Demystifying Math: Digitalisation and Discovery in Togo
In July 2024, the École Élikplim in Davié became the center of a new movement. For five days, students and teachers gathered for the 6th edition of the Togo Maths Camp. This camp was a collaboration between IMTogo and CIADD, with financial support from SAMI. The goal was bold: to demystify mathematics and show students that logic is a tool they can all use.
2024’s theme was "Mathematics and the digitalization of teaching" . SAMI believes in the focus of preparing students for an evolving digital world. In Togo, this meant showing how mathematical logic forms the backbone of the technology we use every day. Through the focus on digitalization, the research gap is reduced and students in rural areas have the same opportunities as those in big cities.
The camp did not feel like a typical school day. The instructors, including local experts like Akpabla Komlan Thierry and Kohoun Jean-Claude, used games to teach deep concepts.
Students worked on:
- Kaprekar’s Routine : A puzzle that explores the strange patterns found in four-digit numbers.
- The Handshake Problem : A classic way to teach combinatorics and how groups interact.
- The Vigenère Cipher : An introduction to cryptography. Students learned how to create and break secret codes, moving math from "numbers" to "security."
To keep energy high, they played Seven Up, a fast-paced math game that requires quick thinking and mental math. It turned the classroom into a space of laughter and competition.
The organisers noted that the students were very curious about these new ways of learning. They weren't just sitting and listening; they were active participants.
For the instructors, the camp was a chance to see how students perceive math and science. It allowed them to make these subjects accessible and attractive.
A camp of this size requires a lot of help. There was gratitude for SAMI for its support, and for the local authorities in Davié and the founder of École Élikplim for helping make the camp possible and for supporting opportunities for students to explore mathematics and technology.
