STEM Path: Your Time has Come!!

The reform work, at the college level in mathematics, has focused on the needs of non-STEM students.  That work has been effective in creating a large, long-term impact on what students experience … as long as they do not need calculus.  Now, we can turn our attention to the needs of students on the STEM path.  #mathpaths #NewLifeMath #Mathways #Precalc

We need to understand, first, that our current STEM path is a weak design with a track record of poor results.  For example:

• In “The Pitfalls of Pre-calculus” David Bressoud shares some sophisticated research on the benefits of pre-calculus to different types of students; less-prepared students were not harmed by pre-calculus (not helped much either), and well-prepared students were actually harmed by pre-calculus.
• Most publicized research on remediation, which focuses on the transition from developmental to college level (intermediate algebra to college algebra/pre-calculus); the standard result in this research is “no benefit” for a significant portion of the population.
• We lack any body of research showing that our courses work above the developmental level (pre-calculus and calculus in particular).

The STEM path is too important to leave it alone, to accept the current sloppy curriculum as “good enough”.  The research is compelling, and we have other research providing guidance for better solutions.  Take a look at the work in co-variational reasoning, as well as the MAA Calculus Readiness test (those use related concepts).  Take a look at the book “Mathematical Sciences in 2025”.

Some curricular models to improve the STEM path are being developed.  The AMATYC New Life Project outlines content for Algebraic Literacy, which is designed to be an effective preparation for college-level mathematics like pre-calculus; the content is engineered for this purpose (unlike ‘intermediate algebra’).  I’ll be doing a session at the 2015 AMATYC conference on Algebraic Literacy (S149, Saturday Nov 21).

The Dana Center is developing its STEM path, with the Reasoning with Functions courses; that work is informed by the sources cited above, with these courses designed to follow a beginning algebra level course (Math Lit, “FMR”, etc).  In other words, their STEM path places pre-calculus immediately after beginning algebra.  The Dana Center will be doing a symposium at the AMATYC conference next month.

You have opportunities to be a part of this work, to make changes at your institution to help students on the STEM path.  Please consider taking advantage of these opportunities.

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