performance of CS students in different countries during their first years at university (Alexander et al, 2003). One conclusion was that students do not know what to expect when enrolling for studies in CS: "students who join a degree programme on the basis of experience in using PCs and games consoles are likely to face something of a culture shock" (p.144).…”

Case Study on Using a Programming Practice Tool for Evaluating University Applicants

“…al. report that none of the studies produced convincing evidence that high school achievements identify programming success [7].…”