Technical Mathematics

Reviewed by Jody House, Instructor, Portland Community College on 12/11/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text covers mathematics intended for career-technical students. It is generically comprehensive, and could easily be supplemented for the specific CTE programs. For example, a manufacturing program might have a unit that focuses on units of measure that are specific to the program.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate. I have not completed all of the exercises to ensure that the solutions are correct.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is very applicable to the career-technical fields and would quickly become obsolete. Because the book covers topics in a generic fashion, instructors in specific programs would need to supplement accordingly.

Some of the hyperlinks in the Notes sections of the .pdf version and at the end of the modules in the online version might not be valid for very long. For example, Module 12 has a link to an article on ‘the spruceCrafts’.

Clarity rating: 4

The text is very easy-to-read. For the target students, the value of this text is minimizing the use of mathematical terminology that might be introduced in a regular math class.

I suspect, but am not sure, that the book might not provide enough information for some students, and would be a supplementary resource. An instructor would have to provide more detailed information. For example, in Module 3, on decimals – there is a ‘table’ showing the place value and terminology. However, I am pretty sure most students will not understand this table without some context. A description of the decimal point in the center would be helpful. An instructor would need to identify these gaps and address them during a lecture.

Consistency rating: 3

The text has some formatting issues (both the .pdf and the online version). In some modules, important rules and concepts are formatted in a box. Some important terms are written in italics only, and others are written in bold and italics. The font of the numbers can be difficult to read in the online version – it looks low resolution, as if a screen capture was copied into the text.

The exercise solutions do not always include the units associated with the values.

Modularity rating: 4

The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course. The .pdf version of the text is 257 pages with 30 content modules. Each module includes practice exercises. The book includes the solutions as well.

The module exercises are placed immediately following a concept, instead of at the end of the module.

The only potential challenge is that the modules themselves are not broken into smaller, bookmarked or numbered, sections. There are headers for important concepts within a module.

The scope of the textbook is such that the modules could be largely taught out of order. There are some topics that build on themselves or fall into a category (geometry, the metric system and conversions, etc.), but the progression is logical.

Some of the modules have compelling exercises that rely upon knowledge from other modules. For example, exercises 7 and 8 in Module 15 require knowledge of percent error.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion. The use of ‘Notes’ for a reference section in the .pdf version is a bit confusing at first, but easy to understand after comparing this section to the location in the online version.

Interface rating: 5

The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader.

The book is pretty easy to navigate. The on-line version of the text has the modules as self-contained units. It would be nice to be able to navigate to a subsequent module at the end of a give module.

There are some issues with formatting in the .pdf version. The author acknowledges these in the introduction. The online version of the text is well laid out.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not observe any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I did not observe any issues with cultural references. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.

Comments

The license for the text is: CC BY-NC-SA.

Reviewed by Paula Thonney, Mathematics Instructor, Lane Community College on 11/22/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 2 see less

I saw almost no worked examples of any sort in the text.
-In the geometry topics, formulas and procedures were described but there was a lack of worked examples illustrating processes. This is a major shortcoming. The book simply provides a formula and then goes to questions on that topic. Not sure how this is useful to students except as a source for homework problems.
-In the chapter on converting, there were conversion facts provided but no examples of HOW to convert (by division or multiplication)
-The textbook omits right triangle trigonometry which is a key section of our technical mathematics course.
-There are geometric images, and some slightly technical drawings, but most of the geometric shapes are just geometric shapes, not the types of objects that make this content relevant to technicians (for example drawings of machine parts, silos, hoppers, bolts, etc.)

Content Accuracy rating: 5

At a glance the book seems to be free of errors.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

The relevance to technical mathematics is fairly weak. There could be more real examples, particularly in the geometry section.

Clarity rating: 3

It is clear (uncluttered), but it is lacking in explanation, which would increase clarity considerably.

Consistency rating: 5

This book is fairly consistent.

Modularity rating: 5

There is a visually pleasing layout.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Table of Contents is clickable and takes you to the sections.

Interface rating: 4

Visually orderly with boxes for concepts, facts, or formulas.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not see any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

There are not many cultural references in the text. There was no insensitivity.

Comments

In a pinch this book could provide homework sets, but I do not feel encouraged to consider it for our Technical Mathematics courses. If more in depth explanations were provided, more technical drawings and real-life contextual problems were included, it might be worth re-evaluating. Thank you.

Reviewed by Robert Brown, Adjunct Professor, Kishwaukee College on 4/27/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This is well written and "class hard" in that it has been well-refined from classroom experience. I used the book as-is, with some supplemental sections on exponents, roots, and micrometers.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

No errors found!!

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Ant technical student will benefit from this text. It emphasizes job skills.

Clarity rating: 5

Well explained in everyday language.

Consistency rating: 5

Consistency is fine.

