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Quantitative Literacy / Reasoning Activities

“The essence of QL is to use mathematical and logical thinking in context.”

— Lynn Steen

For the official MAA Special Interest Group site on Q/L Activities, see SIGMAA QL Home. For more on MAA-QL publications, see MAA QL.

The MAA and the National Numeracy Network are the driving forces for Quantitative Literacy (QL) in the US. This page provides an overview and related links.

[This page is not produced, reviewed or approved by the MAA or any unit thereof.]

National Numeracy Website

Numeracy: Advancing Education in Quantitative Literacy: Numeracy is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by the National Numeracy Network. Numeracy aims to support education at all levels that integrates quantitative skills across disciplines. The journal seeks evidence-based articles on teaching strategies and resources, education research, curriculum design, assessment strategies, and faculty development, as well as perspectives, reviews of educational resources, and commentaries/replies.

2009 National Numeracy Network (NNN) 2009 Annual Meeting. U. Washington, Bothell.

2008 Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (CRUME).

Math Across the Curriculum and QR: 3/19/2008 — Borough of Manhattan Community College. Speakers included Bernie Madison (Quantitative Literacy in America), Bill Briggs (Teaching Quantitative Literacy) and Rebecca Hartzler (Mathematics Across the Curriculum: Inspiration and Resources).

Civic Engagement and Numeracy: 10/19/2007 — Joel Best, Neil Lutsky and Milo Schield give talks at an AACU Civic Engagement conference.

SIGMAA QL 2007 MathFest. 8/3/2007: SIGMAA-QL

  • Panel discussion: Quantitative Literacy, Mathematics and Civic Engagement: Teaching the Importance of Quantitative Literacy for a Healthy Democracy in a General Education Course: Panelists: Rob Root (Lafayette College), Maura Mast (University of Massachusetts Boston), Kay Somers, (Moravian College) and Andy Miller (Belmont University). This panel session will consist of presentations on pedagogy associated with courses investigating the interaction between quantitative literacy/mathematics and civic engagement. Potential topics include: voting rights, voting fraud, gerrymandering, and one person/one vote; the impact of opinion polls on the democratic process; financial exploitation of the quantitatively illiterate; statistical misconceptions and their consequences in politics and policy; mathematics education as a determinant of economic status; and statistics and health policy. Panelists will be encouraged to share with the interested public curricular materials for units in a general education course linking mathematics to social justice including reading lists, study guides, discussion guidelines, and assignments.
  • MATH MATTERS: NUMERATE APPROACHES TO EVERYDAY ISSUES: How can mathematics help the average citizen negotiate the world? Issues such as climate change, globalization, the credit and mortgage crisis, and electoral processes and politics have a large impact on our society. Mathematics and statistics are critical tools for appreciating the complexity and impact of these phenomena that affect individual lives and society at large. The panelists in this session, Andy Miller of Belmont University, Donald Saari of University of California Irvine, Johnathan Hodge, Grand Valley State University, and Bernard Madison, University of Arkansas, will present approaches to addressing these topics and equipping citizens with the knowledge and habits of mind necessary for understanding these issues and for making personal choices that incorporate this new understanding.
  • THE ROLE OF QUANTITATIVE LITERACY CENTERS IN SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND FACULTY Maura Mast, University of Massachusetts – Boston, Cinammon Hillyard, University of Washington Bothell Thursday, July 31, 9:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. As the call to educate students to be quantitatively literate grows, many colleges and universities are responding by establishing a quantitative literacy (QL) requirement. This is likely to be a challenging experience for everyone involved, and it is essential to provide support to both students and faculty. One approach is to create a learning center dedicated to helping students by providing tutoring, workshops, and other support. Such a center can also serve as a resource for faculty who are developing QL courses, implementing QL in their discipline, or working with assessment. With this focus on quantitative literacy across the curriculum, these centers differ from the more traditional math lab or math resource center. This panel will present a diversity of models for QL centers, based on the growing number of such centers. Panelists will discuss factors that have been important for success as well as lessons learned. Panelists will include: Caren Diefenderfer, Hollins University; Corrine Taylor, Wellesley College; Nicole Hoover, University of Washington Bothell; Judith Moran, Trinity College; and Cinnamon Hillyard.

NNN Open House ASA: 7/31/2007. Open House at National Meeting of the American Statistical Association featuring Kay Somers.

The Role of Statistics Educators in the Quantitative Literacy Movement — Joy Jordan and Beth Haines, Journal of Statistical Education, V14,#2.

