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Society for College Science Teachers: The Importance of Mathematics in Biology Courses

Journal of College Science Teaching—May 2004

We do our students a great disservice if we do not involve them in the mathematical nature of biology. The lack of mathematics-based experiences in the sciences handicaps them and prevents them from being active in the scientific community. Even introductory biology courses should incorporate experiences that reveal the role that mathematics plays in biology. Laboratory exercises should be more than just a confirmation event. Data need to be collected, graphed, and interpreted. Students should be involved in designing experiments and actually posing problems to investigate. These changes cannot be made overnight, but we must begin to, at least, acknowledge how important they are.
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