On the Impact of Mathematics in a First Year Algorithms Course of a Computer Science Program in a University of Lima, Peru

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.