Something New in Math: Meaningful Mathematics Courses for Liberal Arts Undergraduates

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Gary Stogsdill
Gary Stogsdill
1 Prescott College

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For over 100 years a vital if little known movement has been underway to allow liberal arts undergraduates to meet their math requirement with more meaningful and relevant options than the traditional skills courses in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. Often referred to as liberal arts mathematics, and with a subset called humanistic mathematics, such courses may explore mathematics as a realm of ideas that are essential to understanding the world we live in and what it means to be human. Although resistance to this movement has been vigorous and tenacious, it is now widely recognized that liberal arts undergraduates deserve access to such courses in order to meet their math requirement. The author describes a century-long argument in favor of meaningful mathematics courses for liberal arts undergraduates, traces the evolution of liberal arts math courses, justifies such courses in a discussion of what mathematics really is, and presents his own innovative pedagogy with a humanistic math course, Mathematical Explorations, which provides liberal arts undergraduates with the opportunity to alleviate math anxiety, improve reasoning ability, engage in experiential learning, and explore mathrelated ideas that are meaningful, relevant, useful, and inspiring.

17 Cites in Articles

References

  1. R Bumcrot (2001). Liberal arts mathematics. Encyclopedia of mathematics education.
  2. L Steen (2004). Achieving quantitative literacy.
  3. (2004). Undergraduate programs and courses in the mathematical sciences: CUPM curriculum guide 2004.
  4. M George (2007). The history of liberal arts mathematics.
  5. (1911). The Training of Teachers of Mathematics for the Secondary Schools of Countries represented in the International Commission on the Teaching of Mathematics. By R. C. Archibald. 1918. (Washington, Government Printing Office.).
  6. Morris Kline (1954). Freshman Mathematics as an Integral Part of Western Culture.
  7. David Lemire (2002). Commentary: Math Problem Solving and Mental Discipline the Myth of Transferability.
  8. H M Ness (1990). Mathematics-a significant force in our culture.
  9. C Newsom (1949). A Course in College Mathematics for a Program of General Education.
  10. W Schaaf (1937). Required Mathematics in a Liberal Arts College.
  11. (1956). College Mathematics for Non-Science Students.
  12. H Sporn (2010). A contemporary analysis of the content of mathematics for liberal education at the college level.
  13. E Thorndike (1923). The psychology of algebra.
  14. A Whitehead (1911). Introduction to mathematics.
  15. C Winterer (2002). The culture of classicism: Ancient Greece and Rome in American intellectual life, 1780-1910.
  16. J Young (1923). The Organization of College Courses in Mathematics For Freshmen.
  17. Gary Stogsdill (2013). A Math Therapy Exercise.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Gary Stogsdill. 2013. \u201cSomething New in Math: Meaningful Mathematics Courses for Liberal Arts Undergraduates\u201d. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research - F: Mathematics & Decision GJSFR-F Volume 13 (GJSFR Volume 13 Issue F9): .

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GJSFR Volume 13 Issue F9
Pg. 21- 30
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Crossref Journal DOI 10.17406/GJSFR

Print ISSN 0975-5896

e-ISSN 2249-4626

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November 5, 2013

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English

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For over 100 years a vital if little known movement has been underway to allow liberal arts undergraduates to meet their math requirement with more meaningful and relevant options than the traditional skills courses in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. Often referred to as liberal arts mathematics, and with a subset called humanistic mathematics, such courses may explore mathematics as a realm of ideas that are essential to understanding the world we live in and what it means to be human. Although resistance to this movement has been vigorous and tenacious, it is now widely recognized that liberal arts undergraduates deserve access to such courses in order to meet their math requirement. The author describes a century-long argument in favor of meaningful mathematics courses for liberal arts undergraduates, traces the evolution of liberal arts math courses, justifies such courses in a discussion of what mathematics really is, and presents his own innovative pedagogy with a humanistic math course, Mathematical Explorations, which provides liberal arts undergraduates with the opportunity to alleviate math anxiety, improve reasoning ability, engage in experiential learning, and explore mathrelated ideas that are meaningful, relevant, useful, and inspiring.

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Something New in Math: Meaningful Mathematics Courses for Liberal Arts Undergraduates

Gary Stogsdill
Gary Stogsdill Prescott College

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