The Role of Statistics Educators in the Quantitative Literacy Movement

Abstract

Discussions of quantitative literacy have become increasingly important, and statistics educators are well aware of the link between statistics education and quantitative literacy. Both the statistics education and quantitative literacy movements have emphasized the importance of students practicing skills in multiple contexts—a goal also consistent with a quantitative reasoning across-the-curriculum approach. In this paper, we consider two sources of information: 1) Our data from statistics courses and other quantitative-intensive courses at Lawrence University and 2) a review of the research literature on transfer of quantitative concepts across contexts. Through analysis of these sources, we further explore the link between statistics education and quantitative literacy, and argue for an across-the-curriculum approach to teaching quantitative reasoning. Moreover, we make specific suggestions to statistics educators on their role in the quantitative literacy movement.