The Transition from School to University: Would Prior Study of Computing Help?

摘要

We investigate issues in the preparation of students for undergraduate study. Specifically, we focus upon the question of whether computer science students would be better prepared if they were required to pass a school level qualification in the discipline. Thus we investigate the school level curriculum in detail and make a comparison with the demands of a typical UK university first year. We conclude that there is no reason necessarily to see a school level qualification as assisting the preparation of students for undergraduate study in computer science. Rather, we hypothesise that the value of the qualification will depend heavily on the nature of the teaching experienced.