Transcript Mathfest 2011: Keeping it Fresh

Keeping Quantitative
Reasoning Courses Fresh
and Relevant to
Contemporary Society
Stuart Boersma, Central Washington Univ.
Caren Diefenderfer, Hollins University
Shannon Dingman, U. of Arkansas
Bernie Madison, U. of Arkansas
Supported by the
National Science
Foundation DUE-0715039
What is Teaching Quantitative
Reasoning with the News?
• Using newspaper articles as content for the
critical analysis of quantitative information.
• Quantitative comparisons, graphical analyses,
and elementary modeling can all be approached
and supported with case studies based on
media articles.
• The daily newspaper has numerous examples
illustrating the need to be able to deal critically
with quantitative information in today's society.
Why Teach Quantitative
Reasoning with the News?
• Creates a more exciting learning atmosphere by
using variable content, a healthy dose of
unpredictability, and exposure to numerous nonmathematical topics;
• Gives numerical topics a real context.
• Indicates the relevance and importance of
quantitative reasoning to
– present day issues as well as
– everyone’s lives
• Naturally allows a teacher to spiral through
important themes.
Casebook
Currently working on third edition.
Inclusion of Recent Ads
• What is the
selling point of
Lipitor?
• For what type
of people has
Lipitor proven
to be
effective?
• What were the
results of the
clinical study?
• Example of
such a clinical
study.
Inclusion of Recent Tables
News of the Day
• Students bring in current news articles (that are of
interest to them) and present a short synopsis that
explains the main point of the article, critiques the
presentation/analysis of the quantitative
information, and details how the article is similar or
different to articles that we have studied.
• How often? Do a few every day. Size of the class
determines how many times an individual will
present.
• Create a rubric that fits your purposes. The rubric
may change during the semester.
News of the Day (Ad)
News of the Day (Calculations)
Rubric 1 - for “News of the Day”
not-so-good
Every presentation
Copy of article & source
Type of numerical info
Brief description of numerical info
Special focus
Are the numbers reasonable?
Is the math correct?
Verify the author’s calculations
okay
great
Rubric 2 - for “News of the Day”
not-so-good
Every presentation
Copy of article & source
Type of numerical info
Brief description of numerical info
Special focus
Is the graph clearly labeled? Easy
to read?
Does the graph support the article?
Does the graph strengthen the
article?
okay
great
Rubric 3 - for “News of the Day”
not-so-good
Every presentation
Copy of article & source
Type of numerical info
Brief description of numerical info
Special focus
Clear description of numerical info
Identify comparisons & comment
Suggest other comparisons, if
appropriate
okay
great
Projects/Writing Assignments
to update Case Studies
• Letters to the Editor (2.1)
• Measuring Spending and Revenue
in Different Units (3.5)
• Credit Card Payments (4.1)
• Fuel Efficiency Case Study (4.3)
• Enrollment Rises (5.1)
• Two Views of a Tax Cut (5.3)
• Rising Health Care Costs (5.5)
Resources
• Pearson Custom Publishing
• ISBN-13: 978-0-558-19880-0.
• http://www.cwu.edu/~boersmas/QRCW