Computer Science and Computer Information Technology majors together: Analyzing factors impacting students' success in introductory programming

Abstract

In 2004 Northern Kentucky University began offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Technology. As these new majors began to enroll alongside Computer Science majors in the required and standard Computer Science 1 (CS 1) course, the context of CS 1 shifted. Accordingly, we made curriculum changes to adapt the introductory programming sequence to this new context. These changes included: creating a "CS 0.5" preparatory programming course taught in a variety of languages; allowing the scheduled laboratory component of CS 1 to be optional; and lowering the mathematics prerequisite for CS 1 from Pre-Calculus to College Algebra. We have studied the impact of these changes on student success. Because many Computer Science Departments in the U.S. began offering Information Technology degrees since 2000, in part to offset the downturn in CS enrollment, our results may be of broader interest. We found that gender, major, the programming language used in CS 0.5 and student attitudes toward technology (as revealed by surveys) did not affect student success in CS 1. Factors that were positively correlated with CS 1 success included mathematics ACT score, completing CS 0.5, and enrolling in the optional CS 1 laboratory section.

Computer Science Student Selection – A Scoping Review and a National Entrance Examination Reform

“…The following articles were analyzed: Alexander et al ( 2003 All articles were peer reviewed. The studies were published between 2003 and 2017 and most of them (8) were presented in a conference run by ACM or IEEE. The studies originated from 12 countries: the US (4), Canada (1), Jamaica (2), United Kingdom (2), Ireland (1), Spain (1), Sweden (1), Estonia (1), Russia (1), India (1) and Pakistan (1), and covered 3 continents, Northern America, Europe and Asia.…”

“…Although mathematical skills are the most widely used factor in student selection in CS & IT, it has not proved to be as powerful a predictor of success as has been expected (e.g. [8,10,33]). Other skills investigated involve verbal skills in the language used in studies [28], previous programming experiences and sciences [3].…”

The Role of Gender on Student Success

“…They found that female students who decided to enroll in the computer science program had more confidence in their ability to compete with males. Finally, a study by Doyle et al, (2009) evaluated student success in a CS course and examined factors contributing to their success. They concluded that neither gender nor major affected student success in the course.…”