Study: Many College Students Not Learning to Think Critically

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/10/17-4

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.

Arum, whose book "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses" (University of Chicago Press) comes out this month, followed 2,322 traditional-age students from the fall of 2005 to the spring of 2009 and examined testing data and student surveys at a broad range of 24 U.S. colleges and universities, from the highly selective to the less selective.

Forty-five percent of students made no significant improvement in their critical thinking, reasoning or writing skills during the first two years of college, according to the study. After four years, 36 percent showed no significant gains in these so-called "higher order" thinking skills.

More at the link --

[redqueen]

1. This shouldn't be surprising news to anyone.

It is the widespread lack of critical thinking skills that makes it possible for the MSM to lie, smear and distort as much as they do.

[flamingdem]

3. It's "uncool" to dig too deep apparently

but the OWS youth are showing a new cool with their attention to ideas.

[flamingdem]

2. Only 1 in 10 voted in 2010 - lack of critical thinking?

I think it might contribute to the problem.

[NYC_SKP]

4. It's a problem that begins much, much earlier, in our schools and in our culture.

State High School Exit Exams based on Seventh Grade Standards...

A Society that Places Consumption above Charity.

Don't get me started.

[markpkessinger]

19. Spot on! ...

... If college students are to graduate with well-developed critical thinking skills, then the development of those skills had better be underway long before the arrive at college.

[tavalon]

46. Your smiley is frickin' hypnotizing!

[seabeyond]

5. maybe we ought to look in the homes they spend most of their time in. to make it to young adult and

not having learned critical thinking in their homes, alone, says something.

do families not talk?

i didnt leave it up to the schools to teach my kids critical thinking. to important. but it sure has come in handy for the kids in the schools. it enhances their education and the teachers embrace, are thrilled with it.

[etherealtruth]

36. You have the intellectual resources to do so

All children are not born into families that have the intellectual (or emotional)resources to teach these and other skills. Assuming this, children born to parents lacking these abilities are doomed to lack these skills unless they are taught elsewhere.

Parents certainly have significant responsibilities but public education should help level the playing field (noting of course, that the playing field can never be truly equal).

edit: for spelling

[seabeyond]

39. these are college students

their environments should not be vastly different than mine.

i have been listening to this conversation of critical thinking since i was in school in the 60's and 70's. there are those people that explore thought, and those that don't. i see it with the kids that come to my house. we talk, discuss, think and explore. even the ones that would be deemed non critical thinkers, are when they come to this house, cause that is what we do. they may not do it well, because they have not played in it a lifetime, but they do have fun with it when encouraged and allowed and listened to.

every single one of them

[etherealtruth]

41. That was my point

The vast majority of college students attended public schools fo at least 12 years. These schools should have helped level the playing field for chiden born into homes where the resources to teach critical thinking (for whatever reason) are lacking.

I have no doubt critical thinking is taught (probably demanded as it is in my house)in your home. It was taught in my home of origin and it is demanded of my children. This is not so in all home settings, it is not possible in all homes.

The idea (I hope) is to teach all children to think as critically as they are able; this often needs to be taught outside of one's home.

[Codeine]

48. Exactly.

Stupidity starts at home and cannot be remedied by a few hours at school.

[etherealtruth]

55. do we simply write children off that are born into disadvantaged families?

Disadvantages come in many forms ... children from economically disadvantaged homes often have a host of disadvantages. Financial security does not mean that parents are emotionally or intellectually able to engage with their children.

Much can be done within the education system to teach children critical thinking skills.

I hope those involved in educating children believe that they can (and will)have an impact on the children they teach. Even if it is one child at a time.

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. This part is interesting

<snip>
Students who majored in the traditional liberal arts — including the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and mathematics — showed significantly greater gains over time than other students in critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing skills.

Students majoring in business, education, social work and communications showed the least gains in learning. However, the authors note that their findings don't preclude the possibility that such students "are developing subject-specific or occupationally relevant skills."
</snip>

[fishwax]

13. interesting indeed

And it seems like for several years now the humanities and social sciences have been treated like an afterthought (at best).

