Evaluating a Pass/Fail Grading Model in First Year Undergraduate Computing

This Innovative Practice Full Paper investigates the implications of implementing a Pass/Fail marking scheme within the undergraduate curriculum, specifically across first year computing modules in a Scottish Higher Education Institution. The motivation for this implementation was to ease stress and pressure on students entering higher education, which became particularly relevant following the COVID-19 pandemic. The study reports on the results of a survey that gathered feedback from Stage 1 and Stage 2 students who experienced the Pass/Fail implementation, and results shows that students generally appreciate the Pass/Fail model, although for many, the benefits only become apparent once they are exposed to alternative grading models. A number of recommendations are made for the implementation of similar marking schemes within computing in Higher Education curricula.