Quantitative Reasoning: Changing Practice in Science and Mathematics

Mayes, Robert L.; Myers, James D.

doi:10.1007/978-94-6209-527-4_1

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Whether the activity includes a much more ambitious data-collection investigation than we have described here or is a "dry lab" model of an ecosystem, students inevitably benefit from opportunities to move between the scientific problems and questions we present to them and the mathematical tools available to answer those questions and solve the problems. Again, in the words of Mayes and Myers (2014), it should be a primary goal of all science teachers to include as a central curricular focus "mathematics and statistics applied in real-life, authentic situations that impact an individual's life as a constructive, concerned, and reflective citizen." Table 4.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The NGSS extend Thompson's framework to include using mathematics to make quantitative predictions (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Mayes and Myers (2014) have expounded on the relevance of reasoning practice through their description of quantitative reasoning within context (called QR-C). Mayes and Myers define QR-C as "mathematics and statistics applied in real-life, authentic situations that impact an individual's life as a constructive, concerned, and reflective citizen."…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pitfall Traps & Diversity Indices: Using Quantitative Reasoning to Test Edge Effect Theory

Prinster

Hoskins

Strode

2019

The American Biology Teacher

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Students learning the skills of science benefit from opportunities to move between the scientific problems and questions they confront and the mathematical tools available to answer the questions and solve the problems. Indeed, students learn science best when they are actively engaged in pursuing answers to authentic and relevant questions. We present an activity teachers can use in the classroom to introduce the concepts of species richness and diversity. We break down the history and logic behind the two primary statistical tools ecologists use to quantify species diversity: Simpson's and Shannon's diversity indices. With hypothetical data, we show how students can learn about and practice the calculations. We then describe an activity where students collect authentic ecological data with pitfall traps while learning some arthropod systematics and practicing their newly acquired quantitative reasoning skills, all within the context of edge effect ecology and habitat conservation. The entire activity reinforces for students how interesting and helpful mathematical models and quantitative reasoning in science can be for understanding biological phenomena, but also for generating more questions, and for designing additional data-collection techniques and experiments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%