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ERIC Number: EJ1402126
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-9359
EISSN: EISSN-1557-9638
Using Final Letter Grades to Improve Institutional Course Sequence Recommendations
Kmail, Zaher; Rabideau, Michelle
IEEE Transactions on Education, v66 n6 p572-578 2023
Contribution: This article compares student success via different pathways in which students take mathematics courses required for engineering degrees. Background: Mathematics courses are an integral part of engineering curriculum. Many institutions require or recommend the order in which students take Calculus II, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra. These recommendations are usually created by the faculty and based on the content in these courses. Research Questions: Is there a difference in student performance between the different pathways of Calculus II, Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra? Can the pathways be ranked based on final letter grades and the outcomes instructors prefer (more A's, lower DFW rates, etc.)? Methodology: Data from one institution over the course of 35 years were analyzed. We used the PROC FREQ procedure in SAS with the option CHISQ to perform the Chi-square test to test the null hypothesis that the proportion of students' grades are the same across the different pathways. If the null hypothesis was rejected, the prop.test command in R was used to test which proportion of grades are different and, specifically, significantly larger from the other pathway. Findings: Students are most successful in terms of final letter grade if they take courses in the following order, one semester at a time; Calculus II, Multivariable Calculus, Differential equations, then Linear Algebra.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Tel: 732-981-0060; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2578/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=13
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A