The early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mathematical competencies on entry into a UK university

Abstract

Students from England and Wales had their A-level results in 2020 decided by a ‘triple lock’ system as traditional examinations were cancelled due to the pandemic. Therefore, there was a fear that students were either being unfairly judged ( Arden University 2020) or would enter university with a reduced understanding of concepts leading to an increase in drop-out rates ( Staton, 2020). To measure mathematical ability, diagnostic testing is used at universities. This is now a well-established practice that supports students and their lecturers in discovering areas of mathematical strength and weakness upon entry to a course ( Lawson, 2003; Hodds, Shao, and Lawson, 2020). This article compares the entry competencies of students arriving at one UK university in October 2020 with those who entered in previous years, using the same diagnostic test taken by all students as the method for comparison. Students who received their A levels in the year of entry are also compared to those who entered with A levels from years prior, allowing for a fair comparison of students in 2020 in particular. Furthermore, the abilities of students at different A-level grades are also compared. The results showed that students in 2020 appear not to be disadvantaged by the issues caused by the pandemic. On the contrary, many students outperformed colleagues who had summative assessment prior to 2020.

The impact of COVID-19 on mathematical entry competencies: 1 year on

“…Up until 2020, the test was taken using a question booklet and an optical mark reader answer sheet. However, in 2020, due to the pandemic, the test was distributed online for the first time using "Numbas" and the university's online learning platform Moodle as these were the only options available at the time (see Hodds (2021) for a detailed explanation). In 2021, the university had acquired the use of "Wiseflow 1 " which is a dedicated cloud-based, digital assessment platform.…”

“…This paper therefore sets out to update the findings of Hodds (2021), determining whether students entering Coventry University in 2021-22 were as prepared as students in 2020-21 and those entering pre-pandemic. Furthermore, due to the issues and concerns around grade inflation, a model of predicted grades based on performance in the diagnostic test, amongst other factors, was considered to determine if A level grades were indeed inflated in 2021 as suggested.…”

“…This paper also set out to be an update to Hodds (2021), which looked at the initial effect on mathematical competencies using data from students arriving in September 2020. The findings of this paper are in contrast to the findings reported in Hodds (2021) which reported that students in 2020 were performing better or at a similar level to pre-pandemic cohorts.…”

“…The data from students in 2020 was provided through the online version utilising "Numbas" and Moodle. This data was open not only to cheating, as students took the test at home due to the lockdown and there was no lockdown browser, but also to students taking breaks (see Hodds (2021) for more details). The data in 2021 was more secure as "Wiseflow" provided a lockdown browser and around 80% of the tests were taken in exam conditions on campus.…”

“…Due to the disruption to education caused by the pandemic, diagnostic tests are perhaps more vital than ever in helping staff to determine the true competency of students whilst also providing support in the best possible way on arrival at university. Hodds (2021) The work of Hodds (2021) provides an initial overview of the mathematical competencies of the first cohort of students to arrive at one UK university during the pandemic (i.e., those arriving at university in September 2020). These students had their education partially disrupted by the initial lockdowns in the UK in 2020 and had their A level grades assessed through centre assessed grades as part of a "triple lock" system (see Department for Education (2020) for more information on the "triple lock").…”