Mathematical Problem Solving Course

Online course

Face to Face course

A 6-weeks fully online course was designed Alwyn Olivier and Dr Erna Lampen and is presented in partnership with Limina Education Services. Teachers must commit to work 2-3 hours per week on the course and attend weekly live sessions.

Upon completing the intensive weekly course, teachers are tasked with completing a final assessment in the form of an online, randomised multiple-choice test designed to assess the knowledge and skills they acquired during the course.

Course units:

• Unit 1: What is a Problem?
• Unit 2: Control the Problem-Solving Process
• Unit 3: Focus on Structure
• Unit 4: The Power and Pitfalls of Induction
• Unit 5: Think like a Mathematician - Structure, Control, Generalise, Pose New Problems
• Unit 6: Think like a Mathematician - be systematic.

The face to face courses are normally presented on two Saturdays and focus on the improvement of mathematical problem-solving skills. It consists of the following levels:

Primary (Grades 4 - 7)

Learning about problem solving (strategies, specialisation and generalisation, induction and deduction). Medium through which the course is presented is through problem solving, i.e. teachers learn to solve problems by doing problem solving. The end objective is that teachers will enter and prepare their learners for the South African Mathematics Challenge.

GET Level 1

Introduction to problem solving strategies; offered to all teachers who are doing the course for the first time. The course comprises of the Junior First Round questions of the South African Mathematics Olympiad and involves a range of problem-solving strategies.

GET Level 2

Offered to all teachers who have passed GET Level 1 or FET Level 1. The course comprises of the Junior Second Round questions of the South African Mathematics Olympiad and involves a range of problem-solving strategies.

GET Level 3

Offered to all teachers who have passed GET Level 1, GET Level 2 or FET Level 1. The course comprises of the Junior Third Round questions of the South African Mathematics Olympiad and involves a range of advanced problem-solving strategies including producing a convincing proof or argument to substantiate a certain conclusion.

FET Level 2

Offered to all teachers who have passed GET Level 1. The course comprises of the Senior First Round questions of the South African Mathematics Olympiad and involves a range of problem-solving strategies.