Using Final Letter Grades to Improve Institutional Course Sequence Recommendations

Autor/inn/en	Kmail, Zaher; Rabideau, Michelle
Titel	Using Final Letter Grades to Improve Institutional Course Sequence Recommendations
Quelle	In: IEEE Transactions on Education, 66 (2023) 6, S.572-578 (7 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Kmail, Zaher) ORCID (Rabideau, Michelle)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0018-9359
DOI	10.1109/TE.2023.3267675
Schlagwörter	Grades (Scholastic); Sequential Approach; Course Selection (Students); Mathematics Education; Required Courses; Engineering Education; Calculus; Equations (Mathematics); Algebra; Mathematics Achievement + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Notenspiegel; Schrittfolge; Course selection; Student; Students; Kurswahl; Mathematische Bildung; Pflichtkurs; Ingenieurausbildung; Analysis; Differenzialrechnung; Infinitesimalrechnung; Integralrechnung; Equations; Mathematics; Gleichungslehre; Mathmatics sikills; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematical ability; Mathematische Kompetenz
Abstract	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. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Tel: 732-981-0060; Web site: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=13
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01