Correlation Between Engineering Students' Performance in Mathematics and Academic Success

Abstract

Andreas Zwölfer is currently studying Automotive Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Joanneum Graz. Prior to this he gained some work experience as a technician, also in the automotive sector. On completion of his studies, he intends to pursue a career in research.Prof. Domagoj Rubeša, University of Applied Sciences FH JOANNEUM, Graz Domagoj Rubeša teaches Engineering Mechanics and Mechanics of Materials at the University of Applied Sciences Joanneum in Graz (Austria). He graduated as naval architect from the Faculty of Engineering in Rijeka (Croatia) and received his MSc degree from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and his PhD from the University of Leoben (Austria). He has industrial experience in a Croatian shipyard and in the R&D dept. of an Austrian supplier of racing cars' motor and drivetrain components. He also was a research fellow at the University of Leoben in the field of engineering ceramics. His interests include mechanical behavior of materials and in particular fracture and damage mechanics and fatigue, as well as engineering education. It is quite popular among engineering educators to suppose that the academic performance of undergraduate engineering students depends on their mathematics skills, but there is only a little data available that substantiates this assumption. This study aims at shedding some light on this perceived dependency by comparing examination results in mathematics with those of the core engineering subjects over a period of more than ten years.To identify the relationship between the students' individual mathematical proficiency and their performance in applied engineering subjects, the examination performance of students in first, second and third semester mathematics courses has been correlated with their corresponding performances in mechanics and other mechanical engineering subjects. The results show that there is a significant positive correlation between the mathematics and mechanics grades; a correlation between mathematics and other engineering core subjects also exists but is, in general, less distinct.The study has been supplemented with a comparison of the dropout rate of students enrolled in the classes from 2002 until 2009 with their performance on an anonymous pre-course diagnostic test of mathematical skills, which took place every year in the first week of study. Prior studies on the relationships between students' university entry scores and their performance in terms of grade point averages showed that the expected correlations either do not exist or are too weak to base educational interventions on. A comparison of pre-college mathematics skills with degree program drop-out rates, on the other hand, shows a clear trend that a below-average high school mathematics education entails an elevated risk of drop-out.

Exploring the effectiveness of continuous activity with automatic feedback in online calculus

“…2) In the middle interval of results (2,6), the percentages are comparable with both methodologies. 3) In the upper interval of results (6,10): the percentages are markedly higher with the new methodology.…”

“…Despite the considerable increase in participation in continuous assessment, pass levels for the continuous assessment (the grade has to be 5) remain at levels similar to those of previous semesters (see Figure 2): an average of 1 In all the time series graphs, the blue line indicates the values for Mathematical Analysis, the brown line shows Mathematics II, the red line, the weighted average based on the number of students in the previous two semesters, and the dashed line is the average in each semester. 2 If we only consider the average for the first seven semesters, the difference increases to 20%.…”

“…This shows the major challenge involved for engineering students in terms of the difficulty of taking and passing mathematics subjects. Their dropout rate is still significant and is common to all mathematics subjects in classroom-based engineering courses [2,7]. The fact that students have different profiles with a heterogeneous knowledge of mathematics [8] and do not perceive these subjects as priorities for these studies [13] may be relevant variables that justify this.…”

“…However, students' difficulties with it is a problem that has been documented for some time, and one which leads to significant dropout rates [2,7]. There are uneven and low levels of basic mathematical competence which lead to a very wide variety of contexts among students the first year of these courses [13].…”

An Introductory Overview of Strategies used to Reduce Attrition in Engineering Programs

“…Students' difficulty in succeeding in calculus courses were reasons that students transferred out of engineering programs. 6,7,8 Despite the availability of tutoring services and review sessions on campus, the inability to succeed in math, specifically calculus, has been observed to be a consistent obstacle to student retention in engineering programs. This issue is not unique to only one institution, but is a ubiquitous problem 6,7,8 .…”