A core challenge for any organization is to create highly functioning teams that creatively and effectively find solutions to complex challenges. The authors propose the foundation of creating such teams is for the team to develop a shared understanding of the requisite knowledge of everyone on the team and then recombine that knowledge to find…

Large language models (LLMs) are now widely accessible, reaching learners across all educational levels. This development has raised concerns that their use may circumvent essential learning processes and compromise the integrity of established assessment formats. In physics education, where problem solving plays a central role in both instruction…

This research delves into the effectiveness of youth hackathons, highlighting their ability to foster innovation, creativity and skill development among school-aged children and teenagers. Through an ethnographic approach and analysis of six such hackathons, the research identifies the desired outcomes of these events, such as enhanced…

In this paper, we engage with the Research Excellence Framework (REF) -- the UK government's national policy tool for competitive allocation of scarce research funding. Success on the terms of the REF provides guaranteed income for UK Universities for a 6- or 7-year period -- and as a result, we suggest that the REF operates as an asset-like…

Background: As mentorship programs variably impact STEM identity formation, significant attention is paid to whether mentors and mentees are well-matched. Mentorship-matching studies focus on the salient ethnic and gender influences on the identity formation of underrepresented minorities. We study socioeconomic-matching influences to ascertain…

Considering the complexity of COVID-19 and post-pandemic learning conditions, how can we foster intercultural and real-world learning outcomes in design studios? This article explores the possibilities for situated learning experiences to prepare students for industry. Design sprints and designathons are intensive experiences used in studio…

Short-term mega sporting events provide an opportunity for students to not only gain a memorable career experience but also enhance student skills and learning. However, very few (if any) researchers have explored students' confidence related to key skills before and after such an event. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the effect of…

The Chain Experiment competition has been held successfully for 6 years in Poland and is attracting growing interest. The competition provides participants with a task that involves designing and constructing a contraption that is an element in a chain of events that are based on various physical phenomena. The contraptions are then linked…

In this paper, we consider the issues involved in creating appropriate problems for a popular mathematics competition, and how such problems differ from problems typically encountered in a classroom. We discuss the differences and similarities in school curricula versus the generally agreed upon topics encountered in international competitions.…

Problem-solving is an essential part of teaching, learning, and assessment of physics and mathematics. The continuing educational reforms have a deep impact on everyday teaching as well as working with talented students. In the Macedonian educational system, the curricula do not explicitly point out the connection between mathematics and physics,…

Problem solving is considered an essential ability for becoming an expert in physics, and individualized feedback on the structure of problem-solving processes is a key component to support students in developing this ability. Problem-solving processes consist of multiple elements whose order forms the sequential structure of these processes.…

For a century and a half, the scene of mathematics competitions underwent a remarkable transformation from isolated and geographically scattered events to a full-scale and a full-featured vibrant global ecosystem comprising an impressive variety of competitions, school students, university students, teachers, mentors, scientists, schools,…

This study investigated teachers' perceptions on the impact of gamification on student engagement and learning outcomes in Nigerian primary schools, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional teaching methods and contemporary learner needs. A mixed-methods approach was utilised, involving quantitative and qualitative data collection through an…

Contribution: This study incorporates competition-based learning (CBL) into machine learning courses. By engaging students in innovative problem-solving challenges within information competitions, revealing that students' participation in online problem-solving competitions can improve their information technology, and showcase competitions can…

In this paper, we consider mathematical competitions for pre-university students, such as the "International Mathematical Olympiad" (IMO) and many national and regional Olympiads following a similar model. The problems proposed in these contests must be solvable by 'elementary' methods (i.e., without using calculus) and belong…