While universities have adopted various "QL courses" -- that is, individual courses in e.g. mathematics departments, whose aim is to foster numeracy literacy in students -- the concept of Numeracy Across the Curriculum (NAC) is different.

NAC is analogous to Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) in that many courses throughout many different departments throughout the university curriculum are involved. There is another dimension to this analogy, however.

For example, WAC aims not only to improve written literacy, but also to improve students' discipline-specific content knowledge through writing activities. Similarly, NAC aims not only to enhance numeracy; the goal is to improve student learning of non-mathematical disciplines, through activities involving quantitative thinking. The relevance of NAC to faculty in all disciplines is thus clear.

2005-2006: First Pilot Phase for NAC at SU

Collaborative discussions were held at Salisbury University (SU) between Dr. Harel Barzilai of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, who was 2005-2006 recipient of the Mentors Grant for Numeracy Across the Curriculum: Assessing and Developing Opportunities at Salsibury University, Dr. Diane Illig at the Department of Sociology, and Dr. Mike Lewis at the Department of History. Informal input was solicited also from students of Drs. Illig and Lewis during the Fall 2005 semester.

During Spring 2006 semester, additional, formalized input from students in two courses -- Dr. Illig's Introduction to Sociology (Sociology 101) and Dr. Lewis' U.S. Environmental History (History 389) -- were collected via a written Pre-test questionnaire/survey form, and two separate student activities enhancing QL were developed (and modified per on-going input) by Dr. Barzilai (HB), one activity customized for each of these two courses.

In addition, a third, general activity relating to percents was developed by HB, along with solutions handouts for all three activities. Post-tests were conducted for the students, and responses to a list of questions posed by HB, along with free narrative and introspective comments, were collected from Drs. Lewis and Illig concerning the effectiveness of the QL student activities.

The NAC at SU and Assessment sections of this website (http://barzilai.org/nac/) have additional details, and they will be updated and expanded on an on-going basis.

Successes, Challenges, and Future Phases

The assessment program indicates that students involved felt that they gained increased understanding of and facility with quantitative reasoning skills. Self-confidence levels were sometimes increased, while in other instances it remained flat or declined slightly, and evidence suggests this may be due to students correctly realizing there is much more "out there" to be mastered than they had previously realized. Additional details are in the Assessment section of this website, and further information will be added to that section over time. Another success is that the general-purpose QL activity (on percents) seems to have hit the mark in helping students grapple with this area in which so many adults (in college or college graduates) lack sufficient facility.

The activities were incorporated into the courses through one in-class activity supplemented by a "finish at home" followup and discussion. A key challenge area is finding ways of incorporating more QL modules into courses within existing time constraints so as to allow "course coverage" to flow more optimally alongside QL activities.

The mathematical explorations developed through this grant will impact future teaching in the departments of History, Mathematics, and Sociology, while serving as a starting point for future NAC development at SU.

[Short discussion of Future phases for NAC at SU will be added here; on-going discussions will take place in the Discussion Board section of this website]