These student-constructed problems foster collaboration, communication, and a sense of ownership over learning.

Students often struggle to connect math with the real world. Word problems—a combination of words, numbers, and mathematical operations—can be a perfect vehicle to take abstract numbers off the page.

Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify how University of Colorado researchers handle their data collection. A student digs into a math problem that references his favorite superhero, ...

Keith Perkins, foreground, works through an algorithm for calculating ladder rung spacing in Linn-Benton Community College’s math for welders class. Credit: Jan Sonnenmair for The Hechinger Report The ...