Math 123 Quantitative Reasoning

Rebecca Wulf

Ivy Tech Lafayette

rwulf@ivytech.edu

Ben Markham

Ivy Tech Bloomington

bmarkham@ivytech.edu

Sharon Koch

Ivy Tech Gary

skoch12@ivytech.edu

Ivy Tech Community College

30 campuses in 14 regions  Nearly 200,000 students annually Accredited by the Higher Learning

Commission Member of the 

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

What is Numeracy/QL/QR?According to SERC

• The first known use of the term numerate appeared in the 1959 UK Crowther report when the authors used the term to "coin a word to represent the mirror image of literacy" (Crowther Report 1959: 269).

• More recently, the 1982 Cockcroft Report elaborated on the meaning of the term: "We would wish the word 'numerate' to imply the possession of two attributes.  The first of these is an 'at-homeness' with numbers and an ability to make use of

mathematical skills which enables an individual to cope with the practical mathematical demands of his everyday life.

The second is an ability to have some appreciation and understanding of information which is presented in mathematical terms, for instance in graphs, charts or tables or by reference to percentage increase or decrease. Taken together, these imply that a numerate person should be expected to be able to appreciate and understand some of the ways in which mathematics can be used as a means of communication."

Course StructureThis course is 3 credit hours and 4 contact hours. The class structure of the quantitative reasoning course is unique. Class discussion and group work are main staples of the classroom and instructor lecturing is minimal.

Course ConsistencyMath 123 has a statewide lead instructor and a regional lead instructor. Was developed by Ivy Tech FacultyHas its own ‘textbook’

Methods of Assessment

• Homework 10%• Quizzes 15%• Projects 25%• Exam 1 15%• Exam 2 15%• Exam 3 20%

To Spiral or not to Spiral…what’s that?

Stats

Finance

Proportion

Components of MATH 123

To Spiral or not to Spiral…what’s that?

Stats

Finance

Proportion

Components of MATH 123

Unit 1 topics

• Large and Small Numbers• Proportional Reasoning• Descriptive Statistics• Weighted Averages

Unit 2 Topics

• Dimensional Analysis• Normal Distributions• Probability• Risk• Margins of Error

Unit 3 Topics

• Financial Literacy• Absolute and Relative Change• Linear Models• Exponential Models

Why Use Spreadsheets?

• To make cumbersome calculations more accessible

• To easily graph data• To focus on quantitative reasoning• To prepare students for the real world

Proportional Reasoning

Traditional Approach

A class has 4 males and 5 females, what is the ratio of males to females?

Problem Based/Student Centered

The child dependency ratio is found by dividing the under-15 by the 15-64 population. Calculate this value and write what it means. Think about what the numerator and denominator each represent. Is this a part-to-part or part-to-whole ratio?

Proportional Reasoning

Traditional Approach

A boat travels 15 miles upstream in the same time it take to travel 20 miles downstream. If the current is 5 mph, how fast would the boat be going in still water.

Problem Based/Student Centered

According to the 2010 firearm deaths data, there were 236 firearm deaths in Australia from a population of 22.3 million. With a population of 308 million in the US, what would be the expected number of firearm deaths if the two countries were proportional?

Dimensional Analysis

Traditional ApproachProblem Based/Student Centered

Measurement Dosage Calculation Currency Conversions C02 emissions Rising Sea Levels

Probability and Statistics

Traditional Approach

What is the probability of rolling a 2 or a 3 with a 6 sided die?

What is the probability of drawing a queen in a deck of cards.

Problem Based/Student Centered

.5% of the population has HIV, and tests are 99% accurate. What is the probability that you have the disease if you received a positive test result?

Finance

Traditional Approach

Students use calculators

Problem Based/Student Centered

Compound interest Credit Cards Mortgages, 401k Students use calculators

and Excel

Linear Equations

Traditional Approach Problem Based/Student Centered

Let’s find the linear model which represents the percent of U.S. adults who smoke cigarettes from 1983 to 2012: