Further Maths Find Solutions with Amazon

Our further maths learners were set a true to life Employer Led Project by Ibtehaj, a Solutions Architect from Amazon Web Services (AWS), that required them to put their knowledge of matrices, sorting algorithms and minimum spanning trees to the test. This ELP covers the curriculum area of decision maths. 

Ibtehaj set the following client brief: Café Nero is signing a contracting deal with Amazon and will be using their services for supplies and deliveries. The café wants to optimise time and minimise cost. Our learners, turned Amazon consultants, have been tasked with debriefing the clients ensuring the services are clear and concise. The decisions that the consultants make must be backed by logic and reason. The consultants must create a portfolio to present their findings. 

For this Employer Led Project, learners were split into groups and spent number of hours working on finding a solution.  

Our further maths learners -turned consultants- had to use their skills from the curriculum to optimise deliveries from Amazon depots to Café Nero's throughout London. Learners grappled with special types of graphs – such as spanning tree and complete graphs – which helped them to understand how graphs and networks can be used to create mathematical models. Learners even applied Dijkstra’s and Kruskal’s algorithm to further optimise Amazon’s service.  

Thanks to Ibtehaj contextualising these complex mathematical operations in a realistic brief reflective of the way further maths curriculum content is used in industry, our learners gained an added depth to their learning experience. They were challenged to think critically which showed in the results as each group had their own unique approach to optimising delivery between amazon warehouses and Cafe Nero's across London.  

Fiona, Further Maths learner with an interest in software development and cyber security shared, "Decision maths is heavily based on memorisation. It can be a lot of mental effort to memorise everything so contextualising it with exciting projects such as these is a great method because it helps me to recall the skills on decision maths in a much better way than I would if I were to just revise the content. Also, the presentation element was particularly valuable to me as I feel those are the professional skills I will need in my future career pathway." 

To conclude project, Ibtehaj returned to the college where our learners presented their findings to our visitor. Ibtehaj listened intently to each presentation, offered feedback and asked challenging questions to further stretch our learners understanding of the topics covered in this project. 

"I wanted to extend my sincerest compliments to your Year 12 students for their exceptional performance. Their professional presentation and delivery were truly impressive, showcasing their preparation and dedication. It was particularly noteworthy to see them handle challenging questions with confidence and adaptability, demonstrating their ability to think on their feet—an invaluable skill for their future endeavours. The students’ enthusiasm and poise are a testament to the high standard of education and support they receive at LDE UTC. I would be delighted to support them again in the future and look forward to seeing how they continue to grow and excel," Ibtehaj, Solutions Architect. 

 

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