Quantitative Literacy and the Humanities
This site is a resource for faculty in the humanities who wish to integrate quantitative literacy (QL) into their teaching.
Quantitative literacy is part of a holistic, liberal arts education. It is the rigorous and sophisticated application of relatively elementary mathematics to new situations. Much like writing, QL encompasses a wide-ranging set of skills and cuts across the undergraduate curriculum. Just as good writing skills support the sciences and mathematics, good QL skills support the humanities. We unlock new possibilities and tools for precision when we incorporate mathematical thinking into our disciplines. At the same time, robust QL is not possible without the values, nuance and range of experience encountered in the humanities. QL cannot eliminate uncertainty; mathematics alone cannot stand in for good judgment. In this era of big data, humanistic QL is an urgent need. QL does not challenge the humanities. It makes the humanities stronger and more necessary than ever.
The path below introduces QL and the attitudes, actions and concepts that characterize QL. If you follow this path (and the paths contained within them), you will eventually encounter all the material on this site. The Main Menu provides shortcuts to a guide to basic mathematical concepts and to resources for creating a QL course in the humanities.
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