Concerning an introductory programming class for computer science majors, how does this statement from the authors make you feel: “Since we introduced [our method] the number of retained students was dramatically reduced”? Your answer probably depends on a number of factors; the authors of this paper assert that the sooner students realize that they don’t understand computer programming the better, so that they can find another discipline more appropriate for their skills. So the authors have introduced a weekly automated assessment into the intro course’s laboratory sessions, in order to provide the student regular feedback as quickly as possible. According to the paper, this method has succeeded in its intended goal; not only has retention decreased, but a significantly smaller percentage of students that still attempt the course again after failing the first time succeed when trying again in subsequent years.

The background references for this research are identified, categorized, and summarized concisely quite well given the short length of this paper (six pages). The research results are well presented, and overall the paper is well organized. However, it is unfortunate that a longer discussion of the research results (done over an eight-year period) was not possible.

The paper is intended for those educators involved in decisions regarding first-year computer science programming courses. If you are one of these educators open to the idea of reducing retention in the major in order to get those not suited to programming into another discipline as soon as possible, I recommend reading this paper.