As far as texts, "Quantitative Reasoning" (Addison Wesley) is worth a look
- its a really interesting approach to the course, requiring a lot of
reading and writing, and less demanding mathematically than "For All
Practical Purposes".
At 02:07 PM 8/20/97 -0700, David Faulkner wrote:
>The reference to the book below is: How to Lie With Statistics by Darrell
>Huff, New York, 1954, WW Norton. Even though it is old, I think it is
>still in print and still very useful.
>
>Another book that may be a good text/reference for liberal arts students is
>the text that accompanied the video series Annenberg/CPB Project "For All
>Practical Purposes".
>
>At 16:29 8/20/97 -0400, Ddeliberto@AOL.COM wrote:
>>Barbara and list readers,
>>
>>I am so glad that to hear that there are others who are placing an emphasis
>>on making the teaching of mathematics to the lives of our students. That
was
>>an ecellent post and I have two other books that you may wish to use in
>>supplementing your course or perhaps you may have your students read as part
>>of a course project. I actually met the author and he really has a knack
>>for showing how it is possible to lie with statistics. Isn't thee a book
>>with that title somewhere? Sampling is especially imprtant for anyone who
>>will pursue careers in business/marketing research, psychology, research and
>>law.
>>
>>Well here are the books you may want to check out. Both are by John Allen
>>Paulos:
>>
>>Innumeracy
>>
>>Beyond Innumeracy
>>
>>Another good reference book for ideas is Mathematics for the Millions:
How to
>>Master the Magic of Numbers by Lancelot Hogben published by W W Norton
>>Company originally published in 1937. The reading is fairly difficult for
>>undergrads but you would be able to use many of the ideas with some
>>modification.
>>
>>Hope that helps.
>>
>>Deanna M. De'Liberto
>>President and Director of Assessment
>>D SQUARED ASSESSMENTS, INC.
>>(Specialists in Test Development / Validation and Test Administration)
>>9 Bedle Road, Suite 250
>>Hazlet, NJ 07730-1209
>>Phone: (732) 888-9339
>>Email: Ddeliberto@aol.com
>>
>>
>>In a message dated 97-08-20 14:57:19 EDT, you write:
>>
>><< Phillip,
>>
>> We recently (3 years ago) developed a Mathematics for Liberal Arts
>> Majors. It was a cooperative effort with the U. of A. Our guiding
>> principal was:
>> "What do you think a college-educated person should know about
mathematics?"
>> and our department's requirement. "Make it relevant...real
life...usable!"
>>
>> Probability & Stats (esp. stats) topped the list. Definitely YES! We
>>deal
>> with stats from the cradle to the grave (Geisel Norms to Life
expectancy..).
>>
>> It is important that these students understand what the "numbers are really
>> saying". Also accent sampling etc (How to lie with statistics) Pick up
>>the
>> newspapers... We rarely see the reports...just the journalists
>>interpretation
>> of the report. (Those future journalists are in your class too!) One of
>>my
>> assignments is to have students locate a recent (last 2 weeks) non-medical
>> report article and point out what information is included and excluded
>>...and
>> given that info...are they "buying the story". [I must admit that I go
on a
>> rampage about the 1-900-dial-in-your-opinion surveys... talk about your
self
>> selected participants.]
>>
>> Also exponential & logarithmic functions - Applications. Like present &
>> future value. I had more students comment...wish I had taken this class
>> BEFORE I bought the car, got the mortgage etc.
>>
>> We also included apportionment (like the US house of
representatives)...even
>> the methods of apportionment have historic names like Websters, Jefferson.
>>etc
>> The political science & history majors enjoy this one.
>>
>> Also group preference... like the Borda Count, or run off methods. How
>> exactly do they come up the "All Star" game players?
>>
>> I also do a little on the Power Index. Looking at things from the local
>>City
>> Council to the U.N.
>>
>> The problem is finding a text book. Trust me I'm still looking for the
>> perfect book. In the interum we settled on "modules".. produced in spiral
>> bound format from : Innovative Textbooks in Irvine, CA (phone number 714
>> 854-5667. We use three modules ... Mathematics of the Social Sciences,
>> Applications of Exponents and Logarithms and Probability and Statistics.
>> OF
>> the three I really like the first two and find I have to supplement the 3rd
>>as
>> it doesn't have normal distribution and sampling techniques in it. The
cost
>> to the student of purchasing all 3 modules is TOTAL around $20. Some of
>>the
>> students are selective when selling them back to the bookstore. Keeping
>>this
>> one...selling this one back.
>>
>> Sure hope this helps. The good news for us lately has been that the U. of
>> Arizona's School of Education has been encouraging it's elementary
education
>> majors to take the course because it gives a broad basis in the "everyman,
>> everyday" uses of mathematics.
>>
>> Barbara C. Armenta
>> Pima Community College - East Campus
>> Tucson, AZ >>
>>
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>
>===================================================
>David Faulkner D_Faulkner@lbl.gov
>Staff Research Associate 510.486.7326
>Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
>
>
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