In 2014, Marist College came up with an analytic model aimed at evaluating the potential academic success of students. By 2016, a number of educational institutions have adopted this model. By using it, college administrators can predict whether a particular student will be doing well academically even before the course starts.
This means that whatever you do on the learning platform and college forums, all your clicks and time spent with particular materials can be used in your favor — or against you. Based on the collected data, your professor can tell whether you are going to get good grades or not. In the future. What’s more amazing, the accuracy rate of this predictive model is impressive: 75%.
You might ask, “Should I do my programming homework if the college says I won’t really succeed?” You might wonder if it’s worth even trying when the data is against you. The answer is, “Of course you should do your best!” And here is why.
1. The college shouldn’t use the prediction model to discourage students from learning.
There is a big discussion around the ethical side of using success predictions. It is agreed that such conclusions cannot be formulated like verdicts. It’s always best when it comes with recommendations for students. All in all, any analytical data should be used not to discourage, but facilitate young people, make them better and more efficient learners. So don’t stop your efforts, do your programming homework, and do it well.
2. Different students blend in at different stages of the course.
A lot of students fall into the traps of procrastination. Surprisingly, even the successful ones. Some students cannot start on time due to other circumstances, like having a job. Although it’s true that starting late with your course doesn’t do you much good, it doesn’t mean you can’t catch on. Be sure though that, when you hop on a moving train, you stay on it.
3. If you aren’t really successful in other courses, it doesn’t mean you can’t be successful in programming.
If you’ve been judged by your previous progress in other courses which you actually weren’t much into, you shouldn’t be discouraged from being good at programming, especially when it’s your thing. You can still uncover a huge potential within you.
4. Every student has the right to his or her open future.
Finally, no one has the moral high ground to deprive you of your future. It is yours to make. If you want to be a programmer, you are free to become one. So, work hard, do the assignments in programming, get high grades, and be the master of your (academic) life.
Although the analytic model that predicts your academic success is often quite accurate, you shouldn’t be discouraged by the not-so-good prognosis. Every student has his or her own pace of studying, and everyone has a possibility to improve in the process. So, if you happened to learn that you are unlikely to succeed before the course has started, don’t get pessimistic. You can still do your best by doing your programming homework, being more active during the classes, or even learning something extra-curricular. Your success or unsuccess is not a fate; it’s actually the matter of your choice.