Connections: Integrating Mathematics and Science General Education Courses

该项目旨在发展一种综合的、数学/科学、普通教育、两门课程的教学顺序。这个序列是针对那些遇到数学和科学课程作为他们的通识教育要求的一部分，但往往发现这些课程既不吸引人，也不相关，他们的课程工作或他们的生活以外的学术界的大群学生。数学课程数学在公共话语将侧重于批判性地解释常见于公共话语和领导或责任的职位的数学和科学信息的类型所需的技能。学生将能够将本课程与两门科学课程之一配对：大气与环境变化或生物资源与环境变化。科学课程将建立在数学课程中引入的技能的基础上，并扩展这些技能。所有的课程将使用相同的数学材料（简单的功能，图形的解释，基本统计），教学技术（课堂讨论，合作学习，调查实验室）和技术（图形计算器）。问题和例子将取自学术界以外的来源，如报纸文章和公司报告。来自霍普学院的两名数学家和两名科学家将组成团队开发、试点和修订这些课程。为了测试配对的科学/数学课程的模型的可转移性，两个卡拉马祖学院的教师将与PI的开发课程，为他们的机构。课程材料和数学/科学配对课程模式将通过期刊文章、演讲、商业出版物和讲习班传播。该项目的开发、试验、修订、评估和传播将在31个月内进行。该项目应成为地方和国家将数学课程与非数学课程相结合的模式。

This project is for the development of an integrated, mathematics/science, general education, two-course sequence. This sequence is aimed at that large group of students who encounter mathematics and science courses as part of their general education requirements, but all too often find these courses neither engaging nor relevant to their course work or their life outside of academia. The mathematics course Mathematics in Public Discourse will focus on the skills needed to critically interpret the type of mathematical and scientific information commonly found in public discourse and positions of leadership or responsibility. Students will be able to pair this course with one of two science courses: either The Atmosphere and Environmental Change or Biological Resources and Environmental Change. The science courses will build on and expand the skills introduced in the mathematics course. All of the courses will use the same mathematical material (simple functions, interpretation of graphs, basic statistics), pedagogical techniques (class discussion, collaborative learning, investigative laboratories) and technology (graphing calculators). Problems and examples will be taken from sources, such as newspaper articles and company reports, that are encountered outside of academia. Two mathematicians and two scientists from Hope College will work on teams to develop, pilot and revise these courses. In order to test the transferability of the model of paired science/mathematics courses, two Kalamazoo College faculty will work with the PI's to develop courses for their institution. Both the course materials and the model of paired mathematics/science courses will be disseminated through journal articles, presentations, commercial publications and workshops. The development, piloting, revisions, evaluation and dissemination of this project will occur during a period of 31 months. The project should serve as both a local and national model for integrating mathematics and non-mathematics courses.