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Thinking Quantitatively: Communicating with Numbers, 3rd edition

Published by Pearson (June 28, 2023) © 2024

  • Eric Gaze Bowdoin College

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For courses in Quantitative Reasoning, Quantitative Literacy or Liberal Arts Math.

Empowerment through numbers 

Thinking Quantitatively: Communicating with Numbers helps students develop the critical-thinking and math skills to become informed, numerically literate citizens. This fully digital, seamless experience brings Gaze's context-based eTextbook to life with embedded supporting videos, plus auto-graded Excel® problems with immediate feedback. Students do authentic problem solving while learning to use spreadsheets as a tool to better understand mathematical concepts. Corresponding Guided Worksheets complete the program with real-world problems to help students apply and tie concepts together. Revised and new features throughout the 3rd Edition make this course easier to teach, and make quantitative reasoning more accessible for students.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Built from the ground up in MyLab Math, this text encourages a more active student role. Students must explore the eTextbook, reviewing examples and watching videos, before they experience the concepts by working through their MyLab homework exercises.
  • Unique topical coverage ties each concept together in the context of practice use, rather than presenting students with a hodgepodge of interesting yet unconnected topics.
  • To focus students on solving problems instead of computations and formulas, Excel is used as a tool for students to gain a deeper understanding of mathematical topics, while gaining an invaluable skill they'll use later in life.
    • Auto-graded Excel exercises give immediate feedback to pinpoint errors.
    • Spreadsheet Tutorial Videos provide support so instructors can focus on the math, not on teaching spreadsheets.
  • Videos (both concept-based and example-based) throughout the eText support and engage students by going deeper with an explanation to make their learning more durable.

New and updated features of this title

  • Updated Guided Worksheets are more user friendly, with some content moved to the eTextbook and a greater focus on helping students tie big concepts together.
  • Updated examples throughout sections ease students more gradually into more difficult topics. In some cases, the difficulty level of examples earlier in each section has been reduced.
    • New notes to instructors are provided about example difficulty levels, including those which are more rigorous or could be skipped.
  • A new Review section has been added to the end of each chapter. The Review content highlights key terms and ideas that students should know, and brings them together in a condensed setting.
  • New written exercises have been added to the eTextbook and Print Reference, making it easier for instructors to review what is available to assign online.

Features of MyLab Math for the 3rd Edition

  • MyLab exercises have been updated and in some cases expanded. New exercises are available to assign, and all correlate with the written exercises that are included in the eTextbook/Print Reference. Instructors can easily review what's available to assign in their digital or print text, and assign in their MyLab Assignment Manager.
  • PowerPoints® are available for instructors to use in class, making it easier to plan their teaching. Notes to the instructor included within the PowerPoints provide additional guidance. Student versions of these PowerPoints are also available as a study tool.
  • New and updated videos offer support at point of use (when students are reading an example or completing a homework problem). More examples have a corresponding video in this revision.
  • New Learning Catalytics questions are included in the course. This engagement tool uses students' own devices to gauge class understanding in real time.
  • Premade, editable assignments help with course planning and startup.
  • Corequisite Support Modules have been added to the course. The exercises for Chapter R in the MyLab come directly from the Coreq Support Modules.

Features of Pearson+ eTextbook for the 3rd Edition

  • Definition hyperlinks, links to example videos and just-in-time spreadsheet tutorial videos immerse students in an online environment with point-of-use resources at their fingertips.
  • Streamlined exposition matches how students learn online. Where appropriate, media replaces what traditionally would be written content.
  • A Review section has been added to the end of each chapter. The Review content highlights key terms and ideas that students should know, and brings them together in a condensed setting.

1: An Excel-lent Approach to Relationships

  • 1.1: Functions
  • 1.2: Analytic Representations: Equations
  • 1.3: Numerical and Graphical Representations: Tables and Charts
  • 1.4: Spotlight on Statistics
  • Chapter 1: Review

2: Ratios and Proportions

  • 2.1: Ratios and Proportions
  • 2.2: Proportionality
  • 2.3: Financial Literacy
  • 2.4: Spotlight on Statistics
  • Chapter 2: Review

3: Units, Conversions, Scales, and Rates

  • 3.1: Units and Conversions
  • 3.2: Units and Conversions
  • 3.3: Rates
  • 3.4: Dosages and Concentrations
  • 3.5: Spotlight on Statistics
  • Chapter 3: Review

4: Percentages

  • 4.1: Percentages
  • 4.2: Percentages
  • 4.3: Percentages
  • 4.4: Percentages
  • 4.5: Spotlight on Statistics

5: Linear Functions

  • 5.1: Proportionality
  • 5.2: Slopes and y-Intercepts
  • 5.3: Linear Equations
  • 5.4: Linear Equations

