Mathematical Concepts
Revised: September 2020
Course Description
Introduction to applications of mathematics to daily experience. Topics to include
statistical analysis and interpretation, applications to business, measurement methods,
and selected topics of interest. (C2) Three semester hours.
Student Learning Objectives
MATH 101 is a C2 (Mathematics) Liberal Studies Course. Specifically, this course
will emphasize the following Liberal Studies learning objective and outcome:
Objective: Means of Expression
Students will craft written and/or oral communication demonstrating organization,
clarity, logic, and skill for various audiences.
As a C2 Course, this course introduces applications of mathematics to daily experience,
emphasizing the development of conceptual understanding rather than computational
drill. An assignment in which students display an application of mathematics and/or
analytical problem solving will be required.
Course Objectives Specific to Math 101
By the end of the semester, students will be able to:
- Understand descriptive statistical concepts found in daily life;
- Describe mathematics behind a variety of topics that students may not have seen before;
and
- Write clearly and critically about mathematics in their own lives and in our world.
Text
Edward B. Burger, Michael Starbird, The Heart of Mathematics: An invitation to effective
thinking, 4th edition, Key Curriculum Press, 2013.
Grading Procedure
Grading procedures and factors influencing course grade are left to the discretion
of individual instructors, subject to general university policy.
Attendance Policy
Attendance policy is left to the discretion of individual instructors, subject to
general university policy.
Course Outline
As a terminal course in mathematics, and in accordance with the Liberal Studies philosophy
of trusting faculty to use their expertise and creativity in providing an excellent
learning experience, broad discretion is given to each faculty member in the particular
content to be covered the individual course sections, subject to the following guiding
principles:
- The course should consist of an in-depth exploration of a few (three or four) topics,
as opposed to a broad but shallow coverage of numerous topics. The instructor should
NOT attempt to cover all (or even most) of the topics in the text, but should divide
the course into three or four modules, each module focusing on a particular topic.
- The one content area which should be common to all sections of Math 101 is statistical
literacy. Thus, one module of the course should include selected material from chapter
eight of the text (or related material, as selected by the instructor).
- The instructor is not restricted to the topics included in the text. Following the
principle that faculty should be encouraged to use their creativity to provide the
best possible learning experience, the instructor may (but is not required to) devote
a module to a topic outside of the textbook, provided that the instructor provides
suitable resource materials (handouts, homework problems, etc.) for the class.
- One component of the course grade should be a student project. Beyond the fact that
the project must involve mathematical analysis, instructors are given broad leeway
in determining the project constraints for each individual course section. (For example,
the instructor may designate whether the project is an individual assignment or a
group activity, and whether the final product is a written paper, an oral presentation,
or both.)