[tabbycat31]

15. and liberal arts majors are looked down upon big time in the job market

[no_hypocrisy]

20. I have an AB in liberal arts. One of the classes I enrolled in the first semester was logic.

Difficult as all hell, neither the best teacher nor textbook, but it was worth it.

When I enrolled in law school, I took as many writing courses as I possibly could. To my chagrine, I discovered I had a true deficit in organizing my thoughts. It didn't matter if I were brilliant or less than if nobody could follow my writing, e.g., exams, legal documents. I work forever on a topic paragraph before I begin to develop my composition now.

[coalition_unwilling]

33. Is it possible to 'major' in 'Social Work'? I know you can get a

Master's Degree in it and that (the MSW degree) becomes something of a formal credential, but don't undergrads major in 'Sociology'?

[FarCenter]

51. Family Social Science B.S.

Family Social Science
• Required credits to graduate with this degree: 120.
• Required credits within the major: 55 to 58.
Family social science is a multidisciplinary major for those who are interested in helping people, counseling, and understanding human relationships. This major prepares graduates for careers in working with individuals, families, or systems in human services. The major is enhanced by a required internship related to the student’s specific program and career goals. Qualified graduates may continue their education through graduate study in family social science, child and human development, social work, or allied health disciplines.

[WinkyDink]

34. I'd put this in the "NS, S" file, frankly.

[JI7]

62. i can see why this is, those majoring in Business, education, social work etc

are doing so more to get a job.

those majoring in other areas probably have some personal interest in the issue also. it's not just about what job they will get from it but an actual interest in learning.

[tabatha]

7. Absolutely - you can see it just about everywhere.

People of extremist views, bend everything to support their beliefs, even if it makes no sense at all.

I see this especially with right-wingers - unions are bad, therefore every problem is because of unions. But if one had to look at the complete picture, take all factors into account, then the conclusion may be different.

And the really sad thing is, I have seen this kind of thinking with people who think logically every day. They are engineers and have to think critically on issues whose whole picture they can easily determine.

However, social issues are more complex - and require much more data to come to a conclusion.

That is why Rachel is so invaluable - she keeps hammering away at the facts so that people can remember them.

[Odin2005]

52. A lot of engineer-types and accountant-types are RW nuts, IMO because...

Despite their intelligence they have no ability to think outside of the box.

[snot]

8. "A modern economic system demands . . .

. . . mass production of students who are not educated and have been rendered incapable of thinking."

– U.N.E.F. Strasbourg, On the Poverty of Student Life (1966).

[Hydra]

61. Or as George Carlin put it:

"But I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They're not interested in that. That doesn't help them. That's against their interests. They don't want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly they're getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fucking years ago."

[izquierdista]

9. The why of it

Here is the best explanation of it (at 1:10) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q

[FarCenter]

10. Here is a 30 slide presentation pdf by the authors

https://www.aacu.org/meetings/annualmeeting/AM11/documents/AcademicallyAdriftAACUJan2011.pdf

Slide 17 shows that science/math majors scored highest on the Collegiate Learning Assessment used as the instrument in the study.

This is a little odd, because most science/math courses don't involve extensive reading and writing, which otherwise might be recommended for developing critical thinking skills.

On the other hand, perhaps the admissions process is the most important determinant in selecting for talented students and critical thinking skills are not much developed thereafter.

PS -- the student use of time on slide 11 is disturbing. It appears that the students are spending about 27 hours per week in class/lab or studying. When I was in college, the expectation was that the student would spend 2 hours in study for every hour in class and 1 hour preparing reports for every 2 hours spent in lab. In that system, a normal 16 credit course load equated to 48 hours per week of work.

[XemaSab]

16. Maybe the math and science students

who can't think critically drop out, or change majors. :shrug:

[FarCenter]

31. Or maybe math and science are good topics to teach critical thinking

Math involves long chains of careful reasoning to get to answers, and the answers are demonstrably correct or incorrect.

Science involves deducing causality, and the formulation of possible hypotheses followed by experimentation, reasoning, and modeling to accept or reject them. It also teaches the limitations of measurement, statistical analysis, and how to evaluate error probabilities.

[Nay]

35. Or maybe math & science students are already brainier, and their

natural intelligence makes them already better critical thinkers than the average person. I'd love to see this study viewed with attention to the IQ of the students.

