The Flo-and-Mac problem: a tool for encouraging undergraduate research

ABSTRACT

It has historically been difficult to persuade undergraduates to become involved in research, in part due to the difficulty of making meaningful research problems accessible to such students. This paper describes the Flo-and-Mac problem, an open-ended research problem specifically designed to be accessible to undergraduates, and to enable them to make a meaningful contribution to a scientifically interesting investigation. Perspectives from which the Flo-and-Mac problem can be investigated are examined, and the use of the problem as a pedagogical tool and tournament problem is discussed. It is concluded that Flo-and-Mac problem is a viable tool for these purposes, and further investigation is recommended.

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