Connections: Integrating Mathematics and Science General Education Courses

这个项目是为了发展一个综合的，数学/科学，通识教育，两门课程的序列。这一系列课程针对的是一大群学生，他们将数学和科学课程作为其一般教育要求的一部分，但往往发现这些课程与他们的课程工作或学术之外的生活毫无吸引力，也不相关。公共话语中的数学课程将侧重于批判性地解释公共话语中常见的数学和科学信息类型以及领导或责任职位所需的技能。学生将能够将这门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。理科课程将以数学课程中介绍的技能为基础，并加以扩展。所有课程将使用相同的数学材料(简单函数、图形解释、基本统计学)、教学技术(课堂讨论、协作学习、调查实验室)和技术(图形计算器)。问题和例子将从学术界以外遇到的报纸文章和公司报告等来源中获取。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、试点和修改这些课程。为了测试科学/数学课程配对模式的可转换性，卡拉马祖学院的两名教职员工将与PI合作，为他们的机构开发课程。课程材料和数学/科学配对课程模式将通过期刊文章、演示文稿、商业出版物和讲习班进行传播。该项目的制定、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整合数学和非数学课程的典范。

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.