Title
On the Impact of Mathematics in a First Year Algorithms Course of a Computer Science Program in a University of Lima, Peru
Date Issued
01 September 2019
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
conference paper
Publisher(s)
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Abstract
Algorithms are considered as one of the foundations of computer science. In all the computer science programs around the world they are offered as a core course of their curricula. However, in order to write algorithms a good knowledge and understanding of mathematics is needed. It is then the purpose of this study to show how the performance of the students in the course of algorithms of the computer science program offered at the University of Sciences and Humanities (Lima, Peru) is affected by their performance in the course of mathematics offered at that same program. The period of study covered four years, from 2015 to 2018, making a total of 8 semesters. The performance indicators in both courses were the average of the final grades of the students in each course per semester. A positive moderate correlation between the grades in mathematics and the ones in the algorithms course was calculated. Additionally, a linear model which shows the dependence between these two variables (i.e., the averages of the final grades of the courses of mathematics and algorithms per semester) was determined. On the other hand, we have observed the performance in these same courses which were offered alternatively following a hybrid system (traditional+virtual classroom) during the 2018-II semester. Because the performance of the students in this hybrid system is better than the ones from the traditional classroom (2015-I to 2018-II) we suggest that some of the techniques used in the hybrid system should be applied (and will be) starting the new semester of 2019-I to the traditional classroom courses of mathematics and algorithms.
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencias de la computación
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85091988741
ISBN of the container
978-172813567-0
Conference
Proceedings of the 2019 International Symposium on Engineering Accreditation and Education, ICACIT 2019
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus