2018 CUNY CUE Conference Proceedings Journal

Conference Proceedings Journal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from Conference Chair ...................................................................................... 2
Developing an Accelerated Mathematics Course for
the STEM Path: Intermediate Algebra and Pre-Calculus ........................................... 4
Integrating Mathematics into Introductory
Community College Courses Beyond STEM ............................................................ 15
The Poetry in Science:
Creative Writing Workshop for Science Communication ........................................ 25
Exploring the Value of Visuals and the
Importance of Visual Literacy in STEM ..................................................................... 30

#CUE18FullSTEAM 1

Dear Colleagues:

It is the 2018 CUE Committee’s pleasure to present the official conference
proceedings for the 2018 CUE Conference: The World Runs on STEAM! Medgar Evers
College was delighted to welcome over 200 participants and conduct three major panel
presentations, a workshop on the Poetry of Science: Creative Writing Workshop for
Science Communication, seven poster presentations, and fourteen oral presentations!

The keynote speaker, Dr. Christopher Emdin, Associate Professor of Mathematics,
Science and Technology from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, Minorities in
Energy Ambassador for the US Department of Energy, and STEAM Ambassador for the
US Department of State inspired and excited the audience with his passion and expertise.

Several written submissions were sent to the Conference Committee for inclusion
in the Conference Proceedings publications. The works included:

 Developing an Accelerated Mathematics Course for the STEM Path: Intermediate
Algebra and Pre-calculus that utilized the Hawkes Learning online platform. The
course creators developed a student workbook, online lecture videos, and a course
blog, all offered through Open Educational Resource (OER) configuration.

 Integrating Mathematics into Introductory Community College Courses Beyond
STEM speaks about faculty understanding the importance of developing numeracy
skills for non-stem majors and contextualizes developmental algebra and
quantitative reasoning into the humanities and social sciences.

 The Poetry in Science: Creative Writing Workshops provided participants with an
interactive experience that allowed them to communicate about science to the

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public. Individuals not from scientific backgrounds reported that the poetry
permitted them to understand aspects of scientific writing.
 Exploring the Value of Visuals and the Importance of Visual Literacy in STEM
addressed the importance of the power of visuals to simplify the abstract nature of
scientific concepts. The paper reviewed research literature on the power of
visualization across STEM disciplines.
Clearly, the conference proceedings captured the important work we are undertaking in
CUNY to prepare students to enter a world run by STEAM. We trust the proceedings will
serve as a resource to all CUNY campuses as they strive to develop ways in which to
help a diverse population navigate the complexities of a world that is grounded in science,
technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics.
Sincerely,

Gladys Palma de Schrynemakers, Ed.D.
2018 CUE Conference Committee Conference Chair

Lucinda Zoe and Dr. Chris Emdin at the 2018 CUNY CUE Conference

#CUE18FullSTEAM 3

Developing an Accelerated Mathematics Course for the STEM Path:
Intermediate Algebra and Pre-Calculus

Susan Licwinko, Jae Ki Lee, Liana Erstenyuk, Hong Yuan

Abstract
We discuss the ongoing development of an accelerated course in mathematics for
STEM majors. The City University of New York (CUNY) is developing such accelerated
courses to allow students to complete prerequisite requirements while taking the
desired targeted course. Thus, instead of two semesters needed to complete the
desired course, only one is needed. Currently, the majority of accelerated courses in
mathematics are for non-STEM majors. The accelerated course described herein is
intended for STEM majors. This course combines the prerequisite Intermediate Algebra
and Trigonometry with the target course Pre-Calculus. At the end of the semester,
students will have a complete understanding of both the concepts and procedures for
the prerequisite and target course. The courses utilizes an online platform, Hawkes
Learning. The course also necessitates the development of a student workbook, online
lecture videos, and a course blog. These resources will be available as an Open
Educational Resource (OER) accessible to all mathematics faculty. Included herein are
the syllabus and a report on student usage of the online platform.

Keywords
Accelerated learning, Corequisite model, Developmental Education, Hybrid course,
STEM

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Introduction

The purpose of this project is to create an accelerated course in mathematics for STEM
majors. An accelerated course combines the material in a remedial course with the
material in a subsequent credit bearing course. The course reported here combines the
prerequisite Intermediate Algebra and Trigonometry with the credit bearing course, Pre-
Calculus. The 6-hour remedial course and the 4-hour credit bearing course are
combined into one 8-hour, 4-credit course. Students can complete their remedial
requirement and earn credits in one semester instead of two semesters. And students
pay less in tuition. The accelerated course approach motivates students who may be
overwhelmed by the number of remedial courses required before receiving credit in
mathematics (Belfield el al, 2016).

The idea for this course was a result of realizing non-STEM students had many
opportunities with accelerated courses while few exist for STEM majors. With the help
of an Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) grant, a team at BMCC was
able to create a course which combines Intermediate Algebra and Trigonometry (MAT
56) with Pre-Calculus (MAT 206) into one course MAT 206.5. The two courses have
much overlap in content however, MAT 56 looks at the material from an algebraic
perspective while MAT 206 looks at the material from a geometric/graphical
perspective. The two courses present the material in different orders, which presented
a challenge for organizing the syllabus for MAT 206.5. The team decided to use the
MAT 206 syllabus and add just-in-time MAT 56 content. The syllabus for MAT 206.5 is
shown in Appendix A.

Initially the course was designed to use a Flipped Classroom model. Students would
study the MAT 56 lecture videos before each class and MAT 206 would be presented in
class. This method is considered a student-centered method that works to improve
students’ engagement and performance by using technology and learning concepts via
learning activities (Bergmann & Sams, 2012; Brunsell & Horejsi, 2011; Tucker, 2012;
Young, 2011). The main difference between the Flipped Classroom setting and the
traditional classroom is that students watch lecture videos at home before coming to the
class, and they practice and discuss the problems in the classroom (Bergmann & Sams,
2012). Students are given a chance to explore the problems and become independent
learners (Tucker, 2012).

One challenge for the team was finding a textbook that had sufficient material for both
courses. Since no textbook exists, the team created a workbook with material and
practice sets for the course to supplement a Pre-Calculus textbook. The workbook was
designed to facilitate the Flipped Classroom model, where the first part was intended to
be completed before each class. Each section in the workbook was split into four parts:
Check Understanding of the Concepts, Apply the Concepts, Applications, and Practice.

According to the BMCC Strategic Plan 2015-2020, Reaching Greater Levels, one of the
2016-2017 strategic priorities was to increase first and second year credit accumulation.

#CUE18FullSTEAM 5

Almost 80% of first time freshmen at BMCC are required to take a remedial
mathematics course which does not accumulate credits. The typical STEM students’
mathematical progression is Elementary Algebra  Intermediate Algebra and
Trigonometry  Pre-Calculus  Analytic Geometry and Calculus I. This is four
semesters in total, the first two of which are remedial courses. As stated, we are
combining the prerequisite Intermediate Algebra and Trigonometry and the credit
bearing course Pre-Calculus. Students can complete the progression in three
semesters. Thus students can earn 8 credits in three semesters rather than four
semesters.

Both the four semester progression and the three semester progression are now
available. The three semester progression is well suited for students who are just below
the cut off score for mathematics. Research shows that a quarter of students just below
the cut off score for mathematics could have earned a B or higher in the credit bearing
mathematics courses, while requiring them to take the additional remedial course had
no positive impact (Scott-Clayton & Rodriguez, 2012).

Conclusions

Spring 2018 was the first semester this accelerated mathematics course was offered.
Preliminary data suggest the pass rate is around 60%. These students have met the
requirements for both Intermediate Algebra and Pre-Calculus and are now eligible to
take Calculus. The research team will continue to monitor these students in their
subsequent mathematics courses to compare their pass rates with students who took
regular Pre-Calculus.

Because this was the first offering of the accelerated course, the instructors who
created and taught the accelerated course met weekly to discuss progress and
setbacks, and to modify the organization of the course and modify the resources. During
the semester, they developed the exams and modified the workbook that had been
created over summer 2017. They decided the workbook had too much information and
reduced the material. Initially there was an intent to use an online platform for
homework assignments but currently there are no platforms that combine Intermediate
Algebra and Pre-Calculus. Thus the platform was not implemented. The team wanted to
create videos to supplement the material but time did not allow for these. As a result,
the Flipped Classroom model was not used during the pilot semester. Some videos
were created and there is a plan to create additional videos within the next year and
thus use a Flipped Classroom model. The committee hopes to create an Open
Educational Resource (OER) for this course in the future. The team also plans to create
a course blog for instructors to share resources for the course.

This summer training workshops will be held to train additional faculty to teach the
course. BMCC will offer nine sections of MAT 206.5 in Fall 2018. To facilitate
enhancing the course and student experience, the instructors will meet again weekly, if

6 Conference Proceedings Journal

time allows, or communicate via the course blog. Exams will be modified based on the
first semester’s experience. All instructors will use the same exams, as was done in the
first semester. The online platform for homework assignments will be implemented with
updates, and its usage will be evaluated during the semester.

#CUE18FullSTEAM 7

Appendices

Appendix A: Course Syllabus

BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
City University of New York
Department of Mathematics

Title of Course: Intermediate Algebra and Pre-Calculus

Course: MAT 206.5 Class hours: 8

Semester: Instructor: Credits: 4 Tel #:

Office: Email:

Course Description: This is an accelerated course that integrates Intermediate
Algebra and Trigonometry with Pre-Calculus. Topics include properties of real
numbers, polynomials and factoring, equations and inequalities in one and two
variables, systems of linear equations and inequalities, rational expressions and
functions, rational exponents and roots, quadratic functions, exponential and logarithmic
functions, transcendental functions and trigonometry.

Prerequisites/Co-requisites: Elementary Algebra (MAT 51 or MAT 12) or the
equivalent with departmental approval or placement into Intermediate Algebra (MAT 56)

Students must have passed or been exempt from ESL 54 and ACR 94.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Course Student Learning Outcomes Measurements
1. Students will solve applied word problems, 1. Assignments and projects; class
including correctly setting up problems and exams; final exam
translating between words and algebraic
expressions and equations.

2. Students will perform operations and solve 2. Assignments and projects; class

equations involving algebraic and exams; final exam

transcendental expressions in the real numbers,

including polynomial, rational, radical,

exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric

expressions and equations, linear inequalities,

and systems of equations.

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3. Students will represent equations in the real 3. Assignments and projects; class
numbers graphically, and translate between exams; final exam
graphical and algebraic forms, and use both
graphical and algebraic forms to solve problems.

4. Students will to graph, interpret, and analyze 4. Assignments and projects; class

linear, quadratic, and other higher order exams; final exam

polynomial functions.

5. Students will understand quadratic and 5. Assignments and projects; class

rational functions and the properties associated exams; final exam

with their graphs.

6. Students will understand transcendental 6. Assignments and projects; class
functions, their graphs, and properties. exams; final exam

7. Students will verify trigonometric identities 7. Assignments and projects; class

and solve trigonometric equations. exams; final exam

General Education Outcomes and Assessment:

General Education Learning Outcomes Measurements

Communication Skills- Students will be able to Assignments and projects; exams

write, read, listen and speak critically and and midterm exam; final exam

effectively.

Quantitative Reasoning- Students will be able Assignments and projects; exams
to use quantitative skills and the concepts and and midterm exam; final exam
methods of mathematics to solve problems.
Information & Technology Literacy- Students Assignments and projects; exams
will be able to collect, evaluate and interpret and midterm exam; final exam
information and effectively use information
technologies.

Required Text: Pre-Calculus, eighth edition; Roland E. Larson; Houghton Mifflin
Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 2011

Other Requirements: TI-30x calculator (or equivalent scientific calculator) and Web
Assign (if required by instructor). Graphing calculators and cell phone calculators are
not allowed.

#CUE18FullSTEAM 9

Math Lab Use: The Math Lab is located in S535. It is dedicated to helping students
improve their understanding of mathematics at any level. You will need a valid BMCC
student ID to visit the Math Lab. Tutoring is free and available for all BMCC math
students. The Math Lab has practice-problem hand-outs, as well as computer- and
video-based tutoring. Students may be required to attend tutoring in the Math Lab.
Current hours and more information about the Math Lab can be found at
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/mathlab/

Learning Resource Center (LRC)

To help make your college career a success, the Learning Resource Center (LRC)
offers students academic support to strengthen academic skills and meet their learning
needs. LRC offers tutorials and instructional computer lab services and course-specific,
non-print supplemental instructional materials. The LRC is located in room S510 and all
services are available free of charge to registered BMCC students. For more info, visit
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/lrc/

E-Tutoring: E-tutoring is available to all BMCC students. If you email your question,
you will receive a response within 24 hours Monday to Friday except when classes are
not in session. Questions submitted over the weekend, if not answered within 24 hours,
will be answered on the following Monday. For further information, please call e-tutoring
at 212-220-1380, send an email to [email protected] or visit
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/elearning/

Evaluation & Requirements of Students: The overall course grade will include a
cumulative departmental final examination worth at least 30% of the final grade and any
other criteria specified by the instructor. The other criteria can include class work,
examinations , quizzes, projects, and/or class participation. A scientific calculator will
be permitted on the final examination. Calculator use on any other quizzes or exams is
up to the discretion of the instructor.

MAT 206.5 Course Designation

MAT 206.5 is considered an accelerated course that integrates Intermediate Algebra
and Trigonometry (MAT 56) with Pre-Calculus (MAT 206). Students who have passed
MAT 206 are not eligible to enroll in MAT 206.5.

Students who receive a grade of at least 60% on the cumulative final exam but have an
overall course average of less than 60% will be advised to take MAT 206 the following
semester.

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College Attendance Policy

At BMCC, the maximum number of absences is limited to one more hour than the
number of hours a class meets in one week. For this course, each student are allowed
nine hours of absence (not nine days). In the case of excessive absence, the instructor
has the option to lower the grade or assign a WU or F grade.

Classes begin promptly at the time indicated in the Schedule of Classes. Arrival in
classes after the scheduled starting time constitutes a lateness. Latecomers may, at
the discretion of the instructor, incur an official absence.

Academic Adjustments for Students with Accommodations

Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic
adjustments for this course must contact the Office of Services for Students with
Accessibility. BMCC is committed to providing equal access to all programs and
curricula to all students.

BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement

Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or
technical work as one’s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible
only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as
direct quotations, require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional
or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of
responsibility for plagiarism.

Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to

consult with their instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to
appropriately identify a cited work. The full policy can be found on BMCC’s web site,

www.bmcc.cuny.edu.

Outline of Topics: Section in Textbook
A.5 pgs. A49 – A62
FUNCTIONS AND THEIR GRAPHS A.5 pgs. A58, A61,

Lesson Name of Lesson supplement
1.1 Solving Equations
1.2 Solving Absolute Value Equations

#CUE18FullSTEAM 11

1.3 Solving Linear Inequalities and Compound A.6 pgs. A63 – A66

1.4 Inequalities A.6 pgs. A67 – A68
1.5 1.1 pgs. 2 – 12
1.6 Absolute Value Inequalities 1.2 pgs. 13 – 23
1.7 Rectangular Coordinates 1.3 pgs. 24 – 38
1.8 Graphs of Equations 1.4 pgs. 39 – 53
1.9 Linear Equations in Two Variables Supplement, 1.5 pgs.
Function Notation 54 – 66
1.10 Transformations of Functions/Graphs of Absolute 7.1, 7.2 pgs. 494 – 516

Value Equations

Systems of Equations and Applications

POLYNOMIAL FUNCTIONS A.3 pgs. A30 – A38
2.4 pgs. 159 – 165
2.1 Factoring (trinomials and special polynomials) A.5 pgs. A52 – A55
2.2 Complex Numbers
2.3 Solving quadratics by factoring, completing and 2.1 pgs. 126 – 135

quadratic formula 2.2 pgs. 136 – 149, 68,
2.4 Quadratic Functions/Transformations of Quadratic 71
2.3 pgs. 154 – 158
Functions
2.5 Polynomial Functions of Higher Degree/Cubic 2.5 pgs. 166-180

Functions and their Transformations
2.6 Division of Polynomials and the Remainder and

Factor Theorems

2.7 Zeroes of Polynomials

RATIONAL FUNCTIONS

3.1 Rational Expressions A4 pgs. A39 – A40

3.2 Multiplication and Division of Rational Expressions A4 pgs. A41
3.3 Addition and Subtraction of Rational Expressions A4 pgs. A41 – A42
A4 pgs. A43 – A44
3.4 Complex Fractions

3.5 Solving Rational Equations A5 pgs. A51

3.6 Graphs of Reciprocal Function and Transformations 1.6 pgs. 68
2.6 pgs. 181 – 193
3.7 Rational Functions 7.4 pgs. 530 – 537
3.8 Partial Fractions

3.9 Variation 1.10 pgs. 102 - 113

RATIONAL EXPONENTS A.2 pgs. A14 – A17

4.1 Properties of Exponents A.2 pgs. A23, A25
4.2 Rational Exponents A.2 pgs. A18 – A20
4.3 Simplified Form for Radicals

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4.4 Addition and Subtraction of Radical Expressions A.2 pgs. A21

4.5 Multiplication of Radical Expressions Supplement

4.6 Division of Radical Expressions A.2 pgs. A21 – A22

4.7 Solving Radical Equations A.5 pgs. A57

EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS 1.8 pgs. 83 – 91
1.9 pgs. 92 – 101
5.1 Algebra of Functions and Function Composition 3.1 pgs. 216 – 226
5.2 Inverse Functions 3.2 pgs. 227 – 236
5.3 Exponential Functions 3.3 pgs. 237 – 243
5.4 Logarithmic Functions 3.4 pgs. 244 – 254
5.5 Properties of Logarithms
5.6 Exponential and Logarithmic Equations

TRIGONOMETRY 4.1 pgs. 280 – 291
4.2 pgs. 292 – 298
6.1 Radian and Degree Measure 4.3 pgs. 299 – 309
6.2 Trigonometric Functions: The Unit Circle 4.4 pgs. 310 – 318
6.3 Right Triangle Trigonometry 4.5 pgs. 319 – 329
6.4 Trigonometric Functions of Any Angle 4.6 pgs. 330 – 340
6.5 Graphs of Sine and Cosine Functions 4.7 pgs. 341 - 350
6.6 Graphs of Other Trigonometric Functions
6.7 Inverse Trigonometric Functions

ANALYTIC TRIGONOMETRY 5.1 pgs. 372 – 379
5.2 pgs. 380 – 386
7.1 Using Fundamental Identities 5.3 pgs. 387 – 397
7.2 Verifying Trigonometric Identities 5.4 pgs. 398 – 404
7.3 Solving Trigonometric Equations 5.5 pgs. 405 – 415
7.4 Sum and Difference Formulas
7.5 Multiple-Angle and Product-to-Sum Formulas

#CUE18FullSTEAM 13

References
Belfield, C., Jenkins, D., & Lahr, H. (2016). Is Corequisite Remediation Cost-Effective?

Early Findings From Tennessee. Community College Research Center Research
Brief. Teachers College at Columbia University, 62, 1 – 12
Bergmann J., & Sams, A. (2012). Flip your classroom: Reach every student in every
class every day. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
BMCC (2015) Reaching Greater Levels: Strategic Plan 2015 – 2020
Brunsell, E., & Horejsi, M. (2011). Flipping your classroom. Learning and Leading with
Technology, 78(2), 10.
Scott-Clayton, J., & Rodríguez, O. (2012). Development, discouragement, or diversion?
New evidence on the effects of college remediation (NBER Working Paper No.
18328). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Tucker, B. (2012). The flipped classroom. Education Next, 12(1), 82-83.
Velegol, S., Zappe, S., Mahoney, E. (2015). The Evolution of a Flipped Classroom:
Evidence-Based Recommendations, Advanced in Engineering Education, winter,
2015.
Young, E. (2011). Flip it: An interview with Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann. Go
Teach, 1(1), 12-14.

