Abstract:
High attrition and failure in first year computer science and software engineering courses has often been linked to the personal traits and skills of students -- dividing the world into those that "get it" and those "that don't". We present several concrete strategies based on the recently developed Learning Edge Momentum (LEM) theory, which when applied together, were found useful in reducing failure rates. Based on the our experiences, we challenge our current understanding of attrition and failure in first year courses and dare to claim that maybe it's not them, it's us that is the problem.