EASTON, PA—The First In Math online program recently achieved an amazing milestone—17 BILLION math problems solved to date!
Of course, it is our incredible PLAYERS, as a group, who have actually achieved the milestone. This effort, if performed by a single individual working 24 hours a day, would have taken approximately 5,390 YEARS! That is almost the entire length that the venerated Jewish, Chinese or Indian calendars have been in existence.
“Each morning, I typically check the running tally of Math Problems Solved at the bottom of the FIM login page,” explains First In Math creator Robert Sun. “When I saw the total was approaching 17 billion, it got me thinking about how much time this was equivalent to. I applied our normal formulas to estimate the time involved, and was astounded at the staggering amount of time students are spending solving math problems.”
According to Sun, an in-depth analysis of when players are earning stickers—and therefore thinking mathematically—shows that more than 45% of this activity is happening outside of school hours.
Why do students use this “educational” site on their own time? Sun theorizes it is because FIM does not restrict a student to a specific path. “We have faith in the child to discover his or her ideal entry point to active learning. In preserving a child’s ability to choose and explore, we offer the equivalent of a world-class library, museum or playground within a fun, digital-gaming environment. This distinguishes us from all other math programs.”
More than 20 years ago when Sun left his career in engineering to concentrate on the field of educational tools, he hoped that the 24® game—and later the First In Math program—could help new generations of American students contribute to society. “I am thrilled to see that FIM has inspired so many young people to connect with the world of numbers—and excited that they have taken the ball and run with it with such passion.”