14 Conference Proceedings Journal

Integrating Mathematics into Introductory
Community College Courses Beyond STEM

Dr. Carolyn King, Queensborough Community College, CUNY
Dr. Jonathan Cornick, Queensborough Community College, CUNY

Dr. James Nichols, Queensborough Community College, CUNY
Abstract
The United States ranks 20th out of the 22 OECD member countries in the average
numeracy scores of 20- to 29-year olds as reported in the 2017 study by the Program
for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies. Numeracy is vital for surviving
and thriving in the twenty-first century and the national trend has been to bring
quantitative reasoning in the form of math-based assignments into the humanities.
Mathematics faculty members at Queensborough Community College (QCC) have
collaborated with faculty teaching introductory courses in non-STEM disciplines to align
and contextualize topics from developmental algebra and quantitative reasoning. This
paper expands on a presentation made at the 2018 CUNY CUE Conference on May 11,
2018, discusses three interdisciplinary collaborations of non-Math faculty facilitating
math content in their classrooms, and presents a template for interdisciplinary
collaboration.

Keywords
Numeracy, quantitative reasoning, interdisciplinary, quantitative literacy, OER

#CUE18FullSTEAM 15

Introduction

The World Runs on STEAM was the theme of the 2018 CUNY CUE Conference held at
Medgar Evers College on May 11, 2018. This conference emphasized the importance
of incorporating the arts into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) curriculum, hence the acronym, STEAM. Solving real-world problems requires
creativity and some predict that jobs of the future will put a premium on creativity, an
essential characteristic of the arts. The knowledge and skills required to identify and
perform computations using numbers in order to solve everyday problems will be used
as the definition of numeracy and considered synonymous with quantitative reasoning
(QR) and quantitative literacy (QL). The ability to reason quantitatively is the glue that
binds the STEAM curriculum. With ever increasing amounts of data infused in everyday
life, numeracy is vital for surviving and thriving in the twenty-first century.

The national movement to focus on QL was sparked by the 2001 publication
Mathematics and Democracy: The Case for Quantitative Literacy, by the National
Council of Education and the Disciplines (Ward, Schneider, & Kiper, 2011). Higher
education became a prime focus for the QL movement as documented in Achieving
Quantitative Literacy: An Urgent Challenge for Higher Education (Steen, 2004). With
more than fifty percent of college students attending community colleges (Bailey and
Jaggars, 2016), QL has become a major focus as evidenced in 2006 by the American
Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) publication, Beyond
Crossroads: Implementing Mathematics Standard in the First Two years of College. The
unifying goal of all of these efforts is the emphasis that QL should be contextualized and
incorporated across the curriculum (Grawe, 2011; Perin, 2011; Wismath and Mackay,
2012). Despite these efforts, the national movement to increase the quantitative literacy
of Americans has had limited results. The United States ranks 20th out of the 22 OECD
member countries in the average numeracy scores of 20- to 29-year olds as reported by
the Program for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies.

Instead of including QL as a component in math courses, one strategy for supporting
the QL of college students is to develop more interdisciplinary courses that are
designed to instill students with QL. This approach offers more opportunities for
contextualization without limiting the content in mathematics classes. Research shows
that these interdisciplinary courses improve attitudes toward real-world applications,
increase students’ confidence in their mathematical abilities, and result in decreased
math anxiety (Wismath & Worrall, 2015). This paper focuses on three interdisciplinary
collaborations of non-Math faculty who facilitated math content in their classrooms:
math and history; math and nutrition; and, math and sociology. The choice to focus on
non-STEM disciplines is a reaction to the preoccupation with STEM. Hence a
discussion of these interdisciplinary collaborations aligns perfectly with the STEAM
theme. For each of the collaborations, we describe the project, share examples of
interdisciplinary materials, discuss some of the challenges and experiences of the non-
STEM faculty, and briefly relate some of the findings.

16 Conference Proceedings Journal

Math and History

Project Design.

How does the use of QR assignments in a history course support the growth of both
quantitative reasoning skills and historical understanding? How does the introduction of
a common topic for data-related problems in a math course improve understanding of
that topic? These were the research questions that the authors of this paper tried to
answer in a 2015 CETL grant, Simultaneous Support for Quantitative Reasoning and
Historical Thinking Across Disciplines in Un-linked Math and History Courses. The
project functioned across curricula by creating assignments that were used, without
alteration, in both Math 321 (4 sections) and History 127 (2 sections).

Math 321, Mathematics in Contemporary Society, was designed to provide students the
opportunity to use mathematical ideas and methods to identity issues and problems in
the social sciences, the arts, in business, and in everyday life. Students use analytical
reasoning and technology (EXCEL) to evaluate evidence and conduct academic
research. Topics include fundamentals of statistics, problem-solving strategies, and
mathematical modeling, all topics that could be applied to gain insight into central topics
in U.S. history.

History 127 is the first half of the U.S. history survey, covering the time span from pre-
contact to 1877. Included among the topics covered in the project were the numbers of
casualties in the Civil War, the decreased volume of trade in the years leading up to the
American Revolution, and a comparative, quantitative analysis of slavery across the
Americas in the 1700s. Zeidenberg, Jenkins and Scott (Zeidenberg, Jenkins and Scott,
2012) have shown that this course could be considered a ‘gatekeeper’, serving as an
obstacle to degree completion for a significant percentage of students at community
colleges across the nation.

Example of interdisciplinary materials.

To assess student progress, students in both the math and history courses completed
pre/post knowledge surveys and pre/post Attitudes towards Math Inventory (ATMI)
surveys. The same four worksheets were given in both the math and history courses
and two questions were included on both final exams. An excerpt from Worksheet 4 is
given below:

The graph below shows the number of Union and Confederate soldiers present and
absent on New Years’ Day from 1862 to 1865.

1. Approximately how many Union soldiers were present on Jan. 1, 1863?

#CUE18FullSTEAM 17

2. On which date did the confederate army have the largest total number of
soldiers? How many were there?

Figure 1: Union and Confederate Soldiers from 1862 to 1865 (Murrin, et al., 2010)

History Professor’s Experiences and Challenges.
The fields of economic and social history have long relied upon quantitative data to
generalize about the lived social and financial realities faced by historical actors.
Accordingly, the four worksheets devised by the research team were wholly appropriate
for History 127 since they supplemented lecture and discussion about historical topics.
In incorporating these worksheets into the classroom, the professor had the opportunity
for formative assessment. Students generally had difficulty with units and with reading
charts that contained multiple expressions of quantitative data. However, through
discussion of the charts in class, a great deal of confusion ultimately cleared up and
many students reinforced their numeracy skills. Further, students never questioned
whether the worksheets were appropriate for a historical context and they appreciated
the opportunity to practice their quantitative skills.
Perhaps even more interesting was the way that the graphs and charts helped build
information management and critical thinking metacognitive skills in the students. The
students were surprisingly critical of the way that the information was presented in the

18 Conference Proceedings Journal

charts and graphs contained on the worksheets. While they did not question the reality
of the numbers presented to them, they did ask thoughtful questions about their
usefulness. For instance, some students wondered why the Civil War lasted for four
years if the North had such a marked numerical advantage in terms of soldiers.
Neither did the students know what the ethnicity of the soldiers represented in the
graphs was. Nor did the graph illuminate the role supplies, diplomacy, and politics
played in the conflict. Students concluded that to fully understand the conflict, they
would need more data (most likely from qualitative sources) to understand the relative
advantages and disadvantages of North vs. South in the American Civil War. One
student very concisely expressed the opinion of the class in regard to the exercise:
“the graphs say what but not why.”
As students deliberated on the differences between primary and qualitative sources
versus secondary and quantitative sources (like the graphs), they made interesting
observations about the nature of the way that data represents the past and historical
change. One student said that traditional primary historical sources (diaries, journals,
letters, etc.) immerse one in the past whereas graphs and charts give a bigger picture of
what was happening. Students also evinced a healthy skepticism toward the numbers
presented to them. Questioning sources is one of the most important skills introduced in
history classes; in setting students up for lifelong learning, exercises where students
analyze the reliability of sources helps them build their information literacy and critical
inquiry abilities.

Findings.
Overall students did well in both courses. Attitudes towards math did not change much
for the students in the math class, but changed some for the students in the history
class. Students’ confidence in math abilities did not correlate with students’ performance
in math. Further, students in the history course liked the worksheets, while students in
the math course were confounded by the choice of history as context.

#CUE18FullSTEAM 19

Math and Nutritional Science

Project Design.

Students in the Nutrition and Health course (HE103) at QCC learn about the science of
nutrition, including, for example, reading food labels, the nutritional needs for a well-
balanced diet, and food economics. To master learning objectives in this course,
students need to use and interpret graphs, percentages, formulas, and equations. The
instructor for the course described how she had to teach her students these
mathematical concepts often using up to half of class time to do so.

While the class has no mathematics prerequisite, surveys revealed that just about every
student in HE103 had either passed or was exempt from elementary algebra, with many
students having passed college algebra, and even precalculus or statistics. To aid the
instructor in being more effective and efficient with the mathematics component of her
classes, she wrote the Open Education Resources (OER) text The Mathematics of
Nutrition Science alongside other mathematics and English faculty members
(https://academicworks.cuny.edu/qb_oers/17/)

This text was designed in the same style as the OER textbook MyMathGPS:
Elementary Algebra Guided Problem Solving
(https://academicworks.cuny.edu/qb_oers/15/). That is, it predominantly includes
worked examples, scaffolded examples and then exercises with space in the book for
students to write. Additionally, just as MyMathGPs contextualized arithmetic and
reviewed it ‘just in time’ for the relevant elementary algebra topics, the Mathematics of
Nutrition Science text first reviews topics from elementary algebra and then aligns them
with nutrition topics. Finally, brief writing assignments are included for students to reflect
on what they have actually computed and to draw conclusions about the specific
concept in nutrition.

Example of interdisciplinary materials.

In the chapter on determining the contents of a well-balanced diet, the following
example is given.

Example 1: Jan needs 2200 kcal per day to maintain her weight. If we know no more
than 10% of total kcal should come from saturated fat, how many grams per day should
she not exceed if 1 gram of saturated fat contains 9 kcal?

This would be a very challenging problem for a typical student in the class, because he
or she would have to first decide the relevant mathematical skills from the text, and then
remember how to apply them at each step.

In the textbook, for this worked example, the reader is first reminded how to solve a
percentage problem to determine how many kcal should come from saturated fat, and
then how to solve a ratio/proportion problem to convert kcal into grams. Finally, the

20 Conference Proceedings Journal

following writing prompt is given so that the student has an opportunity to work a similar
problem and also to explain the outcome in his/her own words.
Write about it #1: Your friend’s father is trying to get healthy after recently visiting the
doctor and learning he has high cholesterol. He asked you to give him some advice. His
doctor told him to set a goal of 2500 kcal per day and to make sure he does not eat too
much saturated fat. He wants to do this but he has trouble figuring out what to eat when
food packing lists fats in grams.
Write your friend’s father a short email that advises him on how many kcals per day
should come from saturated fat and how he can calculate the number of grams of
saturated fat he should consume each day based on a 2500 kcal diet.

The remainder of this chapter includes similar problems where students use
percentages and proportions to solve problems. These problems are initially scaffolded
for reinforcement and also put in multiple-choice form to reflect the style of elementary
algebra problems students see on the CEAFE (CUNY Elementary Algebra Final Exam).
Throughout the book, there are exercises where the student inputs his or her own data
(weight, dietary needs, label from food they eat) to help the student make decisions
about his or her own nutritional needs.

Findings.

While no formal study of the impact of this book has been done yet, the instructor has
used it in multiple classes over the last three years. She reports that it has transformed
the quantitative part of the course. Students spend, at most, fifteen minutes per class
working in groups on the material. Survey and anecdotal evidence strongly suggests
that students experience less math anxiety, as does the instructor herself.

Math and Sociology

Project Design.

The format and results of this project have been published in Teaching Sociology
(Parker, Traver, & Cornick, 2018) so we only include a brief summary here for
completeness.

Sociology and mathematics faculty designed three modules appropriate for the
Introduction to Sociology curriculum also integrating elementary algebra topics. The
modules were designed to be used in the following systematic way and to be introduced
at the appropriate time in the semester.

1. Pre-module homework. This was only elementary algebra and included work
examples and scaffolded examples for students to review material and prepare
them for the in-class component.

#CUE18FullSTEAM 21

2. In-class component. Students worked in groups during the class while the
instructor circulated to offer help and advice. The material linked the elementary
algebra topic to the sociology topic, leading students through computations but
also having them reflect on the sociological implications. For example, in the
Social Inequality module, students were given a scatterplot and table relating the
percentage of students taking state tests in a district who were Black or Hispanic
with the percentage of students below the poverty level in that district. Students
calculated a linear model for this graph and then used it to make predictions
about other districts. Finally they were asked to discuss aspects of the data that
surprised, concerned, or interested them.

3. Post-module homework. Mathematical concepts reinforced by including CEAFE-
like multiple-choice problems.

The modules were incorporated into four sections of Introduction to Sociology at
Queensborough and Kingsborough Community Colleges, and data was also collected
from five control sections. Pre/post-tests aligned with the CEAFE indicated the average
mathematical ability of students entering these sections was comparable, but post-test
scores for experimental sections were better.

