Puzzle-based Learning

What is missing in most curricula - from elementary school all the way
through to university education - is coursework focused on the
development of problem-solving skills. Most students never learn how to
think about solving problems.
Besides being a lot of fun, a puzzle-based learning approach also does a
remarkable job of convincing students that (a) science is useful and
interesting, (b) the basic courses they take are relevant, (c) mathematics is
not that scary (no need to hate it!), and (d) it is worthwhile to stay in
school, get a degree, and move into the real world which is loaded with
interesting problems (problems perceived as real-world puzzles).