How do I use The Math You Need, When You Need It?
- Jump to: For the Instructor | For the Student
Use a
Math You Need module when you have an important quantitative concept coming up in your class.
The Math You Need modules can be assigned prior to introducing quantitative concepts in your class. Modules can be used to ensure that all students in your introductory geoscience course can perform basic mathematics that may be needed to understand important geologic content. The modules can also be used to support students who struggle with or are phobic about basic mathematics. The goal of the modules is to help students become comfortable with mathematical concepts, to release time in class that would be spent reviewing mathematics and to help students to feel that they have support for supplemental material in introductory geosciences.
For the Student
Your instructor will assign a module for you to complete. These modules are designed to help you with the mathematics needed to succeed in your geoscience class. Each module has three main parts: an explanation page, a set of example problems (that are not graded) and a set of graded problems (sent automatically to your instructor).
Explanation Pages
Each module begins with an explanation page. Explanation pages
- introduce the concept,
- give background in the mathematics,
- walk you through some important things to recall about the concept (from previous math experience)
- guide you through the math as it applies to geoscience,
- introduce the idea that learning this math is important because we often revisit mathematics many times in courses in the geosciences,
- provide further resources for you to explore this concept.
This page is intended to provide you with guidance when completing the other pages of the module. These pages lead into a set of example problems.
Example Problems
The example problem pages provide some practice exercises for you to complete. You should use these pages BEFORE you take the quiz to see whether you understand the mathematical concept discussed on the explanation page (see above). These sample problems cover a number of important geoscience topics that you may encounter during your course. Although you may not have covered all of the information contained in these pages, the mathematics is the same so you should be able to complete the problems even without knowing the geoscience.
These pages are designed to give you:
- practice with the math,
- a reason for doing the mathematics (geoscience context),
- worked answers to the problems (hidden until you are ready to see them), and
- more confidence in your ability to do the mathematics you need for your geoscience class.
You can work at your own pace and work through the problems one by one until you understand the mechanics of the math (and how it applies to your class). Working through these problems will help you with the next step: showing your instructor how much you have learned!
Taking the Quiz
The final step is to take the quiz that was put together by your instructor to reflect the topic that will soon be presented in your geoscience course. A calculator will be handy to have. Take your time calculating the answers, there is no time limit. You may want to look back at the explanation page while you are completing the quiz. When you successfully complete the final quiz, you will have shown the instructor that you understand the concept. You will also be prepared when you have to use the mathematics in your geoscience (or other science) course!