Example of interdisciplinary materials.
 Module 1: Social Deviance – Students calculated proportions and percentages
from historical data to analyze the relationships between a state’s marijuana laws
and patterns of usage.
 Module 2: Social Inequality – Students analyzed graphs and constructed linear
models to compare student test scores across New York City public school
districts, and to examine the relationship between test scores and the
demographic composition of a district.
 Module 3: Social Change – Students used linear models and solved linear
inequalities to estimate when the non-white population would exceed the white
population in the United States.

22 Conference Proceedings Journal

Findings.

The most interesting result was that students in experimental sections who were
concurrently taking elementary algebra answered on average 3.5 more questions
correctly on the 25-question CEAFE than students in the control group. Thus, the
intervention seemed to have a statistically significant impact on their performance on
the exam as a whole and not just on the questions about the aligned topics.

Free responses suggested a reason for this was that the project had a positive effect on
their attitudes towards mathematics in general, beyond these specific topics. Students
used words like ‘trajectory’, ‘impact’, ‘predictions’ and phrases like ‘sociology has an
argument, math can back it up with data’ demonstrating they were making deeper
connections when mathematics was presented in the context of something which had
meaning in their lives.

Conclusion

The collaborations between math faculty and non-STEM faculty at QCC have
contributed to the national focus on increasing the numeracy of college students.
Although the numeracy goals of the three interdisciplinary projects presented in this
paper have both similar but, sometimes very specific requirements, the process of
developing these project is generalizable. In conclusion, the template below
generalizes the process that was used to create these projects and hopefully serves as
a model for the many across-the–curriculum movements currently afoot.

Template for creating interdisciplinary collaborations
1 Get buy-in from instructor of non-STEM course. Students much prefer math in

context than bringing context into math classes.
2 Collaborate with faculty to align content. Content will vary from course to

course, but certain mathematical concepts will arise over and over.
3 “Bridge the gap" with exercises, assignments, and reviews (“Interventions”)

that connect math skills to context.
4 Align “intervention” with introductory math as much as possible since students

tend to have taken a wide variety of math classes.
5 Design collaboration group work so students of varying math backgrounds can

help each other.
6 Collect pre-and post- test data. Helps with the difficult task of assessment.
7 Gather qualitative data/surveys (not just quantitative data!!!) to understand how

students come to appreciate math in context. Have students write/reflect on
their answers to tie the computation to context.
8 Measure the impact of “intervention” on student math courses, if possible.
Table 1: Template for creating interdisciplinary collaborations.

#CUE18FullSTEAM 23

References
Bailey, T., & Smith Jaggars, S. (2016). When College Students Start Behind.

Community College Research Center. Retrieved from
https://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/when-college-students-start-behind.html
Cornick, J., Guy, G. M., & Puri, K. (2016). My Math GPS: Elementary Algebra Guided
Problem Solving (2016 Edition). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/qb_oers/15
Grawe, N. D. (2011). Beyond math skills: Measuring quantitative reasoning in context.
New Directions for Institutional Research, 2011(149), 41–52.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.379
Murrin, J. M., Johnson, P. E., McPherson, J.M., et al. (2010). Liberty, Equality, Power: A
History of the American People. New York: Cengage.
Parker, S., Traver, A. E., & Cornick, J. (2018). Contextualizing Developmental Math
Content into Introduction to Sociology in Community Colleges. Teaching
Sociology, Vol 46, Issue 1, pp. 25 – 33.
Perin, D. (2015). Facilitating student learning through contextualization: A review of
evidence. Community College Review, Vol 39, Issue 3, pp. 268 – 29.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552111416227
Steen, L. A. (Ed.). (2004). Achieving quantitative literacy: An urgent challenge for higher
education. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.
Ward, R. M., Schneider, M. C., & Kiper, J. D. (2011). Development of an assessment of
quantitative literacy for Miami University. Numeracy, 4(2), 1–19.
Wismath, S., & Worrall, A. (2015). Improving university students’ perception of
mathematics and mathematics ability. Numeracy, 8(1).
http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1936-4660.8.1.9
Ziedenberg, M., Jenkins, D., & Scott, M. A. (2012). Not Just Math and English: Courses
that pose Obstacles to Community College Completion (CCRC Working Paper
No. 52) New York, NY: Columbia University, Teachers College, Community
College Research Center.
Zinger, L., Cornick, J., & Maloy, J. (2017). The Mathematics of Nutrition Science. CUNY
Academic Works. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/qb_oers/17

24 Conference Proceedings Journal

The Poetry in Science:
Creative Writing Workshop for Science Communication

Kathleen Gillespie, SUNY Cobleskill, New York State, USA : Workshop Originator
Robert Booras, Brooklyn College, New York City, USA: participant

Jennifer Sears, CUNY, New York City College of Technology, USA: participant

Perspective
Scientists are often perceived by the general public as lacking the ability to promote
their work on a level that can be understood by everyone. Therefore, effective science
communication has become a critical skill. Using creative means such as poetry is an
asset in boosting science awareness and conveying important topics to the public.
Writing poetry in which emotions are stimulated by words, can become an ingenious
tool by which scientific concepts can be shared. This workshop’s intent was to engage
both scientists new to the arts and STEM enthusiasts, and CUNY staff and faculty were
attendees. A short lecture in background of poetry styles was effective for inspiring the
writing exercises. For the first exercise, participants choose from 10 abstracts selected
from a range of current articles in major scientific journals. These poems were created
using the “selective “ or “black out” style directly on the abstract. Science terminology
from keywords in abstract or self-selected scientific terms were the basis of the second
exercise. Upon completion of these writing prompts, several participants volunteered to
read their work, and critiques were provided.

Objective for workshop: Create from scientific material sources“ conversation
starters” for science communication to the public.

Figure1: Workshop participants at CUNY CUE Conference

#CUE18FullSTEAM 25

Activity 1: Scientific Abstract Poem
• Break into groups: 4-5 people
• Select an abstract provided from ( or use your own)
• Use subtractive / blackout poetry style
• Create your poem: 10 minutes
• Reading 1-2 from each group: 10 minutes

Activity 2: Terminology Poem
• Break into groups: 4-5 people
• choose 3-5 keywords from abstract ( or use your own terminology)
• Poetry style: Free style, Rhyme, List
• Create your poem: 10 minutes
• Read 1-2 from each group: 10 minutes

Post Workshop engagement
1. Survey for assessment of workshop activities :
a) What were your expectations taking this workshop?
b) When using the abstract as a writing prompt, how did this inspire you?
c) What was the most valuable thing you obtained from the workshop?
d) What would you have liked to done differently?

