Quantitative Literacy at Michigan State University, 3: Designing General Education Mathematics Courses
Quantitative Literacy at Michigan State University, 3: Designing General Education Mathematics Courses
Vincent Melfi 0
Samuel L. Tunstall 0
Michigan State University
0 Michigan State University , USA
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Cover Page Footnote
Samuel Luke Tunstall is a graduate student in mathematics education and University Distinguished Fellow at
Michigan State University. His interests include the sociology of mathematics education and the ways in
which mathematics courses can promote numeracy. He began working on MSU’s QL curriculum
development and assessment measures this year.
Vincent Melfi is an associate professor of Statistics and director of the Program in Mathematics Education at
Michigan State University. His research interests include the quantitative literacy of college students and
adaptive allocation in clinical trials. He conducted preliminary assessments of QL on MSU’s campus and has
led the team of curriculum developers throughout its work.
Jeffrey Craig is a PhD Candidate in mathematics education at Michigan State University. His research interests
include affective dimensions in epistemology and in transformative learning with quantitative literacy as a
vehicle for that transformation. He worked on the design team for the courses, as well as teaching the pilot
courses last summer, fall, and this spring.
Abe Edwards is an academic specialist in the mathematics department at Lyman Briggs College within
Michigan State University. His research interests include quantitative literacy as well as improving
interdisciplinary collaboration between mathematics and science educators at the undergraduate level. His
work on the QL project included designing the curriculum and piloting lessons, particularly with respect to
health and risk.
Andrew Krause is a graduate student in mathematics education at Michigan State University and academic
specialist in the University’s Mathematics Department. His research interests include quantitative literacy and
the nature of students’ experiences in undergraduate mathematics classrooms. He worked on the design team
for the courses, as well as teaching the pilot courses last summer, fall, and this spring.
Bronlyn Wassink is a teaching specialist in the Mathematics Department at Michigan State University. Her
research interests are Mathematics Education, Geometric Group Theory, and Applied Statistics. Her work on
this project stemmed from being the course coordinator and lead instructor for MSU's Quantitative Literacy
courses.
Victor Piercey is an associate professor of mathematics at Ferris State University. He is interested in the impact
of curriculum and instruction reform on math anxiety and other affective measures. He served on the
committee that established the quantitative literacy project during his time as a graduate student at Michigan
State University.
Introduction
The value of quantitative literacy (QL) for college graduates is well documented.
Numbers—whether on social media, at the doctor’s office, or in one’s finances—
inundate students’ lives, and the decisions they make in interacting with them
have a cumulative impact on their risk comprehension
(Fagerlin et al. 2007;
Lipkus and Peters 2009)
, income level
(Eide and Grogger 1995; Levy et al. 1995;
Rivera-Batiz 1992)
, and decision-making ability (Jasper et al. 2013), among other
things. In tandem with a 2005 University Task Force’s recommendations, these
effects comprise the rationale for creating a set of quantitative literacy courses,
Math 101 and 102, at Michigan State University (MSU). These courses are quite
distinct from traditional ones that students in college might encounter; they are
not vehicles for teaching “watered-down” mathematics, but rather contain
context-driven, engaging, and pragmatic content, and the courses’ structure was
chosen to counter mathematics anxiety. In this paper, we detail the creation
process of the courses and the positive impact on attitude we have observed thus
far. We also discuss MSU’s QL program in relation to programs at other
universities, and some of the challenges in implementing quantitative literacy
courses especially at large institutions. We conclude by suggesting how the
lessons we have learned might guide others as they create or modify QL programs
in their own institutions.
Background on MSU
Michigan State University is a large, public land-grant institution that—as of
2016—serves roughly 39,000 undergraduate students. Before the introduction of
the quantitative literacy courses, the general education mathematics requirement
required that all undergraduates either complete or place out of college algebra, as
well as take a course beyond college algebra such as calculus or statistics.
Students must place into the courses they want to take, so if (for instan (...truncated)