Working memory revisited: can we use it to select science students?

Abstract

This paper looks at measures which have been used to determine the working memory capacity of students and considers whether or not some such measure would be a useful component of a selection test battery for the admission of students to tertiary level science courses. About 800 first year students at the University of the Witwatersrand completed two such tests ‐‐ the backwards digit test and the figural intersection test. A wide range of scores was found on both tests and these scores were significantly correlated with the students’ educational background. The student scores on these tests were then correlated with their marks on mid‐year and end of first year subject assessments. Some correlations were found at this stage. The students were then followed to graduation and an analysis of co‐variance was performed with graduation being used as the dichotomous dependent variable. The memory capacity tests were then no longer significantly associated with student success and so it appears that in this instance these tests are not suitable for use in selection. The findings do not support either of the measures used to identify students’ working memory capacity as a selection instrument.