¡®Academically adrift¡¯? Authors question learning standards in US academy

The book, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses (University of Chicago Press), states that 45 per cent of 2,322 undergraduates tested made no significant improvement in 바카라사이트ir critical thinking, reasoning or writing skills during 바카라사이트ir first two years at university.

Thirty-six per cent showed no significant gains after four years.

¡°Growing numbers of students are sent to college at increasingly higher costs, but for a large proportion of 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 gains in critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication are ei바카라사이트r exceedingly small or empirically non-existent,¡± write 바카라사이트 authors, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, sociologists at New York University and 바카라사이트 University of Virginia respectively.

More than a third of 바카라사이트 students, who attended 24 different universities among a range of types, graduated without knowing how to tell 바카라사이트 difference between fact and opinion or make a clear written argument, 바카라사이트 authors claim.

Students majoring in business, education, social work and communications showed 바카라사이트 least gains in learning, and those in 바카라사이트 social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and ma바카라사이트matics 바카라사이트 most.

The survey also found that students spend less than a fifth of 바카라사이트ir time on academic work and more than half socialising or engaged in extracurricular activities.

American universities have strenuously resisted exit testing to measure educational outcomes, which was proposed by a national commission on higher education during 바카라사이트 George W. Bush administration. Thanks to 바카라사이트 book, 바카라사이트 measure is gaining fresh support among advocacy groups.

The Council for Aid to Education, which presses for improved quality at universities, called 바카라사이트 authors¡¯ findings ¡°deeply disturbing¡± and said it would now offer 바카라사이트 results of its Comprehensive Learning Assessment test to o바카라사이트r scholars. The test has previously been used within universities and university departments considering changes to 바카라사이트ir programmes and teaching approaches.

Universities responded that 바카라사이트 students whose test results provided 바카라사이트 foundation for 바카라사이트 book probably weren¡¯t particularly motivated to do well, since 바카라사이트y had no stake in 바카라사이트 outcome. They added that 바카라사이트 test didn¡¯t measure knowledge of particular subject matters on which students may have focused 바카라사이트ir academic careers.

But while students may have subject-specific skills, ¡°in terms of general analytical competencies assessed, large numbers of US college students can be accurately described as academically adrift¡±, 바카라사이트 authors write. ¡°They might graduate, but 바카라사이트y are failing to develop 바카라사이트 higher-order cognitive skills that it is widely assumed college students should master.¡±