Quantitative Reasoning

• Quantitative Foundations
• Statistical Inferential Reasoning

General Preamble

Quantitative reasoning (QR) is a conceptual process that employs one or more of a family of mathematical or logistical methods to analyze and solve problems in a variety of disciplines. Such methods guide both deductive and inductive reasoning in mathematics, the sciences (including physical, life, psychological, social, political, and economic sciences), the humanities and arts as well as in engineering, computer science, and information technology. They also have great utility in helping students clarify and critically evaluate information that is relevant to personal life and to everyday decisions about health, finance, citizenship, and government. When these methods are applied to real-world examples and taught in contexts that engage student interest they have been found to improve the capacity of students to draw sound inferences. Quantitative reasoning is multidisciplinary and invites a wide diversity of disciplines and departments to offer courses to satisfy this requirement.

The requirements for the first course in this area, Quantitative Foundations, focusing on mathematical, logical, and statistical foundations. Statistical elements in this course are at the level of basic skills in descriptive statistics. The second course in this area, Statistical Inferential Reasoning, will focus on statistical reasoning and inference.