Built from the ground up in MyMathLab, Thinking Quantitatively addresses student needs in a digital age, engaging them to take a more active role in their learning and coursework. A multimedia-rich eText includes definition hyperlinks, links to example videos, and just-in-time spreadsheet tutorial videos to provide students with the best experience in an online environment with point-of-use resources at their fingertips. Exposition has been streamlined to match how students learn online and, where appropriate, media replaces what would traditionally be written content in order to keep students engaged and interested. A guided learning path directs students to take advantage of the eText and its resources before jumping into their assignments. Students are asked to Explore the interactive eText, viewing videos and reviewing examples, before they Experience the concepts by working through their MyMathLab homework. The Ready to Go MyMathLab course comes with assignments premade and preassigned, making startup for instructors even easier. Section level homework assignments are preassigned, as well as end of chapter quizzes and reviews--and of course, all assignments can be modified or unassigned as needed. The contemporary approach ties together the concepts that students need to grasp to understand data and communicate effectively with numbers.
The unique organization ties each concept together in the context of practical use, rather than presenting students with a hodgepodge of interesting, yet unconnected, mathematical topics. The concept of proportional reasoning is a unifying theme that serves as a foundation for the concepts. Breaking down concepts into the very basic idea of a ratio--a concept students are familiar with--simplifies what seems complicated and empowers students to solve problems creatively and make numbers meaningful. The use of authentic, real-world problem-solving using spreadsheet technology throughout the eText, videos, and assessment allows students to harness the power of Excel to use sophisticated reasoning to analyze data. Excel frees students from getting mired in arithmetic, and allows them to develop sophisticated reasoning from the use of formulas and analyzing realistic data. Spreadsheet technology provides a highly interactive environment for studying numerical relationships. Working with spreadsheets offers experience using the program for real problems--a skill students will carry with them through school, careers and everyday life! Functions are introduced early and developed with Excel®, the perfect tool for this topic. Spotlight on Statistics , the last section of most chapters, tie in basic statistics to the concepts found in that chapter.
The integration of statistics throughout encourages students to see how statistical concepts infiltrate many aspects of everyday life. NEW! A new chapter on Probability brings this important topic into the QR classroom, giving students the probability skills to make decisions in the face of uncertainty. Support for students includes thoughtful features and dynamic tools to offer at-a-glance information to aid them in comprehending the concepts. Learning Objectives are listed at the beginning of the section so that students have a roadmap for the section and see how everything fits together in the big picture of what they are learning. Vocabulary hyperlinks provide immediate explanation of terms in an interactive format. Helpful notes in green callouts throughout the course emphasize key points, highlight solution steps, and provide additional explanations. Example Videos showcase the author walking through examples. The videos delve deeper into the content, assisting students in analysis and synthesis of the material, and making connections between concepts.
NEW! Spreadsheet Tutorial Videos created by the author and located at point of use, provide students with a baseline working knowledge of spreadsheet functionality. Students can quickly move past the "how" of using spreadsheets, and delve into the reasoning skills that they allow. Caution notes bring a student''s attention to areas that have proven troublesome or difficult to remember for anyone learning these concepts. Guided Worksheets walk students through the big concepts as they work their way through their eText. Stepped-out problems ensure that students are able to process what they have read and tie the concepts together. This allows instructors to build on prior knowledge, strengthens the students'' memory of concepts, and leads to more engaging classes. Encouraging students to truly engage with these worksheets will ensure the knowledge will stick. The worksheets provide students with a solid start to a course notebook, helping students stay organized, and with room to take additional notes.
Worksheets can be used for in-classroom activities or at-home reinforcement making it easy to implement Thinking Quantitatively in any classroom format-- face-to-face, flipped, or lab-based. The Thinking Quantitatively blog for students allows them to share what they''re doing in class, discuss projects and connect with other students using the course. A suite of resources for instructors help make a smooth transition for implementing a quantitative reasoning course using Thinking Quantitatively . A detailed Instructor''s Resource Guide , downloadable fromInstructor Resources, includes notes on how to use the course, guidance on teaching with Excel, sample syllabi, project ideas, ideas for structuring lessons, teaching tips, Guided Worksheet solutions, Excel Homework solutions and more! Instructor tutorial videos from the author walk instructors through the layout of the course topics, offering tips about teaching with a quantitative reasoning approach and strategies for the classroom. The author uses projects to encompass all aspects of the course, tying together the mathematical topics, the Excel, and the quantitative reasoning skills. View the Project Videos to see worked out solutions to the projects along with a description of how all the parts come together, providing a holistic vision for the course. The Thinking Quantitatively blog from Eric Gaze provides a forum for the author to share ideas and support as well as a place for you as an instructor to connect with other instructors teaching this course around the country, fulfilling the mission of creating a more mathematically literate society. The author updates the blog with suggestions for QR projects, activities, and discussions pulled from current articles, and chapter projects are also found on the blog.
The premade Ready to Go MyMathLab course provides students with all the same great resources available to them in MyMathLab, but makes startup for instructors even easier! Section level homework assignments are preassigned, as well as end of chapter quizzes and reviews--and of course, all assignments can be modified or unassigned as needed.