Modularity rating: 5

The module sizes are about right. Sometimes could do one module per class; sometimes two.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Material flows well, from less-difficult to more-difficult

Interface rating: 5

Good organization. An index would help.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Clearly written

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

No cultural issues found

Comments

I have generated some additional modules. I would be happy to share these.

Reviewed by Colin Wasiloff, Professor, Trine University on 4/19/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of technical mathematics ranging from scientific notation to descriptive statistics and basic probability. Each section is densely populated with practical examples and updated connections to real-world scenarios. I found the examples to be appropriate for beginner to intermediate level students, although this text appears to be value-add for all readers. Note: the example solutions are provided as part of this text.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This textbook appears to be of high quality; it is accurate, error free and offers a friendly, unbiased voice.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This topics covered in this textbook are relevant today and will be in the future. It is noted that there has been extra care taken to use relevant examples to highlight important topics (e.g. calculate price reductions based on a number of variables). The provided examples use recent data (e.g. Denver Bronco's win record from 2010-2019, the Buffalo Bills season statistics in 2020, etc.).

Clarity rating: 5

This text is well written and formatted. The sections of the text appear to be designed to build upon each other and the flow of material allows readers to cover material in a short amount of time, without searching for key concepts. Readers may also find individual topics and sections to be accessed easily without sifting through much extraneous material.

Consistency rating: 5

This textbook follows a consistent and easy to approach framework, appropriate for students at any level. Proper terminology and mathematical notation is used without issue.

Modularity rating: 5

This textbook appears to be well designed to be used cover-to-cover or as a quick reference for individual topics. This text could easily be added to the technician, engineer, or scientist's desktop as a solid reference book.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This textbook is presented in a logical and clear fashion from start to finish. The available PDF can be downloaded and printed as required.

Interface rating: 5

The online, EPUB, and PDF representations of this textbook are all very well constructed. Appropriate links, text, and images are used throughout. It appears that the text may also be available on mobile devices. Sources for referenced information is provided at the conclusion of each chapter so students may access this information easily.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There have been no significant grammatical errors detected.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This textbook does not contain any information or reference any real-world situation or example that might be viewed as insensitive and is written in an overall inclusive voice, to the best of this review's knowledge.

Comments

While this developmental-level mathematics textbook is intended for career-technical students, I believe it is applicable (and value-added) for a much broader segment of academia. I would recommend this text for anyone in a STEM field, regardless of academic level.

Reviewed by Greg Colley, Math Instructor, Midlands Technical College on 3/23/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Content covers all the topics necessary for a technical mathematics course. The number of exercises are lacking and need to be added to generate interest in use for a full course.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found no errors in the book or issues with the wording of the exercises or description of the learning material.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

Many of the exercises do not relate to the trades. The topics are the ones needed for a technical math course, but the exercises are more general and less specific to issues found in a trades environment. Updates would need to include more sample exercises that relate to the trade professions such as welding, pipe fitting, HVAC, Mechatronics, carpentry, and machine tool. One specific exercises asks for the volume of a wiffleball . I doubt many will have one or know what this kind of ball. I am not sure of the relevance a wiffle ball is to the trades. Maybe a ball bearing would be a better choice.

Clarity rating: 3

The decimal module only gives place values from thousand to thousandths. I think this should be expanded to beyond just three place values from the decimal. Fractions explains how to divide fractions, but it does not give an example for students to view. The same is true for adding or subtracting fractions. This seems to be a trend throughout the book. Few examples of problems worked out are given.

Consistency rating: 5

The text has the same layout and shading through the text. The exercises are in blue while instructional text are in white background. The example problems when there are any are given in a tan background. Key instructional steps are listed in a tan background also.

Modularity rating: 4

The Modules are almost two small, but this does make it easy to organize into different units. It seems you could include around 5 to 6 modules per assessment for a course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

It seems that the percentages, conversions, and geometry are spread across the book. Conversions of area and volume are covered much farther down the book modules than conversions for length, weight, and temperature. Conversions work the same regardless of the unit. Combining these into one module would be preferable over having conversions as a specific topics covered in three different units.

Interface rating: 5

The text worked well. The table of context is available on the left as you read through the book making it easy to jump from topic to topic. Navigating through the course was easy and seamless.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found no issues with the grammatical aspect of the text. It was an easy read without issue.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The culture here is technical mathematics. If this book is intended for the trades, it lacks a connection with the examples given. For example on page 100 and 101, the textbook shows someone cutting a pipe with a side grinder on page 100, but the angle example it gives on page 101 is all related to the angle of a shot given to a patient in the medical field. At our college the nursing students take different mathematics courses than the trades fields. It seems to not truly go the full steps needed to make the material about the trades. I think adding examples for roofing, construction, welding, automotive, electrical, carpentry, etc. are needed for the text to be used extensively in community college for these majors.

Comments

I am currently developing problems and content for the MAT 170 course at our college which focuses on the trades. I would be willing to share some of the problems that I have created which deal directly with the trade majors.