Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

University of South Florida

Numeracy

2024

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Advocating For Data Access, Nathan D. Grawe Jul 2024

Advocating For Data Access, Nathan D. Grawe

Numeracy

Participants in the numeracy movement have long recognized that an understanding of the social construction of quantitative evidence holds a place in the center of critical thinking about quantitative reasoning. Often, social construction manifests itself in choices about what should be counted and how. But an equally important choice is what data should be made available and to whom. As the movement matures, numeracy advocates must take their place alongside librarians in lobbying for broad access to basic data related to public policy.


Considering What Counts: The Fall And Rise Of Maternal Mortality Rates, Joel Best, Keith R. Johnson Jul 2024

Considering What Counts: The Fall And Rise Of Maternal Mortality Rates, Joel Best, Keith R. Johnson

Numeracy

Twentieth-century medical advances reduced the rate of maternal mortality by more than 99 percent. Yet recently we hear that there has been a substantial increase in the maternal mortality rate. This increase has been caused by contemporary researchers adopting much broader definitions for what counts as cases of maternal mortality. This example illustrations the importance of definitions in shaping statistics.


Quantitative Reasoning: What’S Math Got To Do With It?, Pamela Burdman Jul 2024

Quantitative Reasoning: What’S Math Got To Do With It?, Pamela Burdman

Numeracy

This keynote address explores the history and role of college math requirements with a focus on ensuring math courses serve to expand students’ horizons, rather than serve as gatekeepers. It discusses the advent of general education math courses, which brought more students into math departments, which ultimately contributed to broadening the scope of the courses to align with more students’ interests and majors, since their purpose was to advance quantitative reasoning, not mathematics skill per se. It also examines several practices to address calculus’ gatekeeping role: revising placement practices and prerequisites, redesigning courses, and updating instruction and assessment practices. Lastly, …


An Argument For Expanding Research On Quantitative Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Randall E. Groth Mar 2024

An Argument For Expanding Research On Quantitative Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Randall E. Groth

Numeracy

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) traditionally has been used in research concerning prospective and practicing classroom teachers. This essay argues that PCK is also relevant to other professions including those advancing quantitative reasoning (QR). To illustrate, the case of PCK for teaching QR is considered. Those in fields such as public health, journalism, meteorology, and government increasingly find themselves responsible for helping the public understand an ever-growing amount of quantitative information that has a bearing on societal well-being. Several examples illustrate how such professionals’ responsibilities require knowing prevalent QR patterns in society, strategies for fostering sound reasoning, and the general nature …


Financial Literacy, Health Insurance, And Health-Related Financial Behaviors, Kyle Kopplin Mar 2024

Financial Literacy, Health Insurance, And Health-Related Financial Behaviors, Kyle Kopplin

Numeracy

Research on financial literacy seeks to determine whether costly financial mistakes can be avoided. Decisions all consumers face are whether to purchase health insurance, purchase prescriptions, pursue recommended medical testing, and seek medical help for related problems by comparing perceived costs and benefits. Using data from the National Financial Capability Study, this paper provides evidence that financial literacy is a significant determinant in health insurance demand that also reduces the probability of less desirable health-related financial behaviors.


Examination Of The Delphi Method For Establishing A Quantitative Literacy Framework In Undergraduate Mathematics Course, Emily Elrod, Joo Young Park Feb 2024

Examination Of The Delphi Method For Establishing A Quantitative Literacy Framework In Undergraduate Mathematics Course, Emily Elrod, Joo Young Park

Numeracy

The increased relevancy and importance of quantitative literacy (QL) have called for educational reform in undergraduate mathematics course offerings. However, lack of clear guidelines has led to wide variability in the content and outcomes of math courses meant to address QL. Therefore, having an expert consensus regarding content and outcomes for an undergraduate mathematics course focusing on QL would advance the quantitative literacy initiative in higher education. The authors propose the Delphi Method to aid in developing a framework based on expert opinions. The authors explain the Method and suggest the result of this process should yield a research-based framework …


The International Crisis In Numeracy Education, Nathan D. Grawe Jan 2024

The International Crisis In Numeracy Education, Nathan D. Grawe

Numeracy

The OECD recently released results from the 2022 administration of the Programme for International Student Assessment test. As other studies suggest, pandemic mitigation policies resulted in deep learning loss including in basic mathematics which forms the foundation of numeracy. Perhaps of greater concern, however, in many countries pandemic effects amplify declining performance that dates back a decade or more. Losses of two or more years' worth of mathematics education are not uncommon among developed countries. The editorial makes an urgent call for research that identifies practical steps to reverse these trends.