6: Exponential Functions

  • 6.1: Constant Percentage Change
  • 6.2: Exponential Functions
  • 6.3: Average Percentage Change
  • 6.4: Spotlight on Statistics

7: Logical Arithmetic

  • 7.1: Logarithms
  • 7.2: Logarithms
  • 7.3: Annual Percentage Yield and
  • Continuous Compounding
  • 7.4: Spotlight on Statistics
  • End of Chapter Summary

8: Curve Fitting and Correlation

  • 8.1: Correlation, Causation, and Confounding Factors
  • 8.2: Best-Fit, Least-Squares, and Regression Lines
  • 8.3: Correlation Coefficient and Coefficient of Linear Determination
  • 8.4: Spotlight on Statistics
  • Chapter 8: Review

9: Financial Health

  • 9.1: Retirement
  • 9.2: Securities: Cash, Stocks, Mutual Funds, and Bonds
  • 9.3: Built-In Financial Functions
  • 9.4: Loans
  • Chapter 9: Review

10: Logically!

  • 10.1: Logical Statements
  • 10.2: Excel's IF Function
  • 10.3: VLOOKUP
  • 10.4: Random Simulations
  • Chapter 10: Review

11: Chance, Risk, and Likelihood

  • 11.1: Risk and Decision-Making
  • 11.2: Probability and Counting
  • 11.3: Conditional Probabilities
  • 11.4: Unions and Complements
  • 11.5: Spotlight on Statistics
  • 11.6: Spotlight on Statistics

12: Statistically Speaking

  • 12.1: Data Distributions: Frequency and Probability
  • 12.2: Binomial and Normal Distributions
  • 12.3: Sampling Distributions and Confidence Intervals
  • 12.4: Hypothesis Testing
  • 12.5: Hypothesis Testing
  • Chapter 12: Review

13: Modeling the Real World

  • 13.1: Modeling Basics
  • 13.2: Modeling Basics
  • 13.3: Stochastic (Random) Models
  • 13.4: Linear Programming (Optimization) Models
  • 13.5: Spotlight on Statistics
  • Chapter 13: Review

R (Review)

  • R.1 Objective 1: Number Sense
  • R.1 Objective 2: Decimals and Percentages
  • R.1 Objective 3: Formulas and Order of Operations
  • R.2 Objective 1: Number Words
  • R.2 Objective 2: Fractions
  • R.2 Objective 3: Setting Up Proportions
  • R.2 Objective 4: Basic Equation Solving
  • R.3 Objective 1: Arithmetic with Units
  • R.3 Objective 2: Fraction Arithmetic
  • R.3 Objective 3: Scientific Notation
  • R.4 Objective 1: Percent Proportions
  • R.5 Objective 1: The Cartesian Coordinate

Appendix: Spreadsheet Basics

  • A.1: Introduction to Spreadsheets
  • A.1 Objective 1: Create a Spreadsheet Model or Template
  • A.1 Objective 2: Enter Formulas
  • A.1 Objective 3: Fill Formulas
  • Section A.2: Built-In Functions
  • A.2 Objective 1: Using Built-In Functions
  • Section A.3: Charts
  • A.3 Objective 1: Creating Charts
Glossary
Index

About our author

Eric Gaze is a well-known leader in the quantitative reasoning community. After experiences teaching a liberal arts math course and an Excel course early in his career, Eric began to think about giving students a truly meaningful experience in math. He also came to see that spreadsheets were a powerful way to engage in real-world problem solving while learning mathematical concepts. Excited to discover a group of like-minded educators talking about “Quantitative Reasoning,” he began seriously working out a framework for a new course based around both proportional reasoning and Excel.

Eric directs the Quantitative Reasoning (QR) program at Bowdoin College, is past Chair of the Center for Learning and Teaching, and is a Senior Lecturer in the Mathematics Department. He served as President of the National Numeracy Network for 3 terms (NNN 2013-2019) and is a former chair of SIGMAA-QL (2010-12). He is an Associate Editor for the Numeracy journal, and writes a blog on using articles in QR courses. Eric gives talks and leads workshops on the topics of QR Across the Curriculum, Creating a QR Entry Point Course, Writing with Numbers, QR Assessment, and Running a QR Program; he continues to serve on review teams of QR programs and oversight boards for NSF-funded grant projects. He was the Principal Investigator for an NSF TUES Type I grant (2012-14), Quantitative Literacy and Reasoning Assessment (QLRA) DUE 1140562. This collaborative project builds on Bowdoin College's QR instrument, which is used for advising purposes and is available to interested schools. Prior to coming to Bowdoin, Eric led the development of a Masters in Numeracy program for K-12 teachers (the first of its kind in the country) at Alfred University as an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Education.

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