Quantitative Analysis Program
Purpose
The purposes of the Quantitative Analysis Program are to provide students with the means to appreciate and further develop quantitative reasoning skills and numeracy and to support faculty in developing curricular and pedagogical resources that fulfill the College's commitment to make quantitative analysis and numeracy an integral part of the educational experience of every Wheaton graduate.
The first goal is achieved by the Q. A. professional staff and through the Q. A. Peer Tutoring Program. The staff includes Director Michael Kahn and Learning Associates Madani Naidjate and Chuck Straley, each of whom teaches Statistics courses (Math 141) and provides group and individual tutorial instruction.
The schedule for Peer Tutoring, which is available Sunday-Thursday in Kollett Hall, is available through this link.
What is Quantitative Literacy?
According to Lynn Steen, a leading national voice for issues of Quantitative Literacy and numeracy,
"...numeracy is not the same as mathematics, nor is it an alternative to mathematics. Today's students need both mathematics and numeracy. Whereas mathematics asks students to rise above context, quantitative literacy is anchored in real data that reflect engagement with life's diverse contexts and situations." (Education Week, Wednesday, September 5, 2001, Volume 21, Number 1, p. 58]).
Further, the following description of of Quantitative Literacy comes from a web page of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation .
"Quantitative literacy, also called numeracy, is the natural tool for comprehending information in the computer age. The expectation that ordinary citizens be quantitatively literate is primarily a phenomenon of the late twentieth century. In contrast to earlier times when quantitative thinking was reserved for scientific endeavors, numeracy is now essential for deep understanding of nearly all academic fields. Indeed, the ability to reason with numbers is an essential condition for substantive discourse in many domains--not least intellectual, economic, and political. In the twenty-first century, literacy and numeracy will become inseparable qualities of an educated person."
To this end, quantitative analysis courses at Wheaton have at least one of the following recurring themes: data analysis and statistical methods, formal symbolic systems, mathematical models and applications. A common theme among these categories is the recognition of patterns, generalization, abstraction to a formal system, and application of the system to specific situations. In all, an overarching goal is that students learn to understand, communicate, and interpret quantitative information and mathematical ideas.
QA Resources
Students needing more assistance or information about the Q. A. program may contact Michael Kahn (mkahn@wheatonma.edu), Chuck Straley (straley_harrison@wheatonma.edu) or Madani Naidjate (naidjate_madani@wheatonma.edu)
Other Resources
With regards to quantitative analysis, Kollett Hall provides resources to faculty and students to further the goals stated in the introduction. There are numerous texts on the Center's shelves that relate to quantitative analysis. There are web resources (you're looking at some of them now ;-) to facilitate finding information on the internet pertaining to numeracy. Staff are available for discussions about how a topic might be considered in a class, or to consult with on issues regarding projects, honors theses, and general quantitative and statistical research. Also, together with the other Advising Centers at Wheaton, Kollett Hall intends to facilitate clinics, workshops and tutoring sessions for a variety of the courses that carry the quantitative analysis designation.
Faculty and students are encouraged to consult print resources in the Hall.
Some Useful Links
Examples and definitions of quantitative literacy.
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
CUPM Quantitative Literacy Links
Professor Bill Briggs - University of Colorado at Denver
Quantitative Centers at Other Institutions
The Center for Mathematics and Quantiative Education at Dartmouth
Quantitative Literacy Resource Guide
What is Quantitative Reasoning? (Davidson and McKinney, WWU)
Math Emporium at Virginia Tech
Quantitative Literacy Center at Hamilton
Math Center at Trinity College
QA Across the Curriculum at Hollins University
DePaul University's Quantitative Resource Center
Wellesley's QR Program
Some Math Help Links
Purplemath's Algebra Refresher
The Peer Tutoring Program offers group learning and individual sessions with trained student tutors. Schedules for Fall 2009 are posted below and are updated as needed.