Considering What Counts: Measuring Poverty, Joel Best Jan 2024

Considering What Counts: Measuring Poverty, Joel Best

Numeracy

Debates over the appropriate way to measure poverty illustrate the way facts are produced through social processes.


Numeracy Tasks: Inspiring Transfer Between Concrete And Abstract Thinking Spaces, Taras Gula, Miroslav Lovric Jan 2024

Numeracy Tasks: Inspiring Transfer Between Concrete And Abstract Thinking Spaces, Taras Gula, Miroslav Lovric

Numeracy

In our paper we build a case for conceptualizing numeracy tasks as distinct from mathematical tasks (or at least as a special type of mathematical task), and for abstraction and interpretation as a set of key activities necessary for designating a numeracy task as being high-quality. We start with an attempt to tame the fuzziness of numeracy and its family members (including quantitative reasoning, quantitative literacy, mathematical literacy, and the word problem cousins) by outlining six areas of consensus gleaned from literature. These provide the foundation for a core mandate of numeracy. We then build our case for the distinctness …


Infusing Quantitative Reasoning Skills Into A Differential Equation Class In An Urban Public Community College, Tanvir Prince Jan 2024

Infusing Quantitative Reasoning Skills Into A Differential Equation Class In An Urban Public Community College, Tanvir Prince

Numeracy

This research centers on implementing Quantitative Reasoning (QR) within a differential equations course at an urban public community college. As a participant in the Numeracy Infusion for College Educators (NICE) faculty development program, I sought to integrate QR skills into my curriculum. Students in the course were introduced to QR goals using real-world data sets, particularly those related to population growth, which aim to enhance their understanding, sharpen their problem-solving abilities, and cultivate a positive perspective on the real-world relevance of mathematics. Preliminary findings indicate varied levels of QR skill development among students. These results underscore the potential benefits of …


Instructional Decision Making In A Gateway Quantitative Reasoning Course, Deependra Budhathoki, Gregory D. Foley, Stephen Shadik Jan 2024

Instructional Decision Making In A Gateway Quantitative Reasoning Course, Deependra Budhathoki, Gregory D. Foley, Stephen Shadik

Numeracy

Many educators and professional organizations recommend Quantitative Reasoning as the best entry-level postsecondary mathematics course for non-STEM majors. However, novice and veteran instructors who have no prior experience in teaching a QR course often express their ignorance of the content to choose for this course, the instruction to offer students, and the assessments to measure student learning. We conducted a case study to investigate the initial implementation of an entry-level university quantitative reasoning course during fall semester, 2018. The participants were the course instructor and students. We examined the instructor’s motives and actions and the students’ responses to the course. …


Threshold Concepts In Quantitative Reasoning, Judith Canner, Jennifer E. Clinkenbeard Jan 2024

Threshold Concepts In Quantitative Reasoning, Judith Canner, Jennifer E. Clinkenbeard

Numeracy

The idea of “threshold concepts” has been used to identify discipline-based concepts that are critical to that academic area. Threshold concepts are often difficult for students to assimilate in a meaningful way but, once done, can be powerful for the learner. In general, threshold concepts are 1) transformative to learner thinking; 2) bounded by the discipline; 3) integrative with other concepts; and 4) irreversible once understood (Meyer and Land 2003). This paper presents five threshold concepts in quantitative reasoning (QR) developed by transdisciplinary faculty workgroups that may be applicable for non-mathematics disciplines as well. They are as follows: 1) QR …