Supporting Mathematical Creativity Through Problem Solving

Abstract

I teach at a small Canadian liberal arts and sciences university, where I offer a course called Mathematical problem-solving. In this course, undergraduate students develop the four key takeaways of a liberal arts education: critical thinking, creativity, oral communication, and written communication. As a teacher of mathematics, I am biased in my belief that mathematics develops these four takeaways (or skills) in a way that no other subject can. For many years, the core of my teaching practice has been developing these four skills in my students, through carefully-chosen problems ranging from logic puzzles to contest questions.