Wednesday, January 26, 2011

You Went to College! So What?

Ruh roh.

Reality emerges.

A recent study from professors at NYU and UVA may have corroborated this theory, “New research finds that 45 percent of undergraduate college students show no significant improvement in the areas of critical thinking and complex reasoning by the end of their sophomore year. … [Students] were tested using the Collegiate Learning Assessment, a standardized essay-based test that measures analytic and problem solving skills, reports the New York Times. Inside Higher Ed explains some of the study’s results: 45 percent of students “did not demonstrate any significant improvement in learning” during the first two years of college. 36 percent of students “did not demonstrate any significant improvement in learning” over four years of college. Those students who do show improvements tend to show only modest improvements.” --quoted at LegalInsurrection

That's not exactly a shock to anyone who's had to deal with Kollege Kids in real-world actual-work situations.

11 comments:

  1. This isn't shocking. The first 2 years of college are a joke. Liberal Arts credits are mostly busy work IMO.

    The other third of students who didn't demonstrate any significant improvement in learning over the 4 years of college probably majored in History or Liberal Ed. or Kinesiology or whatever.

    Not surprising.

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  2. But we slander GOVERNOR Scott Walker for failing to complete his degree.

    Elitist liberals crack me up.

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  3. Um, Houston, we need perspective here.


    thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/academically-adrift/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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  4. We should hewson. All it takes to get a basic 4 year degree is time, effort and follow through. Apparently achieving a basic degree is just too hard for Walker to accomplish. This should say a lot about the man.

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  5. All it takes to get a basic 4 year degree is time, effort and follow through.

    I notice that actually learning something useful isn't part of your list.

    Which renders your point null and void.

    And as someone who is the first in her family to get a college education, the presumption that the rest of my family is not hard working or somehow stupid is insulting.

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  6. Don't forget that tuition costs for a private four college have increased about six times over the cost of living, over the past thirty years.

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  7. Private four year college.

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  8. Community college dropout here. Perhaps not so tainted?

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  9. "...the presumption that the rest of my family is not hard working or somehow stupid is insulting."

    Some people choose to get a 4 year degree. Some people don't. Some people aren't college material. Some people don't have the financial means to get one. Some people learn a trade instead. No one is calling anyone stupid.

    The idea that you actually have to learn something useful in order to obtain a 4 year degree is debatable. But you do have to take the time, put forth the effort and complete the tasks necessary in order to achieve a degree. Some people come up short. Hey, it happens. But "some people" didn't get elected Gov.

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  10. "That's not exactly a shock to anyone who's had to deal with Kollege Kids in real-world actual-work situations."

    You just won your old curmudgeon title back, Dadster.

    Kids these days don't know nothin', ain'a?

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  11. They might help fix his computer, and warn him that his pass-along emails aren't true according to Snopes.

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