The influence of university entry scores on student performance in engineering mechanics

An ongoing study into the causes of poor student performance in engineering mechanics has uncovered some intriguing data on the relationships between students’ university entry scores and their performance in engineering mechanics courses. Statistical analysis has shown that the expected correlations between this key measure, used to determine students eligibility for study, and engineering mechanics score either do not exist or are too weak to base educational interventions on. However, students’ entry scores have instead been shown to provide a “risk factor”, whereby students’ risk of failing the subject can be determined by entry score ranges. The tracking of changes in risk factors may be used to gauge the effectiveness of educational developments in the delivery of engineering mechanics.