Puzzle Based Learning

The focus of this course is on getting students to think about framing and solving unstructured problems (those that are not encountered at the end of some textbook chapter). The general objective is to increase the student's mathematical awareness and problem-solving skills by discussing a variety of puzzles. The puzzle-based learning approach has a long tradition as the first mathematical puzzles were found in Sumerian texts that date back to around 2,500 BC The puzzles selected for the course satisfy most of the following criteria: a) Generality: educational puzzles explain some universal mathematical problem-solving principles; b) Simplicity: educational puzzles are easy to state and easy to remember; c) Eureka factor: educational puzzles often frustrate the problem-solver! Eventually a Eureka! moment is reached. The Eureka factor also implies that educational puzzles often have elementary solutions that are not obvious; d) Entertainment factor: educational puzzles are very entertaining! Such educational puzzles are used to illustrate basic concepts of critical thinking, mathematics, and problem-solving. The course presents some problem-solving rules and covers issues of understanding the problem and the role of intuition in problem-solving activities. Further, some mathematical problem-solving principles are discussed and elements of modelling, constraint-processing, optimization, probability, statistics, simulation, pattern recognition, and strategy are introduced.