Something New in Math: Meaningful Mathematics Courses for Liberal Arts Undergraduates

Abstract

For over 100 years a vital if little known movement has been underway to allow liberal arts undergraduates to meet their math requirement with more meaningful and relevant options than the traditional skills courses in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. Often referred to as liberal arts mathematics, and with a subset called humanistic mathematics, such courses may explore mathematics as a realm of ideas that are essential to understanding the world we live in and what it means to be human. Although resistance to this movement has been vigorous and tenacious, it is now widely recognized that liberal arts undergraduates deserve access to such courses in order to meet their math requirement. The author describes a century-long argument in favor of meaningful mathematics courses for liberal arts undergraduates, traces the evolution of liberal arts math courses, justifies such courses in a discussion of what mathematics really is, and presents his own innovative pedagogy with a humanistic math course, Mathematical Explorations, which provides liberal arts undergraduates with the opportunity to alleviate math anxiety, improve reasoning ability, engage in experiential learning, and explore mathrelated ideas that are meaningful, relevant, useful, and inspiring.