At SuMON Math, we encourage students to write detailed solutions instead of just writing the final answers. These solutions are then meticulously graded and commented by our faculty team.
In collaboration with Cheenta Academy, we have been training math olympiad students for many years. We have noticed that the students who write their solutions regularly, invariably gain a better understanding of the subject. However this part seems to be a no-brainer. After all, if you put more time into something, you will get better at it.
The counter-intuitive part is the psychological impact of doing the same. Once a student is requested to write detailed solutions, they start associating value with meticulous and careful work. They are less enticed by the 'final answer'. They begin enjoying the dry intermediate steps. All of these aspects are extremely valuable for raising a mathematician and in fact any problem solver.
We treat the extensive grading and commenting process as a 'feedback loop'. They are 'letters' from observers (teachers) to the pupil. These grades and comments are designed to encourage more involvement from the students. In this age of instant gratification, fortnightly comments from graders, strikes a balance between feedback and recognition.
In conclusion, grading and commenting non-routine problem set solutions have three crucial roles. Firstly they improve the understanding the students. Secondly they gain psychological impetus to associate value to detailed work. Finally the students are added to a feedback loop that propels them into more problem solving.
