The performance and errors of College of Science students in engineering in first and second year applied mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand

Abstract

This research report is an ex post facto study of the students from the General College of Science in the University of the Witwatersrand who chose to do Engineering Sciences in the College and who then progressed to second year Engineering in the Chemical, Civil, Metallurgical and Mining Engineering branches.

The College students are compared to selected groups o f main stream students (who entered the Engineering Faculty via the normal route) in the following areas : Teaching methods used in the College compared to teaching methods used in the main stream; pass rates and distribution of the final marks for each course; marks obtained for individual qm.. dons on examination papers; and the types of answers given to examination questions.

The results show that although the College students start their university careers from a more disadvantaged position than the main stream students do, their performance has become equivalent to that of the main stream students at the end of the period studied.