Estimated and Actual Performance Scores on Computer Programming Tasks

This study examined estimated scores and actual scores on completed test problems obtained from the final exam questions in a computer programming course. The programming tasks involved ten multiple choice questions and three programming problems. The problems were designed within the framework of the skill-rule-knowledge model of human performance. Twenty five engineering and computer science students took the final exam. The analyses of data show significant differences in selfassessment of performance between the high-performing students and the low-performing students. The paper suggests that the student¿s ability to assess his or her own performance on the practice problems is strongly related to the actual performance on tests and exams. The paper also suggests that the tutoring programs for SMET courses should address the learning skills of individual students and, specifically, the students¿ self-assessment skills.