Assessing Student Quantitative Literacy in a Transformed Calculus-based Physics Course

Mathematical skill of students is considered as a figure of merit for enrolling students in introductory, calculus-based physics courses in numerous universities across the U.S. Quantitative literacy, however, is often neglected when it comes to introductory physics courses. Quantitative literacy is the skill necessary to make connection between mathematics and physical quantities. This allows students to understand the concepts introduced in physics in terms of mathematical symbols. As a part of a larger project, we have redesigned the introductory physics courses in various universities to focus more on improving students' quantitative literacy skills. To assess student skills and gains in quantitative literacy during the course, we administered the Physics Inventory of Quantitative Literacy (PIQL), developed by Brahmia et al. In this presentation, we will share our quantitative analysis of student performance on the PIQL given as pre- and/or post- surveys at public universities in the U.S. We will share our analysis of students' responses to examine challenges students face in developing quantitative literacy skills.