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.
