Mathematics Across the CurriculumA strategy for Quantitative Literacy: Session 2

Åsa Bradley & Beverly VredeveltSpokane Falls Community Collegeasab@spokanefalls.edubeverlyv@spokanefalls.edu www.mac3.amatyc.org

Whose Responsibility?“Quantitative literacy is more about habits of mind

than specific mathematical content. Therefore, the responsibility for developing quantitative literacy, like writing across the curriculum, is shared by the entire college faculty. However, mathematics faculty should lead the quantitative literacy movement by helping to establish a set of outcomes expected of students in each program.”

- AMATYC Beyond Crossroads

What Can MAC3 Look Like?Successful Models:• Smaller Scale:

• Shared/Linked assignments• Learning modules• Mini lectures/Guest lectures• Thematic Projects

• Larger Scale:• Learning Communities (Linked or fully co-taught)• Campus wide initiative• Integrated courses• Service Learning Component

Learning Communities: A Case StudyFusion: The Unlikely Union of Physics and English Comp(A coordinated class: two instructors in the classroom at the same time)• Original Idea

• Lori teach English (English 101 and 201)• Åsa teach Physics (Physics 100)• Students write about Physics

• After a MAC3 Conference• One central theme or concept.• What are the BIG IDEAS we want the students to take with them?• What skills should they retain after our class?

Assessing Fusion• Combined Grade for Both Disciplines• Major Essays (Research, Outline, Revise)• Shorter In-Class Writing Prompts• Learning Log• Field Trips & Guest Speakers Activities• In-Class Group Physics Activities (Problem Solving,

ILD’s)• Physics Homework• Weekly Physics Lab with Write-up• Final Group Research Project (Research, Present,

Write Report)

Dividing Class Time• Planned a quarter long tentative schedule for each

discipline, but met weekly to plan following week.• Kept it loose, often switched days depending on

where students were. • Usually had full English days and full Physics days.

MAC3 Survey Constructs (Pre & Post)The students read 21 statements and rated them on a scale of 5 (strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree). Distributed to ten classes during the fall quarter/semester of 2006.Five constructs were extracted:• Confidence in doing mathematics (I am good at math, I enjoy math.)• Interest in mathematics (I want to learn more math.)• Awareness of the role of mathematics in society (Many things I use were

designed using math)• Concept of Math (Estimating is part of math)• Interdisciplinary Learning (Doing math in another subject makes the subject

easier to learn)

Change in Students’ Math Attitudes(Based on 30 matched pre-post surveys from SFCC students)

Post Survey Self Evaluation of Math SkillsStudents were asked to evaluate their gains in the following areas on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (a great deal):• Understanding the relationship among concepts• Ability to think through a problem• Ability to solve problems• Ability to communicate mathematical ideas• Confidence in your ability to do mathematics• Feeling comfortable with complex ideas• Enthusiasm for mathematics

Post Survey Self Evaluation of Math SkillsHighest gains (between “somewhat” and “a lot”) were in analytical categories:

•Understanding relationships among concepts•Thinking through and solving problems•Feeling comfortable with complex ideas

All categories showed gain, but some where slightly below the “some what” mark:

•Ability to communicate mathematical ideas•Confidence in ability to do math•Enthusiasm for mathematics

Specific Learning Gains• As a result of your work in this class, how well do

you think you now understand the following:• How to interpret a graph?• How to use mathematical information in expository

writing?• How to evaluate the credibility of science writing?• What kind of data to gather in order to answer a

question?(The option “learned elsewhere” was included and students who marked this were excluded from the analysis.)

Specific Learning Gains(Based on 30 matched post surveys from SFCC students)

Åsa M. Bradley MSSFCC Physics

Student Comments• Please tell us the most important thing you

learned in this class• 23 offered comments• 9 (nearly 40%) mentioned physics

Student Comments• On Physics

• Physics can be fun!• I learned about atoms.• It’s hard to store energy.• You can’t store energy.• I learned a lot about energy.

Åsa M. Bradley MSSFCC Physics

Student Comments• On math/science and English

• How to perform better research on scientific subjects and how to put that information into an understandable flow

• How to write essays using the math parts of science.

• How to write a better academic paper and citing sources.

