Skip to main content. Search form Search. Login Join Give Shops. Halmos - Lester R. Ford Awards Merten M. It is also a place where students are exposed to abstract reasoning, and make decisions based on given information. Algebra is likely the first subject in which students develop their problem-solving skills, which can involve extrapolation and step-by-step analysis.
Algebra can help students prepare to transfer abstract thinking to other disciplines. Transferring knowledge from one discipline to another is neither easy nor obvious. Thus, any help that can be given to students so that they will be able to make such connections, whether it be as a scientist or as a modern global citizen, is important.
Algebra is a prerequisite for study in college science courses, such as physics, chemistry, and biology, as well as computer science and engineering. In addition, a usable understanding of algebra is assumed for college statistics courses, such as Statistical Methods in Psychology, which are required for majors outside of science and mathematics. Algebra is a prerequisite for virtually all college-level mathematics courses, such as precalculus, calculus, linear algebra, statistics and probability, and more advanced mathematics courses.
An understanding of algebra is also assumed in geometry and trigonometry courses. Relevant to the preceding reason, algebra can serve to solidify and firm up the arithmetic skills that are already learned in school. For one thing, many people need to learn algebra if they want to go into a career in mathematics, science or something of that ilk.
However, many careers do not utilize these skills or much math at all. If this is the case, then why should it be required for a degree? That is not to say that algebra is completely pointless. We should really offer algebra as an elective course instead of a mandatory one. An average of one in four ninth-graders does not finish high school, and many educators cite algebra as a major reason.
BMCC is one of about 50 community colleges in 14 state that offer an alternative track called Quantway, developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, that seeks to develop quantitative literacy.
Project director Karon Klipple said the foundation devised Quantway and a statistics track called Statway in because of the sheer numbers of students dropping out of community college due to algebra. Sixty to 80 percent of community college students nationwide test into remedial math, and most don't pass it, she said. All rights reserved. Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page.
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