Using Project EDDIE modules in Quantifying Sustainability

Emilie Wiesner, Ithaca College

About this Course

Quantifying Sustainability

Lecture Course

Introductory Undergraduate

Non-Majors

25

students in the course

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Students will learn how to describe quantitatively the many processes that affect populations and the sustainable production and consumption of natural resources. They will use quantitative tools to create, analyze, and critique mathematical models relating to sustainability and learn how to communicate these results effectively. Topics vary based on student interest but may include climate change, epidemiology, population growth, energy, and agriculture.

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Identify and justify an appropriate mathematical model to represent quantities in nature,
Represent quantitative data in an appropriate graph,
Use decision making strategies in the context of sustainability,
Assess the quality of a quantitative argument produced by others, and 
Use quantitative information appropriately and effectively to write a report that justifies a position on an issue of sustainability.

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Syllabus (Acrobat (PDF) 57kB Apr26 22)

 

EDDIE Module(s) Adopted and/or Adapted

Climate Change Module

My course is a general education course on sustainability issues that satisfies the college's quantitative literacy and natural science requirements. The topic of sustainability draws students with a very dies range of science and mathematics comfort. This module provided empirical evidence as a complement to the theoretical descriptions of climate change we study in the class. I also used the module as a way to explore data and data-based models.

Jump to: Course Context | Teaching Details | How It Went | Future Use

Relationship of EDDIE Module(s) to my Course

We worked through this module roughly in the middle of the course, after introducing some qualitative models of earth temperature and the greenhouse effect. I modified the provided materials and created some additional short homework assignments to accompany the module.

Teaching Details

I used all three parts of the module, but I modified the provided materials and created some additional short homework assignments to accompany the module.

How did the activity go?

The most obvious problems students faced were with technology: students didn't have access to EXCEL on their personal computers and had trouble navigating EXCEL. This prevented some students from fully engaging in the module and left less time for full-class discussion.

I had students do a final homework assignment where they summarized their conclusions from the module and applied it to address a political claim. Students results varied considerably, with some students failing to effectively draw on the technical results from the module to support their writing.

Future Use

This instructor story and adaption materials were developed during a Project EDDIE Faculty Mentoring Network in partnership with QUBES in the Spring of 2022.

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