26 Conference Proceedings Journal

Abstract Poem and Responses: Participant Robert Booras

a) I don’t know that I had any clear or specific expectations. I’m intrigued by all
things poetry in general. The unusual combination of poetry and science
intrigued me further, so that is likely why I attended the workshop.

b) Using the abstract as a writing prompt made things much easier. I didn’t have to
pause or waste time thinking where I should begin. The source-text decided the
subject and language for me, and all I had to do was chisel down the prose into
verse. It felt more like sculpture (carving away) than writing. I found this practice
quite liberating actually, and was pleasantly surprised by the end-product.

c) I think the most valuable takeaway for me was that you could see or find poetry
in everything, whether it be science, scientific terminology, the mundane or
domestic, or the spectacle of nature, etc. That everything inhabits this depth of
multiple meanings and expression. I was surprised at how much alliteration there
was in the terminology, and how a musicality emerged pretty easily after a few
cross-outs, deletions, and rearrangements. Whereas before the cross-outs and
re-arrangements, I would have found the reading quite dull, and equally abstract.
(Again, I’m not a science person.)

d) I enjoyed the opportunity to read the work in the workshop. And I think this is
important to maintain in future workshops. As much of the work is sound-driven,
it’s important to hear the sounds aloud. I would have liked a little more time at the
end to fine-tune what I came up with with a little more revision (of the traditional
sort, I.e. look for potential narrative connections, and to flesh these out some

#CUE18FullSTEAM 27

more). Perhaps now that you’ve sent the work back to me, I can try this. If I come
up with anything, I’ll be sure to share it with you.
Abstract Poem and Responses: Participant Jennifer Sears

a) I was very open to what ever happened. As I teach at City Tech, I was looking for
ways to teach creative writing or encourage creative thinking to students in
technology or science based programs.

b) This exercise inspired me to look at language from a different lens. I found
exercise this similar to subscribing ideas to poetic form. I was forced to make
linguistic connections and pairings that I wouldn’t think of otherwise.

c) A reminder of the physical beauty of scientific language and, the powerful
symbolism a very close technical look at subjects such as chemistry and biology
reveal.

d) I would like to have had more time! This workshop was really fun. I hope to
incorporate some aspect of this experience into my own writing classes.

28 Conference Proceedings Journal

Conclusions
Though the participants were not from a purely scientific background, they indicated that
the use of poems inspired by abstracts and science jargon could be made into
teachable moments or ice breakers into a scientific principles. Future direction of the
poetry in science workshop will include an undergraduate/ graduate course component,
compilation of abstract and terminology poetry into a chapbook for publication, a public
reading series, and online resource through Facebook page/group interactions.

#CUE18FullSTEAM 29

Exploring the Value of Visuals and the
Importance of Visual Literacy in STEM

Daniel Torres, Department of Science, BMCC-The City University of New York

Abstract
The teaching of modern STEM relies heavily on the use of visuals and visual literacy
skills are increasingly recognized as a critical competency for the learning of science.
Visuals have the capability to simplify the abstract nature of science and picture invisible
aspects of chemistry, physics, mathematics or biology that scape the eye. Still, STEM
visuals are inherently complex and can sometimes be highly abstract. In order to fully
take advantage of the educational value of visuals, students need to develop advanced
visual skills that help them extract relevant information visually encoded and even to
create their own visuals to express what they know. Unfortunately, the educational
research literature suggests that practitioners often ignore the teaching of visual
scientific skills assuming students will develop these skills simply by learning content.
This paper reviews the educational research literature on visualization across different
STEM disciplines, highlighting the importance of visual literacy in the learning and
teaching of STEM. More importantly, this study also offers insights for educators into the
potential of a sound visual STEM education that promotes the development of visual
literacy in the sciences.

Keywords
visualization, science education, representation, visual communication

30 Conference Proceedings Journal

Introduction

Visuals are a critical feature of the teaching and learning of science. Images and
diagrams decorate science lectures and textbooks. Indeed, the number of visuals in
textbooks has grown exponentially over the years considerably inflating textbook costs
(Hamilton, 2006). Still, it is difficult to imagine learning science nowadays without
images, drawings, illustrations, animations or even videos. The extensive use of visuals
in STEM education steams from the fact that visuals have the ability to simplify the
abstract nature of science and to make the unseen seeable (Cooper, 2017).

Science phenomena result from the molecular scale inaccessible to the naked eye,
whereas mathematics is a human and cultural invention dealing with entities that differ
from physical phenomena (Arcavi, 2003). For example, chemistry phenomena result
from nanoscale molecules, whereas physics behavior result from invisible forces and
biology deals with microscopic cells. Visuals have the power to picture living cells,
represent small molecules or display forces responsible for the movement of object.
Still, STEM visuals are deeply rooted in the diverse science disciplines, and often times
contains different levels of abstraction with symbolic language. The elements and
symbols that form the visual language of the sciences tend to be discipline-specific. For
example, expert chemists use solid lines to represent chemical bonds or arrows to
indicate temperature and molecular movement, whereas physicists use arrows to
represent momentum and force and mathematicians use lines to represent change. In
order to fully take advantage of science visuals, students need to become visuals
experts and develop advanced visual skills that allow them to extract relevant
information encoded in scientific visuals or even create their own visuals to express
knowledge (Schönborn, 2006).

Visual literacy refers to the students’ ability to interpret visuals and create their own
representations in order to communicate ideas (Towns, 2012). Visual experts are aware
of the numerous ways a scientific discipline uses to communicate information. Research
shows that chemistry students often lack advanced visual skills, and unfortunately as
Avgerinou pointed “higher order visual literacy skills do not develop unless they are
identified and taught” (Avgerinou, 1997). Practitioners often ignore to actively teach
visual skills assuming students would pick those skills up while learning class content
(Quillin, 2005). Still, this assumption has not been proven and the relationship between
visual skills and the learning of science content is unclear.

The aim of this literature review is three-fold. Firstly, to discuss the nature of the
different visuals employed in modern STEM teaching. Secondly, to stress the
importance of promoting visual literacy among the different STEM disciplines. Thirdly, to
suggest some possible guidelines for enhancing the level of visual literacy of our
students.

STEM visuals are “a range of visual tools used to communicate scientific knowledge”
(Schönborn, 2010). The importance of visuals in STEM education is evident in the

#CUE18FullSTEAM 31

science textbooks. Physics, chemistry and biology textbooks are rich in formulae,
diagrams, illustrations, and photographs, as well as models or animations (Tibell, 2010).
As an example, 30–50% of the page space in standard biochemistry and molecular
genetics textbooks is occupied by visuals. Visuals in STEM are not only educational
tools for students but they also help scientist envision discoveries (Evagorou, 2015).
Indeed, visualization has played a key role in the conceptualization of science. A
classical example is Kekule’s resolution of the molecular structure of benzene while
dreaming, in the form of a snake biting its tail (Rothenberg, 1995). Other physics
discoveries such as Faraday’s electromagnetic field theory and even Einstein’s theory
of relativity are also the result of visual reasoning (Kozhevnikov, 2007).

