Predicting Academic Performance in the School of Computing & Information Technology (SCIT)

Abstract

What determines academic performance? Prior research shows that standardized measures such as aptitude (e.g. SAT scores), prior academic performance, effort and motivation explain a significant portion of the variation in class performance. When universities in the United States determine which students to admit, typical criteria include SAT, ACT or other achievement scores and high school GPA. At the University of Technology, Jamaica in the School of Computing & Information Technology, the main admission criteria are appropriate score in an aptitude test and passes in at least five Caribbean Examination Council subjects including Mathematics and English. This study examines the relationship between students' demographic attributes, qualification on entry, aptitude test scores, performance in first year courses and their overall performance in the program. The study has implications for the School's admission policy. The results should help us to identify an optimal set of admission indicators, which have the potential of predicting students' performance