Bachelor of Science (BSc - All Disciplines)

Students’ Performance in Course Assessments in relation to USP Graduate Outcomes and Programme Graduate Outcomes

Programme outcomes for the Bachelor of Science degree are specific to different disciplines dependent on the area of study. As such the assessments conducted in the capstone course, SC356, are aligned directly to the USP Graduate Outcomes. This would contribute further to the development of USP Graduate Outcomes at the programme level, since SC356 is compulsory for all BSc. students across the science disciplines.

Capstone Course: SC356 – Research Skills Development

This capstone course forms an integral part of the Bachelor of Science degree, inclusive of the BSc. Marine Science, BSc. Environmental Science and the Bachelor of Geospatial Science (BGS). It aims to develop research skills in science students by executing a well-planned research project. In the process, students are exposed to tasks and challenges that, if undertaken successfully, enables the student to develop skills according to the USP Graduate Outcomes which these tasks are aligned to.

The course outcomes are aligned to the USP Graduate Outcomes and assessed as follows:

Course Learning Outcomes	Associated Activities	Assessment	USP Graduate Outcomes
1. Generate information related to the learners’ research project using the library and other resources	· Critical Thinking Activity · Literature Review	· Quiz · Research Question · Project Proposal · Literature Review	· Critical Thinking
2. Demonstrate professionalism and ethics	· Project execution	· Ethics Activity · Teamwork online · Logbook	· Ethics
3. Conduct statistical analysis using applicable software	· Experimental design, data collection, data analysis	· Data analysis (Also assessed as part of the project report)	· Critical Thinking and Quantitative Reasoning
4. Communicate the outcomes of the research	· Project Report · Oral Presentation	· Project Report · Presentation	· Communication
5. Execute a well-planned research project	All of the above

Overall performance of students in Course Assessments undertaken to achieve the University Graduate Outcomes are summarised graphically below:

Figure 1: Aggregate Student Scores aligned with USP Graduate Outcomes

Figure 1: Aggregate Student Scores aligned with USP Graduate Outcomes

Student Success Indicators of the BSc. Programme:

1. Pass Rate

Table 1(a): Bachelor of Science Pass Rates by Course Level (All disciplines)

Course Level	2014 Pass Rate (%)	2015 Pass Rate (%)	2016 Pass Rate (%)	2017 Pass Rate (%)
Degree 100 level	67.00	70.90	71.20	73.20
Degree 200 level	79.70	79.20	78.90	79.00
Degree 300 level	82.90	88.00	85.30	86.20

Table 1(b): Bachelor of Science (Marine Science) Pass Rates by Course Level

Course Level	2014 Pass Rate (%)	2015 Pass Rate (%)	2016 Pass Rate (%)	2017 Pass Rate (%)
Degree 100 level	76.10	69.40	72.90	58.90
Degree 200 level	77.80	88.10	86.00	79.80
Degree 300 level	100.00	91.90	97.20	89.40

Table 1(c): Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) Pass Rates by Course Level

Course Level	2014 Pass Rate (%)	2015 Pass Rate (%)	2016 Pass Rate (%)	2017 Pass Rate (%)
Degree 100 level	80.60	80.70	80.90	77.60
Degree 200 level	100.00	93.00	93.30	85.40
Degree 300 level	0.00	80.60	96.20	93.90

Table 1(d): Bachelor of Geospatial Science Pass Rates by Course Level

Course Level	2015 Pass Rate (%)	2016 Pass Rate (%)	2017 Pass Rate (%)
Degree 100 level	72.30	77.90	76.80
Degree 200 level	100.00	92.40	95.10
Degree 300 level	100.00	95.20	98.20

2. Retention Rates:

Table 2(a): Bachelor of Science (Overall) Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	60	58	56	60	55	58	57	61	58	61

Retention Rates for individual disciplines:

Table 2(b): BSc. Marine Science Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	73	78	74	78	76	83	72	62	66	76

Table 2(c): BSc. Environmental Science Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	66	67	71	73	70	76	54	67	70	81

Table 2(d): BGS Retention Rates (New Programme)

Description	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	70	75

Table 2(e): BSc. Biology Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	62	62	61	67	56	65	58	60	62	63

Table 2(f): BSc. Chemistry Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	61	58	62	63	46	50	54	67	62	56

Table 2(g): BSc. Computing Science Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	65	66	67	63	64	66	60	67	61	69

Table 2(h): BSc. Electrical/Electronic Engineering Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	–	–	100	56	63	71	66	64	71	66

Table 2(i): BSc. Geography Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	63	54	64	63	64	62	58	57	61	69

Table 2(j): BSc. Information Systems Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	60	56	55	63	59	58	53	58	59	62

Table 2(k): BSc. Mathematics Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	61	61	49	56	60	57	51	61	56	64

Table 2(l): BSc. Physics Retention Rates

Description	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
1^st Year Retention Rate (%)	63	41	57	44	39	49	60	50	64	57

3. Completion Rates:

Table 3(a): Bachelor of Science (Overall) Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	13	12	13	8	9	13
6-year Completion Rate (%)	15	15	13	11	–	–

Completion Rates for individual disciplines:

Table 3(b): BSc. Marine Science Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	21	36	38	39	15	20
6-year Completion Rate (%)	57	36	28	27	–	–

Table 3(c): BSc. Environmental Science Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	70	29	19	32	12	32
6-year Completion Rate (%)	22	38	53	33	–	–

*BGS Graduates in 2018 will form first cohort.

Table 3(d): BSc. Biology Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	10	9	11	7	8	14
6-year Completion Rate (%)	30	29	22	22	–	–

Table 3(e): BSc. Chemistry Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	24	7	7	3	7	10
6-year Completion Rate (%)	12	22	7	9	–	–

Table 3(f): BSc. Computing Science Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	17	19	16	8	6	4
6-year Completion Rate (%)	22	14	16	13	–	–

Table 3(g): BSc. Electrical/Electronic Engineering Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	36	45	35	17	10	5
6-year Completion Rate (%)	43	29	32	26	–	–

Table 3(h): BSc. Geography Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	33	17	20	20	5	9
6-year Completion Rate (%)	23	42	41	45	–	–

Table 3(i): BSc. Information Systems Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	28	23	26	30	14	30
6-year Completion Rate (%)	13	27	15	23	–	–

Table 3(j): BSc. Mathematics Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	22	21	12	10	14	28
6-year Completion Rate (%)	47	44	32	51	–	–

Table 3(k): BSc. Physics Completion Rates

Completion Rates	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
3-year Completion Rate (%)	36	11	15	9	20	11
6-year Completion Rate (%)	27	22	23	18	–	–