Importance of Informatics Skills for Economics Graduates

Abstract

Now that we are moving into the information era, preparing students for dealing with information technology and information systems (IT) in their future careers is viewed as an increasingly important objective in academic curricula. According to Miners & Nantz (1995,) there are three reasons for using computers in introductory economics courses. The most important reason is ‘to introduce students to the types of problem-solving skills that economists use, to show students how economists “do” economics’. Students are encouraged ‘to see the computer as a tool that they can use to organise, understand and analyse the information that they need to solve economic problems’. A second reason is ‘to help students bridge the gap between the economic concepts that they learn, and the graphical illustrations and mathematical analysis that follow’. A third reason for using computers in the introductory economics course is to make use of skills and interests that many students, belonging to the ‘new generation of computer literate students’, bring to the course.