1. Teaching Quantitative Skills Why is it hard and what can we do about it?

2. Who cares? Quantitative skills are often an important College outcome*
Quantitative skills are requested by employers*
(Geo)science is fundamentally quantitative
Quantitative Skills are an foundation of Quantitative Literacy
Quantitative Skills requirements are often the biggest barrier to completion of AA#
*AACU LEAP report #NCES/IES

3. And, there is always the possibility…..

4. Why is it so hard for our students to do math in our classes?

5. Why is it so hard for our students to do math?
Anxiety/Lack of confidence
Wide range of QS that we require
May have been lots of time since they have seen the math
May never have seen the math we use
Often differences in naming
No support from textbook
Differences between what we do and what the math folks do
TRANSFER is HARD!
We often are not the best teachers of QS

6. Why is it so hard for our students to do math?
Anxiety/Lack of confidence
Range of QS that we require
Lots of time since they have seen the math we use
May never have seen the math we use
Differences in naming
Little/No support from textbooks
Differences between what we do and what the math folks do
TRANSFER is HARD!
We often are not the best teachers of QS

7. What can we do about it?
Use multiple representations (e.g. graph, equation, data table)
Revisit the same skills multiple times
Place mathematical concepts in context
Use technology appropriately
Provide support outside of the classroom

8. The Math You Need, When You Need It
Density
Best-fit line
Unit conversions
Rates
Plotting points
Rearranging equations
Hypsometric curve
Trigonometry
Calculating Slope
Graph reading

9. The Math You Need, When You Need It
Tested in 43 schools (19 2YC), 105 courses (42 2YC), 3282 students (1121 2YC)

10. Student perceptions
N=3594
N=3154
N=3532

11. Data from pre- and post-tests shows that TMYN helps strong and weak students
+47%
+40%
+23%
+21%
Very weak students
Very strong students

12. The Math You Need, When You Need It
Improves quantitative skills
Students find it helpful
Helps all student levels
Doesn’t require large amounts of class time

13. Can we extend the TMYN ideas to other areas?