Overview

These are the Building Confidence Problem Solving Classes, designed for students that are currently heading towards a grade B or C and that would benefit from developing their problem solving skills.

A series of maths problem-solving sessions designed to give students the confidence to apply for university courses that require or take into consideration achievement in an admissions test.

These regular classes offer students the opportunity to develop mathematical problem-solving skills through discussion and collaboration. They are designed to help students to develop strategies and confidence when tackling unfamiliar problems in maths.

At the same time, the problems used in the course are fun and rewarding. Attending the sessions will greatly enrich students’ mathematical experience and help them to develop a better understanding of A level Mathematics.

Aims

• To develop initial strategies, confidence and resilience when dealing with maths problems
• To provide a platform on which to build secure problem solving techniques
• To provide some initial information about the problem solving involved in University Admissions Test

Who will benefit from attending?

This set of classes is designed for students that are not currently planning to take the University Admissions Tests. It is ideal for students that would benefit from a focus on problem solving strategies, from working with other students on a series of topics to increase confidence and experience a mix of problem types. Students are expected to commit to the full series of 12 sessions to get the most from these classes.

Not sure if this is the right course for you? View the tasters here

Materials and equipment

The classes are being held online, you will need access to suitable equipment. You are advised to use a headset or headphones with an inline microphone to provide the best sound quality and to prevent audio issues for other users. A laptop with a built-in webcam and microphone may be sufficient if you’re in a quiet area but please take the time to check this before the session. BBB is designed to be used on a variety of platforms but you will get the best experience via a desktop or laptop computer, running either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as the browser.

Note: Internet Explorer and Edge are not suitable currently.

We will be using Desmos Classroom in each session and we recommend that participants set up a (free) student account prior to the first session so they can revisit the materials.

Other information

The following problems provide a taste of the sort of problem solving that will be encountered in the classes:

Problem 1: When you know 15 squared, what is the most efficient way to work out 16 squared without a calculator?

Problem 2: How many different ways are there to find the minimum point of a quadratic curve?  Will every method always work?

Eligibility

Cost

Study schedule

All sessions take place online on Mondays.

Content focuses on mathematics from the AS specification.

To get a feel for the sessions, see this short taster.

Key facts

• Reference:#14098
• Audience:Students
• Target year:Year 12
• Curriculum focus:University admissions tests
• Mathematical focus:Problem solving
• Event format:Online
• Duration:20 hours
• Online sessions:12
• Region:National
• Fee:Free