1. Data Services and Quantitative Literacy: Two Works-in-Progress
Bo Wandschneider and Wendy Watkins
OCUL Data Group
Toronto
December, 2005
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2. Outline What is Quantitative Literacy? Why Quantitative Literacy?
Recent events
Promoting Quantitative Literacy
What’s happening at Carleton?
What’s happening at Guelph?
What’s happening where you are?
How can we use DINO to promote Quantitative Literacy?
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3. What is Quantitative Literacy
Also known as numeracy
The ability to use mathematical reasoning skills to be able to function in everyday life in a modern knowledge based society
It is NOT “Calculus” – It is Practical
Examples:
Determine doseages for babies using weight
Make a budget
Read a bank statement
Determine gas consumption
Calculate interest costs on credit card statements I
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4. Why Quantitative Literacy?
“In today’s “world awash in numbers,” strong quantitative reasoning skills are required in:
virtually all academic fields
most every profession
decision-making in everyday life” Corrie Taylor, ICPSR OR meeting, Oct. 2005
According to the IALSS, 12 of 13 provinces and territories score BELOW the MINIMUM for successful day-to-day functioning *
*Statistics Canada Daily, Nov. 9, 2005; Globe and Mail, Nov. 10, 2005
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5. Why Quantitative Literacy?
“In fact, the labour market returns to numeracy skills overshadowed the return to education. Hence, if well-educated adults were lacking in numeracy skills, they derived no benefit from any additional years of schooling.”
Results of the 2003 IALSS reported in the Statistics Canada Daily, May 11, 2005
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6. Recent Events Release of IALSS results for Canadian numeracy
Publication of special IQ issue on statistical literacy
Focus of ICPSR on quantitative literacy
Corrie Taylor’s presentation at last OR meeting
IASSIST Strategic Plan’s focus on education
Integration of Learning Commons into Libraries
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7. Promoting Quantitative Literacy: Strategies
Alert undergraduate classes to data resources
Partner with the Learning Commons, IF resources permit
Need to be proactive
Go to them
Stress numeracy as the goal (not producing mathematicians)
Use the Training Repository as a resource
Begin to collect other resources
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8. What’s Happening @ Carleton
Liaison with Learning Commons
Initial meeting
Good discussion of areas of mutual interest
Combine our expertise with their bodies
Expression of interest in developing curricula for:
Workshops on data literacy
SPSS workshops
Introduction to GIS
Very favourable report in Library’s Friday memo
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9. What’s Happening @ Carleton
Resources shared:
Corrie Taylor’s slides on Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
Wellesley’s study package for the QR assessment
IQ special issue on statistical literacy
Sociometrics Data and Internet Literacy Training Modules
Plans
Work this term to develop curricula
LC staff to provide instructors
Workshops to begin Sept. 2006
Hope for an enlightened Provost
Added the last point in the faint hope …… ;-)
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10. What’s Happening @ Guelph?
Similar to Carleton
Talking to people
Sharing resources
Searching out people discussing the issues
Discussing new College of Management and Economics
Provost White Paper on undergraduate learning
Can be a slow process – don’t rush it
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11. What’s Happening @ Guelph?
Provost released a White Paper:
The Lighting of a Fire: Re-imagining the Undergraduate Learning Experience
“…numeracy and the ability to communicate are essential to intellectual development..”
“As our students graduate and enter the workplace they will need to have a full understanding and appreciation of the skills they have acquired … these include general skills needed by all graduates, such as literacy and numeracy…”
“Identify courses in the existing curriculum that put a premium on the development of students' literacy and numeracy skills.”
“Expand the university's support systems for students working to improve their numeracy and writing skills in the Learning Commons.”
This is absolutely terrific! Would that we had such leadership!
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12. What’s Happening @ Guelph?
Learning Commons
Expand our workshop program in partnership
Focus on grads because that is where the emphasis is at the moment
One department is surveying students history to correlate to performance in 1st year
Calculus comes out as a strong indicator
But there is no calculus in this 1st year course
There is literature that suggests that calculus is just the proxy for something ‘else’
Statistical Advisory Committee
Reps from Colleges
Not “biting”
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13. What’s Happening Where You Are?
Discussion
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14. How can we use DINO to promote Quantitative Literacy?
Discussion
Is there something we can do collectively?
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