Surely you’ve heard this by now, but bear with me:
NEW YORK — An unprecedented study that followed several thousand undergraduates through four years of college found that large numbers didn’t learn the critical thinking, complex reasoning and written communication skills that are widely assumed to be at the core of a college education.
Many of the students graduated without knowing how to sift fact from opinion, make a clear written argument or objectively review conflicting reports of a situation or event, according to New York University sociologist Richard Arum, lead author of the study. The students, for example, couldn’t determine the cause of an increase in neighborhood crime or how best to respond without being swayed by emotional testimony and political spin. (Emphasis mine)
About thirty-six percent of college students haven’t improved after four years. Now think back to almost a year ago, when CNN polling discovered that three out of four tea party activists had attended college. In all likelihood, these are the same people.