The use of visuals on the teaching and learning of biology has its origin in Louis
Agassiz, a 19th-century Swiss-born naturalist. Agassiz—the first truly supporter of the
STEAM movement—practiced an educational approach that combined observational
practices accompanied by drawings and reflection (Cary, 2015). Edward Tufte, a Yale
statistician and sculptor, is a contemporary defender of the power of visuals in science.
Tufte’s name is nowadays synonymous for infographics and his book “The Visual
Display of Quantitative Information” is a reference for the display of data visualization
(Tufte, 2006). According to Tufte, data visualization—the process of presenting
information visually—is an important endeavor in all disciplines and STEM education is
not an exception. Indeed, graphing scientific data is a critical component of all STEM
disciplines that allows scientists to communicate their results.

Visuals in the sciences result from different facets of scientific knowledge. Some
represent phenomena at the observable level, whereas others represent more abstract
entities. Visuals can simplify science by magnifying invisible aspects that scape the eye.
Several taxonomies have been developed in the educational literature to categorize
STEM visuals (Johnstone, 1982; Talanquer, 2011; Towns, 2012; Offerdahl, 2017). On
one hand, Johnstone famously developed the triplet relationship that classifies chemical
representations according to the level of representation. For example, a chemical such
as water can be visually represented at the macroscopic level by means of a
photography, or at the submicroscopic level by means of a particulate drawing showing
water molecules or at the symbolic level by means of its formula, H2O. Talanquer, on
the other hand, conceptualized the triplet relationship in the form of dimensional
domains: experiences, models and visualizations. For example, a photography
displaying a chemical reaction happening on a laboratory bench is an experience,
whereas a mathematic formula is a model only accessible to the expert eye. Towns
further expanded Johnstone’s classification into four levels: macroscopic, symbolic,
particulate and microscopic. More recently, Offerdahl suggested to classify visuals into
five categories according to their level of abstraction—the degree to which a
representation resembles the represented phenomenon—into symbolic, schematic (e.g.
a chemical structure), graphs, cartoons (e.g. a molecular model) and realistic visuals.
Still, visuals employed in STEM education can be graphically complex and difficult for
visually novice students to interpret.

32 Conference Proceedings Journal

Extensive research in cognitive science investigated the impact of visuals on science
instruction and learning finding that students learn by selecting, organizing and
integrating information in the form of mental models (Meyer, 2002). Externalizing these
models in the form of self-generated visuals helps offload information from the student’s
working memory. Bobek have recently shown that student-generated visuals foster
deeper learning (Bobek, 2016). The authors quantitatively compared learning from
creating verbal explanations and learning from creating visual explanations. Their study
demonstrates that creating visual explanations has greater learning benefits than simply
creating verbal explanations. Computer visualizations or hand-held models are also
considered visuals and can help students develop mental models that foster
understanding (Hamilton, 2006; Jones, 2013; Venkataraman, 2009; Rau, 2017).
Research in visualization and animations found that manipulating 3D models helps
mastering the use of visuals (Kozhevnikov, 2007).

Still chemistry visuals represent a challenge for novice students and STEM visuals have
to be pitched at the appropriate level of understanding in order for students to learn from
them. Schönborn investigated the different factors influencing the ability of students to
learn from visuals. They found that the conceptual factor, the reasoning factor, and the
representation mode are a few of the main factors impacting learning (Schönborn,
2010). As an example, students can ignore the concept behind a representation, or
simply have difficulties reasoning with the representation, and even struggle
understanding the meaning of the visuals. Students need advanced visual skills in order
decode relevant information in STEM visuals.

Schönborn defined visual literacy as “the ability to read and write visuals” (Schönborn,
2006). Students are visually fluent when they are able not only to read visuals, and
extract its main visual elements, but also to generate their own representations to
express their knowledge. STEM visuals employ a specific symbolism to convey
information, and these elements form a visual discourse. Using the chemistry discipline,
chemicals are represented in textbooks by means of four different molecular ERs—ball-
and-sticks models, space-fill models, structural formulas and molecular formulas—and
these visuals use three visual elements to represent molecules: atomic labels, spheres,
lines, and solid sticks. Unfortunately, the teaching of the visual skills is often ignored
from science lessons and STEM practitioners often place little emphasis on actively
teaching the skills necessary to develop visuals literacy skills (Linenberger, 2014;
Schönborn, 2006).

The pedagogical impact of boosting students’ visual literacy skills is still unknown.
However, a sound visual STEM education that promotes the development of visual
literacy in the sciences has the potential to promote not only student engagement but
also more importantly academic achievement. Still, the development of visual skills is
hardly considered as a core competency in the sciences and practitioners often assume
that students will gain visual skills by simply visualizing images during lecture. Quillin et
al. suggested that the Vision and Change list of core competencies (Quillin, 2015)

#CUE18FullSTEAM 33

should be augmented to incorporate drawing as a teachable science process skill
(AAAS, 2011), as supported by evidence in the Discipline-Based Education Research
report (NRC, 2012). In order for students to gain visual skills they should be explicitly
taught how to interpret, evaluate, create and transform visuals so that they develop a
more expert-like visual framework. A visual intervention that teaches students how to
interpret, draw, evaluate, and transform visuals in their specific STEM discipline, in
close connection with the assessment has the potential to unravel the benefits of visual
thinking. Current efforts from the researcher attempt to compare the student’s ability to
answer content and visual questions, and to address the benefits of boosting the
students’ visual skills.

Conclusions
The importance of visualization and in particular visual literacy in STEM education has
been ignored for far too long. Given the richness of STEM visuals presented in
textbooks or lectures and the rise of the STEAM movement—coupling the sciences with
art and design—our students clearly require a high level of visual literacy to succeed in
STEM courses. However, science students will not develop visual literacy skills on their
own unless practitioners make a conscious effort to help develop these skills. This
perspective paper brought together educational research on visualization in the
sciences, showcasing the unifying role that visuals play across the different STEM
disciplines. It also outlines the theoretical framework behind visual science education, in
which visuals are employed not only to represent scientific knowledge but also in the
sense making process of the students and in cognitive understanding. From the
perspective of the instructor, this study offered insights for educators into the potential of
promoting visual literacy in the sciences as a way to foster not only student engagement
but also more importantly academic achievement. Future educational research should
further gain insight into the underlying mechanisms of students’ visual cognition,
including how they reason in visual format.

34 Conference Proceedings Journal

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Bobek, E., & Tversky, B. (2016). Creating visual explanations improves learning.
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Linenberger, K. J., & Holme, T. A. (2014). Biochemistry instructors’ views toward
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Education, 92(1), 23-31.

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41, pp. 85-139. Academic Press, 2002.

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engineering. National Academies Press.

#CUE18FullSTEAM 35

Offerdahl, E. G., Arneson, J. B., & Byrne, N. (2017). Lighten the load: Scaffolding visual
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