Åsa M. Bradley MSSFCC Physics

Student Comments• On group work

• How to interact with others.• Working in groups is more rewarding if everyone

participates.• Working in groups and getting help from other

students is important and helpful.• Math and other people don’t mix well with me.

Åsa M. Bradley MSSFCC Physics

Student Comments• Big ideas

• Everything!• How much more I have to learn about the

universe.• The importance of sustaining life and the

consequences of pollution.• Math is involved in everything, so is physics.

Åsa M. Bradley MSSFCC Physics

Survey Conclusions

Åsa M. Bradley MSSFCC Physics

• Overall, students in these ten (n=181) interdisciplinary courses left with a more positive assessment of mathematics, their interest in it and their ability to do it.

• The constructs measuring student’s mathematical confidence, interest, awareness of math in their lives, and appreciation of interdisciplinary learning changed in the desired direction.

• Integrating mathematics into other disciplines seem to lead to improved student attitudes about mathematics and enhance the learning of math content.

Lessons Learned• Better integrated schedule• More closely integrated assignments• Students actually asked for more quizzes and tests! • More progress reports for final project• Keep writing group and science group the same• On field trips, drive together in school van• Students’ evaluations of each other bigger part of project grade• More theme based approach closer integrated with big ideasSyllabus, Assignments, Projects and more are available at:http://faculty.spokanefalls.edu/AutoWebs/Default.asp?ID=2712&VLD=2712

www.spokanefalls.edu → current students → online syllabus → Bradley, Asa - LC Resources for Instructors (password: instructor)

Åsa M. Bradley MSSFCC Physics

Collaboration Session—Big Ideas1. Get into groups of 2 or 3 participants.2. What are the five main things you want your students’ to

learn or be able to do by taking your class? (most important outcomes)

3. Write each of them on a post-it note.4. Compare your big ideas with those of your colleagues. 5. Consolidate your big ideas with those of your colleagues

and come up with a “main” set of outcomes?6. Think of a theme that could be used for an integrated

class or assignment that would address all or one of these outcomes. (Example: Teaching an integrated Composition and Physics class focused on Conservation of Energy.)

Collaboration Session—Big Ideas

Report Back!

Another Collaboration Session

Designing Theme Based & Integrative Learning Worksheet

Another Collaboration Session

Report Back!

What To Do Next

• GPC Faculty Follow-up meeting?• When?• Where?

• Lots and lots of web resources…

Some Web Resources• MAC3 Projects and Courses (A list of QL integrated outcomes and assignments from

a variety of disciplines)• http://www.mac3.amatyc.org/projects.htm

• Dartmouth College Electronic Bookshelf (More QL integrated classroom examples)• http://www.math.dartmouth.edu/~mqed/index.html

• Statistical Literacy (A website dedicated to develop SL as an interdisciplinary curriculum in the liberal arts.)• http://www.statlit.org/

• Social Science Data Analysis Network (Similar to above, but this one has examples for the Social Sciences.)• http://www.ssdan.net/chip/exercises.shtml

• Mathematical Association of America’s QL site• http://www.maa.org/Ql/

• AMATYC’s QL site (Includes books, articles, and professional development opportunities.)• http://www.beyondcrossroads.com/QLindex.html

More Web Resources• The National Numeracy Network ( A network of individuals, institutions, and

corporations united by the common goal of quantitative literacy for all citizens. Includes great teaching resources.)• http://serc.carleton.edu/nnn/

• Numeracy (Online Journal for QL)• http://services.bepress.com/numeracy/

• SIGMAA on QL (Special Interest group of the MAA focusing on QL includes teaching, textbooks, and job resources)• http://pc88092.math.cwu.edu/~montgomery/sigmaaql/

• Colby-Sawyer's QL website (They have a NSF grant for increasing QL scores):• http://www.colby-sawyer.edu/academics/experience/quantitative/index.html

• More classroom and web resources at:• http://faculty.spokanefalls.edu/AutoWebs/Default.asp?ID=2712&VLD=2712

www.spokanefalls.edu → current students → online syllabus → Bradley, Asa - LC Resources for Instructors (password: instructor)

Thank You!

Feel free to contact us with any questions

Åsa Bradley & Beverly VredeveltSpokane Falls Community College

asab@spokanefalls.edubeverlyv@spokanefalls.edu