Keeping pace with advances in multimedia to improve mathematical problem solving skills in classrooms

Abstract

This paper presents the literature reviewed to reflect on the advances in multimedia in the teaching of mathematical problem solving. The use of multimedia in teaching mathematical problem solving has become a need in the 21st century. Multiple resources in addition to text material are necessary to stimulate prior learning. The stimulated prior knowledge can be encoded in the students’ memory in the context of the new knowledge; and then exploration on the problem posed can be advanced. In exploring the problem students can formulate conjectures, and then confirm and prove the conjectures to ultimately provide the solution. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the 21st century innovations in multimedia to enhance the teaching of school mathematics. The paper prompts a need in mathematics teachers to keep pace with developments in teaching resources. The paper also contributes in providing knowledge on the kinds of 21st century resources to be considered in mathematics classrooms, and guidelines on how to plan and co-ordinate multimedia for mathematical problem solving purposes.