NNN, SIGMAA & MSS: Midwest Sociological Society & North Central Sociological Assoc. April 4-7, 2007 Chicago

Panel: Q/L: Mathematicians, Statisticians, and Sociologists Share What Works (Session 47 Wed • 4:30–5:15 pm)

  • Cosponsored by National Numeracy Network and SIGMAA for Quantitative Literacy
  • Co-Organizers: Carla Howery (American Sociological Association) and Maura Mast (University of Massachusetts Boston)
  • Panelists: Joel Best (Including Construction in Quantitative Literacy), and Bernard L. Madison (University of Arkansas)

National Numeracy Network and SIGMAA for Quantitative Literacy Reception (Wed • 5:15–6:15 pm)

  • Cosponsored by NNN SIGMAA-QL. Organizer: Carla Howery (American Sociological Association)

Panel: Teaching Statistics for the Social Sciences: A Conversation between Sociology and Mathematics (Session 240,Fri. 2:30 -4:15 pm)

  • Organizer: Cinnamon Hillyard (University of Washington Bothell)
  • Panelists: Tricia M. Davis (University of Wisconsin–River Falls), Julia McQuillan (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), William P. Peterson (Middlebury College) and Milo Schield (Augsburg College)

Teaching Quantitative Literacy: Examples from Across Disciplines (Session 250: Friday 4:30-6:00 pm)

  • Cosponsored by NNN and SIGMAAQL
  • Organizer/Presider: Cinnamon Hillyard (University of Washington Bothell)
  • Rethinking Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers… — Eric Gaze (Alfred University)
  • Spreadsheets as a Tool to Implement QL… — Semra Kilic-Bahi (Colby-Sawyer College)
  • Quantitative Literacy Issues for Informed Citizens: Voting and Social Choice… — Maura Mast (University of Massachusetts Boston)
  • Quantitative Literacy as a Means to Understand and Enhance Social Justice: A First-Year Seminar — Rob Root (Lafayette College)
  • Statistical Literacy: Teaching the Social Construction of Statistics… — Milo Schield (Augsburg College)

Quantitative Literacy at San Jose State:

SIGMAA QL 2007 Joint Mathematics Meeting

Current Practices in Quantitative Literacy: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

  • Friday: The issue of achieving quantitative literacy (QL) is one that spans disciplines. This panel will take a closer look at how very different institutions have used a cross-disciplinary approach to teach QL. Each program is featured in MAA Notes: Current Practices in Quantitative Literacy.
  • Saturday: Annual Business Meeting and Reception.

SIGMAA : 2006 Joint Mathematics Meeting  (1014-P1)

Organizers: Aaron G. Montgomery and Stuart Boersma, Central Washington University, and Semra Kilic-Bahi, Colby Sawyer College.

MAA Session on Achieving Quantitative Literacy: Saturday January 14, 2006, 1:00 p.m.-3:55 p.m.

  • Paradoxes: Explanations and Discussions — Saburo Matsumoto*, The Master's College (79)
  • A Contemporary Approach to Q/L in a College Math Curriculum — Jay P. Abramson* & Matt Isom, Arizona State Univ. (20)
  • How a writing assignment changed our understanding of Q/L — Allen Emerson* & Kris Green, St. John Fisher College (1543)
  • Learning to Make Inferences: Connecting Q/L and Language Arts for Math and English Preservice Teachers — Kimberly M. Vincent* and Beth Buyserie, Washington State University. (1490) Slides PDF
  • Incorporating Civic Engagement in Q/L Courses — Thomas Zachariah*, Suzanne Larson & Jacqueline Dewar, Loyola Marymount U. (1260)
  • Ethnomathematics: Fusion or Fear — Michelle R DeDeo*, University of North Florida. (1425)
  • The Q/R Requirement at the University of Massachusetts Boston — Maura B Mast* and Mark Pawlak. (1443) Slides: PowerPoint, PDF
  • News Math: Working toward QL — Bernard L. Madison*, University of Arkansas (49) Slides: PowerPoint, PDF  See 2005 NewsMath
  • Developing a QL Program: Do's and Don'ts — Judith Flagg Moran*, Trinity College Hartford CT (830) Slides: PPT (4 MB), PDF (no pics)
  • Defining and Implementing Quantitative Literacy Programs — Rick Gillman*, Valparaiso University (32)
  • An Overview of QL/QR Programs, Events and Publications — Caren Diefenderfer*, Hollins University, Rebecca Hartzler, Seattle Central Community College and Cinnamon Hillyard, University of Washington, Bothell. (1269)

MAA Session on Achieving Quantitative Literacy, II: Sunday January 15, 2006, 8:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m.

