Mathematics and Statistics Competition

University of Melbourne Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition

Congratulations to all students who took part in this year’s Mathematics and Statistics Research Competition. The junior division of this competition was open to all students in Years 5 and 6. 

To participate, students needed to organise themselves into a small team and select one of the research topics from the competition. Topics included a research analysis of the value and quality of toilet paper, an investigation into the numbers in the sport of cup stacking and data collection of different bird types in the area over time. Students then had to work on their inquiry in their own time, outside of school, to complete their research, analysis and report. 

One of the aims of the competition is to provide students with experiences similar to those of real mathematicians and statisticians, examining how mathematics can help us understand the world around us.

In addition to the challenges of understanding the content of their research, the participating students needed to overcome general challenges, such as keeping regular meetings, communicating and negotiating with their team, dividing up the workload and sticking to a timeline over a period of 3 months. It was quite a learning experience in a number of areas.

I would like to congratulate the following teams who completed the competition:

Derin M- The Ambiguities in Mathematics

Fatima S- Tissue Rolls

Jason D, Grant G- Heads or Tails

Samuel F, Noboni A, Jensen B- Story Networks

Blake W, Ollie R, Abhinav A- Heads or Tails

These students have entered their reports into the competition for judging and are in the running to win certificates and prizes. 

Congratulations once again to all students who took part in this great learning experience!

Andy McKibbin

Numeracy Learning Specialist