We will discuss our SSHRC-funded project “Improving Health Numeracy in Health Science Students and Professionals Through an Online Instrument.” Besides academic collaboration, this project involves partnerships with medical programs and hospitals in GTA.

There is plenty of evidence suggesting that the lack of adequate health numeracy is a significant problem. Canadian Council of Learning reported that “60% of adults in Canada lack the capacity to obtain, understand and act upon health information and services and to make appropriate health decisions on their own.” This collaborative action research project is guided by two questions: (1) What are the core elements of health numeracy for health sciences students and health care professionals? (2) How might their health numeracy be most effectively improved using an on-line, interactive instrument? The conceptualization of health numeracy that we are presently working on will inform the content of the on-line learning tool. By seeking input from individuals within academia and elsewhere, we will ensure that special attention is paid to the health science contexts and tasks which demand proficiency in numeracy, so that we can develop meaningful learning tasks.

Bios:

Andie Burazin: During my undergraduate studies, mathematics has become an integral part of my life. Thanks to my undergraduate experience, where I had my fair share of trials, I have been connected to mathematics, both as a teacher at a university/college level, and as a researcher in mathematics education. I am a sessional lecturer in the Mathematical and Computational Science Department and the mathematics specialist at the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, both at the University of Toronto Mississauga. These opportunities make it easy for me to relate to students’ struggles and anxieties and remind me to have a beginner’s mind when communicating mathematics to students.

Taras Gula: Taras Gula has experience in leading and supporting research projects at George Brown College going back to 2007. He has focused his research on topics whose aim is to improve mathematics and statistics education for non-mathematicians, and has also supported research in Inter Professional Education, and other health sciences education research formally and informally. In collaboration with the School of Design at GBC, through an Inukshuk Foundation sponsored research project, he has also developed on-line learning tools that are currently being used by Health Information Management students and Nursing students (www.mathessentials.cahttp://www.statcat.ca).

Miroslav Lovric: For me, being a mathematician means getting involved into things that I love and care for. I like working on good math problems—presently, it is modeling growth of breast carcinoma. I like teaching—for me it is a passion, it is sharing what I know about math, and showing to my students that math is not only useful, but is meaningful, beautiful and in many ways surprising. I like writing about math, since it forces me to rethink many things that I believe I know, and helps me discover new ways of thinking about them. I like other things: travel, walks on the beach, reading books, and almost anything with a Muskoka Brewery label.

Asia Matthews: Asia Matthews obtained her Ph.D. in mathematics education at Queens’ University. Presently she’s enjoying B.C. while teaching at Quest University.