The iMath experience: A pilot study from Central Connecticut State University

The ability to engage in efficient and effective quantitative reasoning is essential for those pursuing a career in economics. Unfortunately, it is a skill that is often under-developed in students taking introductory level economics course, causing many to minimize its importance and application. This begins a cycle where quantitative skills are down played throughout the curriculum, leaving many students unprepared for a career as an economist. Recent advances in technology have, however, made the incorporation of quantitative reasoning skills less costly for faculty and more beneficial to students, offering a potential pathway to resolving this shortcoming.

Recently, the iMath software (currently available to students free of charge) was piloted within the Economics Department at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). The software has increased student’s exposure to the mathematical skills economists are expected to possess and has allowed them to hone their quantitative skills. Using a pre-test/post-test approach with nearly 200 students in the 2016-2017 academic year, and standard ordinary least squares regression techniques as well as probit modeling, this research seeks to identify the factors that influence the quality of a CCSU student's quantitative reasoning skills as well as assess the effectiveness of the iMath instrument. Results of empirical estimation yield two important insights. First, the results indicate that the quantitative skills of CCSU students differ by race, gender, and field of study. Second, our fidings indicate that the iMath instrument provides significant benefit to those students that devote time and attention to the experience. These findings highlight the need for continued development of quantitative skills at various points in the curriculum and identify areas where additional resources may provide the greatest benefit.