Evidence That Computer Science Grades Are Not Bimodal [pdf]
&quot;We theorized that the perception of bimodal grades in CS is a social defense. It is easier for the CS education community to believe that some students “have it” and others do not than it is for the community to come to terms with the shortfalls of our pedagogical approaches and assessment tools.&quot;<p>I didn&#x27;t read the whole article, but I&#x27;m not sure I agree with the conclusion. Even with a standard gaussian distribution, one may still believe that some students have it and some don&#x27;t. Let say there is consistently 25% of students that are unable to pass their exams (for various reasons: lack of interest, motivation, intelligence, discipline...), why would a &quot;social defense&quot; be needed?<p>While I agree that we always should try to improve our pedagogical tools, I don&#x27;t believe that anyone can learn anything provided they have a good teacher.