ULO 1 - Quantitative Reasoning

CSUMB Assessment Philosophy and Practice

How to Use

Development, Standards, and Grading

Quantitative reasoning threshold concepts

• Quantitative reasoning is an iterative process: Quantitative Reasoning is “habit of mind”, a logical, reflective, intuitive, and iterative practice, not a linear process, which includes the consideration of context, authority, and appropriateness. It is an intellectual discourse designed to eventually converge, or at least get us closer, to truth while reducing uncertainty.
• Discovering, defining, and demonstrating functional relationships between variables: Quantitative systems define relationships among variables/objects in terms of abstract patterns (some of which include variation, covariation, and causation).
• Bidirectional translation between the abstract and the concrete: Quantitative Reasoning involves transitioning back and forth between the concrete (observations, theories, situations, information), and the abstract (representations) in the creation, interpretation, and evaluation of models of reality.
• Proportional reasoning and comparisons: Recognizing that the comparison of two or more quantities often requires the use of multiplicative-- not additive--thinking, via proportion, percentages, ratios, base rates, probabilities, and that interpretation of the comparison of quantities depends on context.
• Visual representations: Recognizing that visual representations of quantitative information are created or constructed and used in processes of inquiry and argumentation. The creator’s point of view is often reflected in the design choices for the visual representation and must be considered in the interpretation of the visual representation.