Transcript An Activity Based Liberal Arts Math Course

An Activity Based Liberal Arts
Math Course
Dr. Greg Cripe
Pete Wildman
Spokane Falls Community College
Just how good of a businessman is the
president-elect
Our Story
• Prior to 2013, all students pursuing an Associate
of Arts Degree in the state of Washington needed
to show “Intermediate Algebra Proficiency”
• At Spokane Falls Community College this meant
that most entering students needed to complete
at least 3 (maybe 4) developmental math courses
• We found that while many entered these
courses, few made it out!
Our Story
• We redesigned a developmental math sequence
from 2008-2010, and success rates improved
somewhat but students still needed to complete
the same number of courses. This was still a
barrier to many!
• In 2013 the state board removed the
Intermediate Algebra Proficiency requirement.
We agreed to a statewide standard for Math for
Liberal Arts (Math in Society)
Our Story
• We started an alternative pathway for non STEM
majors in 2013. Using the “New Life” approach.
This course only leads to Math in Society or
Statistics.
• Course immediately became popular and success
rates improved significantly
• Our students however entered with different
strengths and skills than before. What does this
mean for the Math for Liberal Arts course?
What topics should be in Math for
Liberal Arts?
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Interesting but unusual math topics?
Math history topics?
Math for “citizenship”?
Math that they might use “everyday”
What is in the “math for liberal arts book”
• Fortunately – The state developed some
guidelines for the course
Math In Society Core Topics
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Proportional reasoning
The mathematics of personal finance
Probability
Descriptive statistics
Growth and decay models (linear and
exponential)
Statement from the Guidelines
• The focus in Math &107 is on the “big ideas” in
these areas—the aspects of growth, finance, and
statistics that are essential knowledge for an
educated citizenry—rather than an extensive
emphasis on procedures and details. The intent
is to define a rigorous liberal arts quantitative
course that provides an important piece of a
well-rounded general education, namely,
building a student’s ability to reason
quantitatively.
Our Course
• Activity based – less lecture and direct
instruction
• All open resource
• Uses technology – especially spreadsheets to
analyze finance and growth patterns
• Writing, research and presentation of ideas
Proportional Reasoning?
• What proportional reasoning skills should we
possess and why?
Proportional Reasoning Activities
• Greenland Problem
• Washington Wind Power
Statistical Reasoning?
• What statistical reasoning skills should we have?
Statistics Activities
• The Zombie Problem
• Stop-Question-Frisk
• Each from our colleague from last year Ben King
Finance?
• What financial reasoning skills should we have?
Finance Activities
• Financing your new car
• Student loan financing