Brooklyn College is uniquely qualified to revitalize undergraduate education with bold initiatives in mathematics and science learning. It has developed a number of successful math/science programs for majors in teacher education and in the sciences. The goal of this project is to build on these past initiatives to promote the development of quantitative reasoning skills in the undergraduate population at large. The College's nationally-recognized, ten-course Core Curriculum requires that every student complete 4 semesters of laboratory science (physics, chemistry, biology, geology), in addition to mathematics and computer science; nonetheless, we find that many students are unable to transfer quantitative concepts from one discipline to another. Faculty in such diverse areas as the physical and biological sciences, economics, business, computer science, psychology, sociology, and linguistics observe that exploration of higher levels of knowledge in their disciplines is diminished as a result of students' lack of quantitative reasoning skills. Our solution to this problem is an "across the curriculum" project in which quantitative concepts are being systematically linked through core courses in mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences. The method of freshman block programming is being used to facilitate coordination among cohorts of students who are being exposed to hierarchically structured quantitative material. Faculty meet to develop and refine curricula that emphasize constructivist principles of teaching, including hands-on laboratory experiences. Peer tutoring provides an essential academic support network. The overall aim is to create an institutional culture which affirms the central importance of quantitative learning not only to the sciences, but to the entire liberal arts curriculum. Evaluations concentrate on performance outcomes and changes in faculty and student attitudes. To facilitate the program serving as a model we will disseminate curricular materials, p rogram descriptions, and evaluation results through a capstone conference, professional meetings and publications, and the World Wide Web. The results will be of wide interest to those concerned with science and mathematics education at all levels.
