Quantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines

We seek a fellowship cohort with diverse comfort levels in quantitative reasoning across disciplines. We are looking for individuals who not only demonstrate expertise in their fields but also a passion for advancing quantitative reasoning across academic disciplines and is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in quantitative reasoning education.

• The QRiD Fellowship is a two-semester commitment and is considered part of your workload assignment.
• Fellows will be awarded 2 ESH per semester, a total of 4 ESH for the completed fellowship.
• Receipt of Fall 2025 ESH is contingent upon successfully completing the Spring 2025 fellowship work.
• The offer to participate in this professional development activity is not a guarantee of a class assignment.

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• Fellows will meet as a group eight times during the Spring 2025 semester and six times during the Fall 2025 semester.
• We will meet in person or via Zoom (depending on variable conditions) on Fridays from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Rockville Campus.
• Spring 2025 Meeting Dates: 1/31 via Zoom (introductions); 2/14; 2/28; 3/14; 3/28; 4/11; 4/25; 5/09
• Fall 2025 Meetings Dates: TBD (MC Fall 2025 academic calendar is not posted)
• There are no meetings scheduled for the summer semester. However, the fellowship encourages you to continue developing and editing your project (as necessary) to prepare for fall implementation.
• Meetings will combine workshop discussions, activities, structured labs, and presentations.

Spring 2025
Demonstrate what quantitative reasoning means in your discipline by completing the following:

• Develop and present a quantitative reasoning project plan to share and receive feedback on your plans for Fall 2025.
• Develop supporting assignments with assessments to be incorporated into a class during the Fall 2025 semester.
• Develop an Action Research Plan to create a cycle of creation, implementation, and assessment.
• Provide an end-of-semester update explaining your plan.

Fall 2025
Analyze what quantitative reasoning means in your discipline by completing the following:

• Implement your plan (with supporting assignments and assessments).
• Fellows are encouraged to showcase the outcomes of their projects through various platforms, both within and beyond the institution. By sharing your project, you not only demonstrate the impact of your work but also help create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in quantitative reasoning across disciplines.
• Conduct one Quantitative Reasoning related outreach activity (such as a video, a discipline meeting presentation, a workshop for students, a conference presentation, etc.).
• Create a version of your lessons/assignments for submission and future use by the QRiD Program.
• Provide an end-of-fellowship update summing up your fellowship work. 

• Assignment Title: Teaching Slavery and It's Afterlife: A Quantitative Projectnew window
• Author: Sylvea Hollis, 2023-2024 QRiD Cohort

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• Assignment Title: U.S. Voter Turnout Project
• Course/s: POLI101, American Government
• Author: Jennifer Haydel, Political Science
• Summary: Students to find and analyze voter turnout data, represent a significant element of the data in a graph, and use the graphed data to make recommendations for improving voter turnout.
• Amount of Time Required: 1-2 weeks for students to complete with 3 50-minute class sessions; assignment could be broken up into shorter parts in order to take up less class time
• Quantitative Reasoning Elements: finding and interpreting data; creating a graph; analyzing the uses and limits of public opinion polling; writing about quantitative evidence; applying quantitative evidence to real-world policy questions
• Other Elements: Writing in the Disciplines; Integrative Learning

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Previous Assignments

• English Language for Academic Purposes students survey each other's opinions about mususeum exibits, graph the results, and present the findings orally and in writing.
• English 102 students engage in meta-cognition by analyzing how quantitative information strengthens their research papers.
• Biology students debate public policy by analyzing lead contamination data in water supplies.
• Chemistry students explain how they arrive at solutions and describe challenges that lead to incorrect answers, helping them transfer learning from in-class activities to exams.
• World Language students practice thinking in numbers and develop skills to bargain and tell time.

Deadline: November 4, 2024

This fellowship aims to support initiatives that make QR an integral part of multidisciplinary education.

We are excited to announce a Call for Proposals for the Quantitative Reasoning in the Disciplines (QRiD) Fellowship. The fellowship's objective is to use quantitative reasoning (QR) as a gateway to explore diverse perspectives and create inclusive learning environments.

QRiD challenges traditional notions of the classroom by encouraging innovative, community-based, and interdisciplinary teaching practices that will enhance students' ability to apply data-driven analyses, mathematical reasoning, and critical thinking skills. Quantitative reasoning skills help students succeed in an increasingly complex world. At the core of this fellowship lies a commitment to building multidiscipline bridges throughout Montgomery College by serving as an incubator for quantitative reasoning (QR) projects.

Fellows will develop course materials that connect quantitative reasoning skills with projects and programming that engage students with and in their communities—be that the college community, local communities, or networked communities (such as digital spaces).

We invite full and part-time faculty across all departments and disciplines to submit innovative proposals for developing new teaching and curriculum design approaches that embed QR in higher education settings. The QRiD Fellowship is open to applicants who are interested in learning about quantitative reasoning and those with considerable experience.

Participants will contribute to a broader academic conversation about the evolving role of QR in higher education and its varied dimensions. The QRiD Fellowship emphasizes supporting faculty fellows in the form of a quantitative reasoning fellowship curriculum, a collegial and multidisciplinary cohort, and additional ESH compensation. Our cohort model is particularly important, as faculty get the opportunity to share ideas and provide each other with feedback.

• Discuss your interest in applying to this fellowship program and receive approval from your department chair and instructional dean. 
• Submit all application materials by November 4, 2024. We will notify applicants of their status by November 27, 2024.

For general questions, please contact Elaine Jadacki (Professor of Mathematics, Statistics, and Data Science) at elaine.jadacki@montgomerycollege.edu or Sylvea Hollis (Professor of African History + African American History) at sylvea.hollis@montgomerycollege.edu.

For administrative questions, please contact Milton Nash (Dean of Mathematics, Statistics, and Data Science) at milton.nash@montgomerycollege.edu.

We invite proposals that meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Promote the integration of quantitative reasoning across various academic fields.
• Encourage the development of interdisciplinary approaches to QR in teaching and learning.
• Support curriculum development that incorporates quantitative methods and reasoning into diverse disciplines.
• Enhance students’ ability to apply QR skills in real-world contexts.
• Foster collaboration among faculty to share best practices and innovative strategies in QR instruction. 

• Incorporates QR into a specific discipline: Demonstrate how quantitative reasoning will be integrated into a particular course, curriculum, or research initiative within a specific discipline.
• Enhances student learning: Describe how the project will help students develop critical QR skills, such as data analysis, statistical reasoning, or the ability to interpret quantitative information.
• Includes an interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary approach: Projects that involve collaboration between different academic disciplines or departments are strongly encouraged.
• Offers measurable outcomes: Outline clear goals, objectives, and evaluation methods to assess the project's impact on faculty and student learning
• Is it sustainable and scalable? Consider the project's long-term impact and potential for replication or expansion within the institution or beyond.