Study abroad experiences have been recognized as providing students with valuable opportunities to work with individuals and groups different from themselves, to incorporate diverse viewpoints into their work, and to engage in meaningful experiences outside their culture. This article focuses on one of the mathematics courses in Belmont University’s study abroad program that was designed to synthesize course content and authentic learning experiences in order to address the diverse set of student learning outcomes. While improved student engagement in cultural understanding and the promotion of intellectual diversity took on a central role in the course design and assessment, a secondary goal was an improved student perception of mathematics and its application. We examine the course in action by looking at three example assignments, followed by their connections to program experiences, and how these things coordinate to meet the student learning outcomes.

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   Belmont IRB Exemption, Protocol ID 690.

Authors and Affiliations

1. Belmont University, Nashville, TN, USA

   Michelle Craddock Guinn & Bradford Schleben

Corresponding author

Correspondence toMichelle Craddock Guinn.

Editors and Affiliations

1. Science Writing Advanced Academic Program, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

   Susan D'Agostino

2. Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, USA

   Sarah Bryant

3. Department of Mathematics, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

   Amy Buchmann

4. Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Belmont University, Nashville, TN, USA

   Michelle Craddock Guinn

5. Division of Sciences and Mathematics, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC, USA

   Leona Harris

Appendix

“Press Release” Activity

Below is the exact version of the assignment that students see, without the example data tables and press release.

Press Release Activity

On the following pages you will find some example data for the total and per capita wind power capacity in megawatts that the select could produce at the end of each year in 2016 and an example press release from the Department of Energy of the United States. Your first task is to collect similar data from the last ten years for both Australia and another country from the provided list. Each group will select a distinct country. Once you have done so, you will be responsible for crafting two press releases.

Side 1

Suppose you worked for the PR department at the Department of Energy for one of the given countries when these data were released (I am requiring that one group will be United States and another will be Australia). Write a press release (≥ 2 paragraphs) that puts these data in the best possible light, supporting your country’s energy policy.

Side 2

Suppose you worked for an environmental group that advocates for more support for renewable energy sources like wind. Write a press release that puts these data in the worst possible light, supporting you argument that your country is falling further behind the rest of the world.

Your goal is to establish arguments with evidence drawn from the data. Both of the above releases may involve comparative data as well. Included with your statements should be validation for each statistic you cite. Fore example, if I describe a certain percent change in capacity from 2014–2015, there should be a footnote providing the calculation made to get that percent change value.

Be sure to avoid some of the pratfalls that we have identified in the use of percentages, rates, and ratios (such as averaging percent increase in capacity over a number of years).

“Discussion Lead” Activity

Discussion Lead Assignment

I am asking that you prepare to lead an engaging and informative discussion appropriate for our Math for Social Justice course while on our trip. The scope of the discussion topic is up to you, but I encourage you to use the examples we have done already as a guide. There will be components of this assignment due both before and during our trip, as laid out below:

Pre-trip

Once you have selected your topic, you must provide at least three (3) reputable sources for fellow students to serve as references. These sources should contain quantitative information regarding your topic, giving your fellow students statistics to consider as they prepare to participate in fruitful discussion.

Your source must be uploaded by July 1st to the Blackboard discussion board forum “Discussion Leads”. This will allow your fellow students the time to download copies of the articles before the trip, as well as familiarize themselves with the quantitative information on the topic.

While Abroad

I expect this to be approximately a thirty (30) minute discussion (NOT a lecture). The rubric is attached. The main criteria are that this is a quantitative-driven discussion of a social justice issue and the effectiveness at engaging of your fellow classmates in challenging discussion. Good discussions will connect course content with experiences abroad and challenge the participants to consider potential responses and methods for social change, if appropriate.

Expectations for Participation

• Prepare to engage in meaningful discussion centered around quantitative literacy and social justice while in Australia (I may provide further articles).

• Be engaged in group activities, experiences, panels, and lectures to the best of your ability.

• Focus on making connections between course content and cultural experiences abroad.

“Program Journal” Activity

The “Program Journal” activity was completed during the abroad component of the program, allowing students to reflect on their experiences in country. The final journal entry prompt, as mentioned before, was not given to students until the end of the program. It asked students to reflect on the role that quantitative representations played in applying moral reasoning to either social or ethical issues they encountered on the program, while noting any challenges or limitations they encountered in doing so.

Journal Assignment

You will keep a journal chronicling your experiences with mathematics, cultural understanding, and social justice during the travel program. You are required to write six entries over the course of the program, about one full page in length (you may write more), and these may be written or typed. For four of these you will write in response to the experiences of specific days, with the two remaining entries being on topics of your choice but they should relate to mathematics and your experiences in Australia. Your final entry will be revealed while on the program.

Required Experience Journals

Straddie, Swamp vs. Lake

Consider procedures for data collection and analysis in the field and compare the two different ecosystems. How are they similar? Different? What did this teach you about the data collection and analysis? About these ecosystems, specifically?

Reef Ecologic

As you participate in this larger research project, what is your role? How did your experience and the work you have seen elsewhere on the trip and in the course prepare you to participate in this project? What are your thoughts on the “citizen science” aspect of maintaining reef health? How about the struggle to model and quantify aspects of reef health? Discuss the overall logistics of running an ongoing project of this scale using various volunteer groups and your thoughts/feelings about participating.

Mungalla Station

How do the struggles and concerns facing the Nyawaygi people compare to the Quandamooka and Nunukul? How do they connect to issues that we have discussed in class? What issues have you already worked to quantify? How, if at all, did your experience quantifying these issues fall short of illustrating the whole picture? How has this and other similar experiences affected your understanding of issues of injustice and cultural interdependence?

Green Collar

What are some of the concepts utilized by Green Collar that you have seen in our course? How does their mission fit in with themes of our course and previous experiences? What aspects of their operation surprised you?

Final Entry

Specific prompted response to be done in Sydney.

For your own purposes: Read through your responses to the questions from our pre-departure meeting. Respond to your pre-departure self. How are you the same? How are you different? Describe some of your emotions/thoughts/feelings as you reflect on the last three weeks. What event/activity/encounter/conversation was most impactful for you and how will it change/impact your behavior once you get home?

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