2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This study examines students’ understanding of and attitudes toward Discrete Mathematics within a computer science program. We investigate how their conceptual understanding evolves over the semester and how learning Discrete Math influences their broader attitudes toward mathematics. As a baseline, we also measure students’ attitudes toward programming. In addition, we explore the skills students perceive as important to Discrete Math and how these perceptions change from the beginning to the end of the course. While students show significant learning gains across all topics, both self-assessments and technical assessments reveal particular challenges with induction and proofs. Despite these difficulties and a decline in students’ perception of math’s relevance to CS careers after the course, their confidence and enjoyment of mathematics increase, and their anxiety decreases. These findings offer valuable insights for educators aiming to align Discrete Math instruction with students’ prior knowledge, refine topic emphasis, and foster positive shifts in mathematical attitudes.