Approaches to Learning: Using Puzzles to Teach Pattern Recognition

(W Mar 24, 1-2:30pm Eastern Daylight Time)

In this 1.5 hr. workshop, teachers will work individually and then as a team to identify a pattern in puzzle pieces that tell the story of a theorem, function, or process. Once the pattern is defined, participants will use the pattern to predict what comes before or what comes next in the series. Testing their hypothesis against additional information will allow them to revise their explanation of the rules that govern the pattern. Using a technique that can be repeated with different content, phenomena, or skills, we will look for topics that lend themselves to this method of learning-while-doing to provide an engaging critical thinking activity for online or in-person classes. The techniques taught in this workshop can be utilized in either a remote or in-person classroom.