Initial Publication Date: June 24, 2008

QuIRK's Professional Development Curriculum


"Faculty in all disciplines need significant professional support in order for them to enhance the role of quantitative [reasoning] in their courses."
-National Council on Education and the Disciplines, Mathematics Association of America, and Mathematical Sciences Education Board Forum on Quantitative Literacy

In Achieving Quantitative Literacy, Steen points out that "[quantitative reasoning] skills involve sophisticated reasoning with elementary mathematics more often than elementary reasoning with sophisticated mathematics." Because this is not the subject matter of any department in the traditional curriculum, we must equip teachers for the task. QuIRK's professional development curriculum aims to raise awareness of the power of QR and share effective QR teaching practices.

Awareness-Raising Campus Lectures

QuIRK-sponsored campus speakers exemplifying effective QR in varied disciplines.

Professional Development Workshops

(from our website's For Carleton Faculty module)
QuIRK-sponsored workshops to help faculty better understand QR and to encourage the creation of effective QR assignments throughout the curriculum. We are especially interested in encouraging QR assignments that require written arguments.

Sharing Best Teaching Practice at Carleton's Learning and Teaching Center (LTC)

(from our website's For Carleton Faculty module)
At LTC brown-bag seminars QuIRK shares assessment findings and QR teaching tips generated by courses and assignments revised by initiative participants.