Quantitative Inquiry, Quantitative Inquiry, Reasoning, and Knowledge Reasoning, and Knowledge (QuIRK) at Carleton College(QuIRK) at Carleton College

Nathan D. GraweNathan D. Grawe

With support from the US Department of Education’s Fund With support from the US Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education and the for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education and the National Science Foundation.National Science Foundation.

What is QR?What is QR?“…“…sophisticated reasoning with sophisticated reasoning with elementary mathematics more elementary mathematics more than elementary reasoning with than elementary reasoning with sophisticated mathematics.”sophisticated mathematics.”

Lynn SteenLynn Steen

Achieving Quantitative LiteracyAchieving Quantitative Literacy

1) QR requires a 1) QR requires a basic skill setbasic skill set

2) QR demands2) QR demands context context

3) 3) QR involves QR involves communicationcommunication

4) QR is a 4) QR is a habit of mindhabit of mind

““a a predispositionpredisposition to look at the work to look at the work through mathematical eyesthrough mathematical eyes” ” NCEDNCED

• “…“…numeracy is not something mastered in a numeracy is not something mastered in a single course….Thus quantitative material single course….Thus quantitative material needs to permeate the curriculum, not only needs to permeate the curriculum, not only in the sciences but also in the social sciences in the sciences but also in the social sciences and, in appropriate cases, in the humanities, and, in appropriate cases, in the humanities, so that students have opportunities to so that students have opportunities to practice their skills and see how useful they practice their skills and see how useful they can be in understanding a wide range of can be in understanding a wide range of problems.” problems.”

-Derek Bok (2006)-Derek Bok (2006)

• “…“…authentic and enduring learning…can authentic and enduring learning…can rarely succeed one course at a time.”rarely succeed one course at a time.”

-Lee Shulman (1997)-Lee Shulman (1997)

““New Diabetes Drug Poses Major Risks, New Diabetes Drug Poses Major Risks, Panel Says” Panel Says” Washington Post Washington Post 10/21/0510/21/05

The lead:The lead:

““A diabetes medicine…sharply A diabetes medicine…sharply increases the risk of heart problems, increases the risk of heart problems, strokes, and death.”strokes, and death.”

The Challenge of The Challenge of Interdisciplinary Initiatives: Interdisciplinary Initiatives:

Part 1Part 1

The Challenge of The Challenge of Interdisciplinary Initiatives: Interdisciplinary Initiatives:

Part 2Part 2

QR and Argument:QR and Argument:A Rhetorical Hook for Buy-InA Rhetorical Hook for Buy-In

“ “Deploying numbers skillfully is as Deploying numbers skillfully is as important to communication as deploying important to communication as deploying verbs.”verbs.”

-Max Frankel, -Max Frankel, The New The New York Times MagazineYork Times Magazine

• ““Numbers [are] the principal language of Numbers [are] the principal language of public argument.” public argument.”

-BBC Program -BBC Program More or LessMore or Less

The Importance of the The Importance of the PeripheryPeriphery

““Even for works that are not Even for works that are not inherently quantitative, one or two inherently quantitative, one or two numeric facts can help convey the numeric facts can help convey the importance or context of your importance or context of your topic.”topic.”

Jane Miller, Jane Miller,

The Chicago Guide to Writing About The Chicago Guide to Writing About NumbersNumbers

What do the numbers show?What do the numbers show? How representative is that?How representative is that? Compared to what?Compared to what? Are the results those of a single Are the results those of a single

study or a literature?study or a literature? Who’s measured in the sample?Who’s measured in the sample?

Neil LutskyNeil Lutsky

Potential Relevance of QR in Sample of

Carleton Papers

Irrelevant36%

Peripherally Relevant

28%

Centrally Relevant

36%

Potential Relevance Central Peripheral Did use 66% 12% Did not use 34% 88%

Teaching Precision in Teaching Precision in LanguageLanguage

““The downtown areas of large cities The downtown areas of large cities are often home to copious are often home to copious franchises.”franchises.”

““Consumption of green products that Consumption of green products that claim to be more environmentally claim to be more environmentally benign has steadily increased in benign has steadily increased in recent years.”recent years.”

Teaching Precision in Teaching Precision in LanguageLanguage

““Nonparental child-care is on the rise Nonparental child-care is on the rise as more and more mothers choose to as more and more mothers choose to work….”work….”

““Americans have not been sacrificing Americans have not been sacrificing more than the few casualties of our more than the few casualties of our military and the monetary price that military and the monetary price that war costs.”war costs.”

Teaching Precision in Teaching Precision in LanguageLanguage

Developing a new drug “takes an average of 8 Developing a new drug “takes an average of 8 years for testing and costs $802 million for years for testing and costs $802 million for research.”research.”

““As of the end of 2005, the three major airline As of the end of 2005, the three major airline alliances combined to fly 60.8% of all alliances combined to fly 60.8% of all passengers.”passengers.”

““Over five decades …, there have been 12 Over five decades …, there have been 12 parliamentary elections….Turnout is often parliamentary elections….Turnout is often greater than 60%.”greater than 60%.”

Side Benefit:Side Benefit:Encourages Formal Statistics Encourages Formal Statistics

StudyStudyCarleton statistics enrollments have Carleton statistics enrollments have

increased over course of QuIRK increased over course of QuIRK activity.activity.