Examining the Effect of Position in the Program on Performance in Discrete Mathematics
Date
2005-09-27
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Abstract
The discrete mathematics component common to computer science
programs is often a source of difficulty for students. Two common approaches
have been to integrate the mathematics with computer science in a computer
science course or requiring students to complete a discrete mathematics course
from the mathematics department. Different approaches to instruction have
been attempted with varying success. This paper reports the result of an
investigation of student performance in discrete mathematics on the basis of
the position in the program at which the student first attempts the discrete
mathematics course offered by the mathematics department. The major sample
includes 739 students over an 8-year period who first attempted the
mathematics course in their first year, second year, or third year of the
program. The analysis of the data indicated that there was a significantly
better performance record for students who first attempted the course in
their second or subsequent year. Analysis including 52 students in Spain found
no significant difference between performance of first-year students in that
country as compared to Canada. The conclusion reached is that position in the
program is important and the increased maturity of students in second and
subsequent years would indicate that the discrete mathematics course might
best be placed in the second year rather than in the first.
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Computer Science