Quantitative Skills Center
Resources for Faculty
Teaching problem-solving
Concept mapping
How can I help a student whose quantitative skills are weak?
Individual help
Teaching problem-solving
Robert W. Grossman, 2005 "Discovering Hidden Transformations: Making Science and Other Courses More Learnable." College Teaching 53 (1): 33-40. This article focuses on techniques for teaching students how to transform knowledge to apply it to new situations. Persistent link:
http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=15348165
TopConcept mapping
Students learn to systematize what they have learned by drawing diagrams that show the relationships among concepts.
General Articles on Concept Mapping
http://www.jcu.edu.au/studying/services/studyskills/mindmap/
http://cmap.coginst.uwf.edu/info/printer.htmlChemistry Concept Mapping
Alberto Regis and Pier Giorgio Albertazzi. 1996. "Concept Maps in Chemistry Education." Journal of Chemical Education 73 (11): 1084-1088.Inspiration™ Software
Reed has a site-license to this software, which has concept mapping capability, among other features. You will find it on the computers in the IRCs and in the Q/Writing Center.
How can I help a student whose quantitative skills are weak?
Books
These books are designed specifically for self-instruction and are available for on-site use in the Quantitative Skills Center resource library. Most are also available in either the Reed library or through Summit.
- Forgotten Algebra by Barbara Lee Bleau. Great self-guided course for students who either have forgotten their algebra or never really got it the
first time around. Chapters are arranged by topic. - Mathematics: A Second Chance. This book was published in Britain so has some slightly unfamiliar vocabulary in places, but is otherwise
excellent in taking the student from arithmetic to calculus in a straightforward way with plenty of practice problems. - Quick Calculus by Daniel Kleppner and Norman Ramsey. Co-authored by a Nobel-prizewinner in physics, this is a quick review or first run-
through of integral and differential calculus. While not a replacement for a true first course in calculus, it may be a helpful refresher for
students taking classes in other subjects where calculus is used. - Calculus Made Easy by Silvanus Thompson. A classic text that uses an intuitive approach to the explanation of calculus concepts.
Recommended to me by a recent Reed econ alumnus who claims that for the first time he feels he can actually grasp calculus.
Individual Help
If you know of a student who is looking to improve his or her math skills, please direct them to Lily Copenagle, Director of the Quantitative Skills Center, extension 7916.
Lily can help set up an individualized skills development program with weekly follow-up.
