Mathematics across the Curriculum - Educational Reform as a Problem Solving Activity -

During the past 20 years, a small but potentially powerful initiative has established itself in the mathematics education landscape: Mathematics Across the Curriculum (MAC). This curricular reform movement was designed to address a serious problem: Not only are students unable to demonstrate understanding of mathematical ideas and their applications, but also they harbor misconceptions about the meaning and purpose of mathematics. This paper chronicles the brief history of the MaC movement. The sections of the paper correspond loosely tn the typical steps one might take to solve a mathematics problem. The Problem Takes Shape presents a discussion of the social and economic forces that led to the need for increased articulation between mathematics and other fields in the American educational system. Understanding the Problem presents the potential value of exploiting these connections throughout the curriculum and the obstacles such action might encounter. Devising a Plan provides an overview of the support systems provided to early MAC initiatives by government and professional organizations. Implementing the Plan contains a brief description of early collegiate programs, their approaches and their differences. Extending the Solution details the adoption of MAC principles to the K-12 sector and throughout the world. The paper concludes with Retrospective, a brief discussion of lessons learned and possible next steps.