NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
CURRICULUM SUPPORT
Core Skills
Numeracy
Flexible Learning Resource Pack
[HIGHER]
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The Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL) project has been guided by a
steering group comprising representatives from the following organisations. Grateful
thanks are extended to all involved.
Learning and Teaching Scotland
HM Inspectorate of Education
Scottish Further Education Unit
Heriot Watt University
Scottish Qualifications Authority
Scottish Councils’ Learning and Resources Network
Colleges’ Open Learning Exchange Group
The OFDL project has been funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department
(SEED) as part of the Staff Development for Effective Teaching (SDET) initiative.
The publishers are grateful to COLEG for permission to use the COLEG Millennium
Guidelines for the Development of Self Study Learning Materials as part of the support
offered to writers. The publishers further acknowledge this source as the template
on which the design and structure of these materials are based.
First published 2002
© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2002
This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes by educational
establishments in Scotland provided that no profit accrues at any stage.
ISBN 1 85955 953 0
Learning and Teaching Scotland
Gardyne Road
Broughty Ferry
Dundee
DD5 1NY
www.LTScotland.com
CONTENTS
Tutor Guide
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Part 6:
Part 7:
National Unit Specification
Introduction to the Unit
Introduction to this Pack
Assessment Information
Tutor Assignments/Responses
Attendance/Tutor Contact Requirements
Tutor Evaluation Form
3
7
9
13
15
23
25
Student Introductory Guide
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Introduction to the Unit
Introduction to this Pack
Assessment Information
Attendance/Tutor Contact Requirements
Student Evaluation Questionnaire
3
5
9
11
13
Outcome 1/2
Introduction
Section 1: Basic Excel Graphs
Tutor Assignment
Section 2: Graphs from Social Trends
Section 3: Graphs related to Geography
Tutor Assignments
Answers to SAQs
3
5
16
17
27
40
45
Outcome 3
Introduction
3
Section 1: Mean and Standard Deviation
5
Section 2: Median and Quartiles
2.1 Quartiles from a Simple Data Set
2.2
Quartiles from a Simple Frequency Table
2.3
Grouped Frequency Tables
Answers to SAQs
25
28
31
35
45
Section 3: Transposition of Formulae
3.1
Writing Formulae using Numbers
3.2 Relating Letters to Numbers – Adding and Subtracting
3.3 Solving Equations Involving only Addition and Subtraction
49
50
51
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NUMERACY: HIGHER
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CONTENTS
3.4 The ‘Change Side, Change Sign’ Rule
3.5 Transposing Formulae with only + and – Signs
3.6 Relating Letters to Numbers – Multiplying and Dividing
3.7 Solving Equations Involving only Multiplication and Division
3.8 Equations with Fractions
3.9 Cross Multiplication
3.10 Formulae Involving all Operations
3.11 Coping with Brackets
3.12 Powers and Roots
Answers to SAQs
53
57
58
59
62
64
66
68
73
80
Section 4: Correlation and Regression
4.1 Introduction – Bivariate Data
4.2 Drawing Scatter Diagrams
4.3 Correlation and Regression
Answers to SAQs
87
87
91
96
108
Section 5: Recurrence Relations
5.1 Generating by Formula
5.2 Recurrence Relations
5.3 Growth and Decay Factors
5.4 Recurrence Relations of the Form un+1 = aun
5.5 An Alternative Formula
5.6 Recurrence Relations of the Form un+1 = aun + b
5.7 Formula for the Limit
5.8 Problems Involving Recurrence Relations
Answers to SAQs
113
113
114
118
120
123
125
127
128
134
Tutor Assignments
139
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NUMERACY: HIGHER