Quantitative Literacy and the Mathematical Association of America in the 2000’s: QL Subcommittee of CUPM , SIGMAA QL, and MAA Notes #70

This Roots and Seeds article is a partial history of the quantitative literacy movement in the Mathematical Association of America in the first decade of the 21st century. It focuses on the inclusion of QL in the MAA Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics’ CUPM Curriculum Guidelines (2004), the creation of the special interest group for MAA members (SIGMAA QL, 2004), and the work of that body in subsequent years, in particular, the MAA Notes #70, Current Practices in Quantitative Literacy(2006). I discuss some issues that were problematic in the QL movement in the MAA in those years that seem to bedevil us to this day. I end by noting there has been a parallel development of active learning pedagogies throughout the mathematics community and wonder if there is synergy between the two movements