Linking Mathematics and Social Issues
How Quantitative Literacy Links Mathematics and Civic Issues
Why is this course an emerging SENCER model?
In keeping with SENCER's vision of teachingour approach incorporates semester-long collaborative group projects involving local community issues that students can investigate by using the mathematics of MATH 102 (number sense, elementary statistics, mathematics of finance, computer spreadsheets) as tools."To" basic science and mathematics
"through" complex, capacious, and unsolved public issues,
What are the Civic Questions Addressed?
In our course, "civic" takes on a very local interpretation. The
civic questions students investigate are primarily drawn from local
campus or immediate community issues. Many topics, such as the cost
of college textbooks, use of the student health center, campus
parking availability and safety, have a very clear and direct
impact on students' lives. The decision to emphasize local issues
was influenced by a Fall 2004 survey of students on our campus,
which indicated students were most interested in financial issues
that directly affected them. We present below a list of the ten
project topics developed during 2005-6, and we identify the three
that were student generated and the one that was presented as a
model. We did allow more than one group within a single section of
the course to select the same topic.
