RUME 26
2024
Omaha, Nebraska
Instructors’ Use of Student Projects in Postsecondary Quantitative Reasoning Courses in Ohio
Page: 395
Student projects in a postsecondary Quantitative Reasoning (QR) course can encourage students to think deeply about connections between a real-world situation and the corresponding mathematical or statistical model. These projects can help students collaborate and improve their 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking and oral and written communication. This paper reports how 13 QR instructors across two studies at 11 public postsecondary institutions in Ohio implemented student projects. We analyzed the course syllabus for each participating instructor, conducted at least one semi-structured interview, and observed their teaching using six Instructional Quality Assessment rubrics. Data revealed substantial variation in the implementation of student projects, resulting in varying opportunities for student learning. Our findings indicate that student projects are a critical variable in Quantitative Reasoning.