Effects of a Fall Reading Break on First Year Students' Course Performance in Programming
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24908/pceea.v0i0.13006Abstract
This paper presents a mixed methods study into the effects of a fall break on course performance in a first semester programming course in Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo.
In 2016, the University of Waterloo instituted a two-day fall break immediately following Thanksgiving Monday, on a three-year pilot. The stated rationale for this break was to address student wellness and mental health issues, especially as this pertains to students transitioning from high school and their “looming midterms”. As of October 2017, there are now 20 institutions in Ontario with a fall break of between one five days in length after the Thanksgiving holiday.
A linear regression model was calculated to examine the impact of the fall break on students. This model predicts students who regretted how they spent the fall break will earn 6% less in their first programming course. A logistic regression model was calculated which predicted inexperienced, struggling students have the highest odds of regretting how they spent the break.
Three focus groups were conducted with students who experienced the fall break in fall of 2016 or 2017. These focus groups examined student perceptions of the fall break, how they recalled using their time during the break, and their reflections on the br
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC) that allows others to use and share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal, as long as it is not used for commercial purposes. This license does not waive the author’s moral rights.