  • Numeracy: A Course for Honor Students — John C Maceli*, Ithaca College (944)
  • The Mathematics of Association in Quantitative Literacy — Milo Schield*, Augsburg College (36) Updated Slides: PDF (117 KB)
  • Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum — Gary T Franchy*, Davenport University (1727) Slides: PowerPoint (362 KB), PDF (498 KB)
  • Profit Maximization and Level Curves: Applying Excel Data Tables, Conditional Formatting, and the Solver — Mike Pogodzinski*, Department of Economics, San Jose State University (404) Slides: PowerPoint (836 KB) PDF (914 KB)
  • The Unholy Alliance: Integrating Math and Religion — Harrison W. Straley* and Barbara Darling-Smith, Wheaton College (27)
  • From Math Distress To Math Success: The Development of a Quantitative Reasoning Course To Motivate Student Learning — Klement Teixeira* and Fred Peskoff, Borough of Manhattan Community College (789)
  • Join the Mathematics Across the Community College Curriculum Project — Rebecca Hartzler*, Seattle Central Community College (1264)

Creating and Strengthening Interdisciplinary Programs in QL

June 14-18 2005, there was a MAA PREP QL workshop at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN coordinated by David Bressoud.
Quantitative literacy is “no more the exclusive preserve of mathematicians than writing belongs to the English department or critical reasoning to philosophy. The goal of this workshop is for interdisciplinary campus teams to learn about many of the programs and assessment strategies that are now running, to gain familiarity with the tools, materials and case studies that these programs have generated and to have the opportunity to adapt and build upon these materials for use on their own campuses.”

SIGMAA QL Panel: 2005 Joint Mathematics Meeting

System Wide Quantitative Literacy Initiatives.
Organized by Judy Moran (Trinity College) and Caren Diefenderfer (Hollins University).
Panelists included Linda Sons (Northern Illinois University), Kathleen Burk (Georgia State University), Vauhn Foster-Grahler (The Evergreen State College), Kim Vincent (Washington State University) and Bernie Madison (University of Arkansas).
Panelists discussed efforts in their states to implement statewide QL standards and programs; they also discussed issues involving definitions, standards, assessment, articulation agreements, and political hurdles.
The session was sponsored by the MAA SIGMAA for Quantitative Literacy.

Refocused College Algebra: A Basis for QL Programs

Panel Discussion, 2005 JMM.
Organizer: Donald B. Small (U.S. Military Academy).
Panelists: Norma M. Agras (Miami-Dade College), Dora C. Ahmadi (Morehead State University), Laurette B. Foster (Prairie View A&M University) and Bernard L. Madison (University of Arkansas). Moderator: Harriet S. Pollatsek (Mount Holyoke College).
Sponsored by the MAA CUPM Subcommittee on Curriculum Renewal Across the First Two Years (CRAFTY).
“Faculty in quantitative disciplines urge mathematics departments to send them students having experience with elementary data analysis, plotting and interpreting plots, problem solving in the modeling sense, small-group work, and the use of technology. These aspects are basic to refocused college algebra programs. In addition, college algebra is the largest gateway course (in terms of student enrollment) and is thus well positioned to provide a basis for QL programs.”

National Numeracy Network:

In Hanover, N.H., June 18-20, the National Numeracy Network was organized as an interdisciplinary professional organization that “envisions a society in which all citizens possess the power and habit of mind to search out quantitative information, critique it, reflect on it and apply it in their public, personal and professional lives.” The mission statement of the NNN states: “The National Numeracy Network promotes education that integrates quantitative skills across all disciplines and at all levels. To this end the Network supports faculty development, curriculum design, assessment strategies, education research and systemic change. The Network is the professional organization serving and promoting collaborations among those students, educators, academic centers, educational institutions, professional societies and corporate partners sharing our vision. The Network also strives to keep issues of quantitative literacy at the forefront of national and international conversations about educational priorities.”
David Bressoud, Macalester College, will serve on the Advisory Board.

Quantitative Literacy Special Interest Group QL SIGMAA

In January 2004, the MAA Board of Governors approved a special interest group (SIG) on quantitative literacy.
“SIGMAA QL aims to provide a structure within the mathematics community to identify the prerequisite mathematical skills for quantitative literacy (QL) and find innovative ways of developing and implementing QL curricula. We also intend to assist colleagues in other disciplines to infuse appropriate QL experiences into their courses and hope to stimulate the general national dialogue concerning QL.”

Quantitative Literacy Conferences and Workshops (Past):

Quantitative Literacy Materials:

QL/QR Talks (PowerPoint Slides):

Slide: Math Enrollments

Quantitative Literacy Grants and Related Courses and Activities

Quantitative Literacy Centers and Programs (alphabetical)

Quantitative Reasoning Graduation Requirement (Q/R designated courses)

Quantitative Literacy Courses: