STEm Path or Statistics Path?

All students can benefit from training in mathematics, statistics, and real world critical thinking.  However, traditional beginning and intermediate algebra classes should only be taken by STEM majors (those students that need calculus for their major).  Students that do not need calculus (non-STEM majors) would derive much more benefit from statistics and pre-statistics course work. Requiring traditional algebra courses for non-STEM majors results in disproportionate impact and large failure rates.

MATH FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS: Course to prepare teachers to explain the reasoning and methods behind the real number system, arithmetic operations, logic, number theory, applications, and various number systems throughout history.  Course also has increased emphasis on navigating common core standards with probability and statistics applications


FINITE MATH:  Great substitute for traditional college algebra courses. Interesting real world uses of mathematics in a variety of fields including game theory, finance, linear algebra, probability, and statistics

College of the Canyons

Valencia Campus
26455 Rockwell canyon road 
Santa Clarita, CA 91355

(661) 259-7800

STATISTICS : Course in real world data analysis and critical thinking, formal statistics computer software training, data collection methods, bias, sampling variability, simulation and a rigorous study of inferential techniques 

​INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA for STATISTICS:  Rigorous
pre-statistics course with real world uses of intermediate algebra functions, linear and nonlinear regression theory, probability, and basic data analysis training with statistics computer software


PRE-ALGEBRA (with stat emphasis): Review of basic math and algebra with emphasis on real world formulas, applications and uses in statistics. 


College of the Canyons

Canyon Country Campus
17200 Sierra Highway 
Santa Clarita, CA 91351

​(661) 362-3800

 College of the Canyons Math Department

 

COC StAT Course Descriptions

Other COC
​Math Course 
​Descriptions

Open Educational Resources

 All people should have access to education, but many college students today cannot afford textbooks. Matt has written three open source OER free textbooks for students.  

  • Introduction to Statistics for Community College Students (1st edition)

(Click on the "statistics" tab to access this college level introductory statistics book)

  • Introduction to Data Analysis (1st edition)

(Click on the "Int Alg for Stats" tab to access this pre-statistics book)

  • Preparing for Algebra and Statistics (3rd edition)

(Click on the "Pre-Algebra" tab to access this pre-algebra book with statistics emphasis)


These textbooks are licensed through creative commons (CC-BY).  You can print and use any of them for educational purposes free of charge.