Incorporating Incorporating Quantitative Quantitative

Literacy (QL) into Literacy (QL) into General Education General Education

CoursesCoursesWhy its important.

Why it hasn’t happened.

Barriers to achieving QLBarriers to achieving QL

Students believe that QL is math and Students believe that QL is math and therefore behave as they do in therefore behave as they do in traditional math classtraditional math class

Students expect cookbook problems and Students expect cookbook problems and such problems are antithetical to QLsuch problems are antithetical to QL

QL is a habit of mind rather than a QL is a habit of mind rather than a content-based academic disciplinecontent-based academic discipline

Students do not think QL is relevant to Students do not think QL is relevant to their livestheir lives

QL is boringQL is boring

General Education

• Breadth of Knowledge– Arts and Humanities– Social Sciences– Natural Sciences

• Cultural Awareness– Cultural Diversity– Promoting Tolerance

Are these areas still relevant?

Do current courses actually accomplish this “breadth of knowledge”

Skill Areas evolving to be more important than content.

• Communication (written and oral)

• Quantitative Literacy

• Group Work (collaborative problem solving)

• Critical Thinking

• Information Literacy

Why care about QL?Why care about QL?

Necessary for DemocracyNecessary for Democracy Historian Lawrence Cremin sees literacy as Historian Lawrence Cremin sees literacy as

“liberating” in which individuals command both “liberating” in which individuals command both the enabling skills needed to search out the enabling skills needed to search out information and the power of mind necessary to information and the power of mind necessary to critique it, reflect upon it, and apply it in making critique it, reflect upon it, and apply it in making decisions.decisions.

Google Google the illusion of knowledge the illusion of knowledge

IdealIdeal

Quantitatively literate citizens need to know more Quantitatively literate citizens need to know more than formulas and equations. They need a than formulas and equations. They need a predisposition to see the benefits (and risks) of predisposition to see the benefits (and risks) of thinking quantitatively about commonplace thinking quantitatively about commonplace issues, and to approach complex problems with issues, and to approach complex problems with confidence in the value of careful reasoning. confidence in the value of careful reasoning.

Quantitative literacy empowers people by giving Quantitative literacy empowers people by giving them tools to think for themselves, to ask them tools to think for themselves, to ask intelligent questions of experts, and to confront intelligent questions of experts, and to confront authority confidently. These are skills required authority confidently. These are skills required to thrive in a modern world. to thrive in a modern world.

Objectives

1. Understand what data is and how it forms evidence base argumentation.

2. Visual representation of data that promotes understanding and engagement.

3. Use data/models to better understand the scale of the problem in order to solve problems.

4. Quantitative understanding of scalability.

5. Recognize the limits of mathematical and statistical models and be able to explain those limitations in context.

Better Risk ManagementBetter Risk Management

Environmental problem solving Environmental problem solving (global climate change, renewable (global climate change, renewable energy, etc) often requires choosing energy, etc) often requires choosing the least bad alternative.the least bad alternative.

Sensibly doing this requires much Sensibly doing this requires much better risk management skills that better risk management skills that currently present and this involves currently present and this involves quantitative reasoningquantitative reasoning

You live in both an uninformed world and a You live in both an uninformed world and a highly reactive one – information becomes highly reactive one – information becomes anecdotal and belief has replaced scienceanecdotal and belief has replaced science

CommunicationCommunication

• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

• Edward Tufte

• http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/

Example AssignmentExample Assignment

Find a graphic in the mainstream Find a graphic in the mainstream media that is misleading to the media that is misleading to the viewer. Provide the complete source. viewer. Provide the complete source. Clearly explain the components of Clearly explain the components of the graphic that are misleading or the graphic that are misleading or confusing. Conjecture as to whether confusing. Conjecture as to whether you believe the graphic was you believe the graphic was constructed to be misleading or was constructed to be misleading or was the confusion accidental. the confusion accidental.

Good GraphicGood Graphic

Find a graphic in the mainstream Find a graphic in the mainstream media that successfully media that successfully communicates sophisticated communicates sophisticated quantitative information. Provide the quantitative information. Provide the complete source. Explain the complete source. Explain the components of the graphic that are components of the graphic that are successful. successful.