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Full-Text Articles in Education

Parts Of The Whole: The Educational Sieve, Dorothy Wallace Jul 2013

Parts Of The Whole: The Educational Sieve, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

This essay argues that the structure of course prerequisites affects retention of students in a course of study. The same argument suggests that the structure of degree requirements, including quantitative reasoning courses, affects retention in college. In particular, the same set of courses required in a rigid sequence will cause more students to exit the program early than if the same courses were offered in a flexible order.


Making College Count: An Examination Of Quantitative Reasoning Activities In Higher Education, Louis M. Rocconi, Amber D. Lambert, Alexander C. Mccormick, Shimon A. Sarraf Jul 2013

Making College Count: An Examination Of Quantitative Reasoning Activities In Higher Education, Louis M. Rocconi, Amber D. Lambert, Alexander C. Mccormick, Shimon A. Sarraf

Numeracy

Findings from national studies along with more frequent calls from those who employ college graduates suggest an urgent need for colleges and universities to increase opportunities for students to develop quantitative reasoning (QR) skills. To address this issue, the current study examines the relationship between the frequency of QR activities during college and student and institutional characteristics, as well as whether students at institutions with an emphasis on QR (at least one QR course requirement for all students) report more QR activity. Results show that gender, race-ethnicity, major, full-time status, first-generation status, age, institutional enrollment size, and institutional control are …


The Problem Of Too Many Statistical Tests: Subgroup Analyses In A Study Comparing The Effectiveness Of Online And Live Lectures, David M. Lane Jan 2013

The Problem Of Too Many Statistical Tests: Subgroup Analyses In A Study Comparing The Effectiveness Of Online And Live Lectures, David M. Lane

Numeracy

The more statistical analyses performed in the analysis of research data, the more likely it is that one or more of the conclusions will be in error. Multiple statistical analyses can occur when the sample contains several subgroups and the researchers perform separate analyses for each subgroup. For example, separate analyses may be done for different ethnic groups, different levels of education, and/or for both genders. Media reports of research frequently omit information on the number of subgroup analyses performed thus leaving the reader with insufficient information to assess the validity of the conclusions. This article discusses the problems with …


Quantitative Reasoning Learning Progressions For Environmental Science: Developing A Framework, Robert L. Mayes, Franziska Peterson, Rachel Bonilla Jan 2013

Quantitative Reasoning Learning Progressions For Environmental Science: Developing A Framework, Robert L. Mayes, Franziska Peterson, Rachel Bonilla

Numeracy

Quantitative reasoning is a complex concept with many definitions and a diverse account in the literature. The purpose of this article is to establish a working definition of quantitative reasoning within the context of science, construct a quantitative reasoning framework, and summarize research on key components in that framework. Context underlies all quantitative reasoning; for this review, environmental science serves as the context.In the framework, we identify four components of quantitative reasoning: the quantification act, quantitative literacy, quantitative interpretation of a model, and quantitative modeling. Within each of these components, the framework provides elements that comprise the four components. The …


The Scope Of Numeracy After Five Years, H. L. Vacher, Dorothy Wallace Jan 2013

The Scope Of Numeracy After Five Years, H. L. Vacher, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

The purpose of this editorial is to provide an efficient way for readers and potential authors to see (a) what type of papers are published in this journal and (b) what subjects are appropriate. The editorial consists mainly of about a dozen pages of tables including live links to the papers’ access/abstract pages to facilitate easy browsing. In the first table, the 85 papers that have been published in the journal’s first five years are classified into: review papers; research papers; case studies; essays; book reviews; columns; and editorials about the journal. In the second table, the papers are inventoried …