[mzteris]

58. ummmm... not so sure about that.

Lots of "skilled workers" are very good at "critical thinking" - more so than their "eductated counterparts" who learn theory and no practical application.

[Bill McBlueState]

38. one thing about math and science

If you're actually majoring in math or science, not engineering or pharmacy, you have to take quite a few humanities courses at most institutions. When I majored in physics at a state school, I got plenty of practice in reading and writing.

[FarCenter]

50. At many universities you can get either a BA or BS in Physics

IIRC, the BA program typically would allow more liberal arts electives.

[Fumesucker]

11. "Mission Accomplished!" -The Powers That Be..

Specifically including Arne Duncan.

[southmost]

12. critical thinking no longer a priority in public education

test scores and discipline are the priority

[GoCubsGo]

26. It hasn't always been a priority in private education, either.

I went to a Catholic school for grades 1-9. We were not taught to think critically. We were taught to just slurp down everything we were told, and accept it. Just memorize what the teacher tells you. Had we been taught to think critically, we'd start questioning the BS they taught us in religion class. Can't have that. Thank goodness I finished high school in a public school, where we actually had to think for ourselves, or I never would have made it through college. It's bad enough they destroyed my ability to study properly with their memorization bullshit.

[Darth_Kitten]

45. When was it a major priority?

Not too thrilled with the critical thinking abilities of a LOT of older people, never mind the younger people.

There have been a lot of people slipping through the cracks for years. :(

[Cirque du So-What]

14. I went to a private liberal-arts school

that required everyone to write a term paper (MLA format, the whole nine yards) in each class taken in every semester, regardless of whether it was a math class, human anatomy or political science (this was before the intertubes, mind you, so I got quite intimate with the library staff). At the time, I felt that it was unnecessary - bordering on oppressive - but later in life I see the merit in such a requirement. I haven't kept tabs on current requirements at the school, but I'm betting that requirement has fallen by the wayside.

[a la izquierda]

17. Well, they won't escape my classes without that skill...

I'm a first year history professor at a small school. I and my colleagues work our students hard. We make them think.
Hopefully this study will shake some folks up in the profession.

[seabeyond]

18. ha

i am reading a book with this clan name. so funny. had to put glasses on and look at the page i have open and there donnachaidh is. let and protect robert bruce stay on his land summer of 1306. near the bankc of loch trammel. sheltered by duncan the stout, cheif of clan donnacdaidh.

fun coincidence

[aikoaiko]

21. Good enough to work for corporations.

[TalkingDog]

22. Real Life: No shit. Sherlock.

I teach college students. Getting them to think analytically is like pulling teeth with greased rubber gloves on.

[etherealtruth]

43. Would it be so if these skills were honed early on?

Probably not.

Students are students ... the odds are that it would still be like pulling teeth ... but, at least, you'd have the appropriate dental tools to do it with.

[90-percent]

23. My opinion

College is now viewed as a means to "get a good job". With a priority like that, I think Colleges are morphing into vocational schools dedicated to teaching job skills. So, as George Carlin has said, corporations want people smart enough to run and fix the machines, but not smart enough to understand that modern workers are being fucked over by multi-national corporations running all the governments of the world.

-90% Jimmy

[redqueen]

37. Yep. Smart enough to work... dumb enough to accept MSM narrative. (nt)

[JI7]

63. that's why you get people bragging about how they work 2 or more jobs

and don't buy anything so they can pay bills and are not in debt.

but if you aren't buying anything and still need 2 jobs just to pay for basic needs isn't there something wrong with the system ? it's not something to brag about, it's something they should want to change.

[xchrom]

24. recommend

[jowsybart]

25. this is just propaganda from the education industry

[Fumesucker]

40. Go and talk to some of the people who want to keep the federal government out of Social Security..

And get back to us on their critical thinking abilities..

Keep in mind those folks have their own TV propaganda channel and a seamless nationwide network of radio stations devoted to the same purpose.

Edited for phrasing.

[jowsybart]

49. WHAT???

cannot make any sense of your post. Word salad etc

[Fumesucker]

66. If you say so, grasshopper..

If you say so..

:hi:

[galileoreloaded]

27. Like spending 60K on a degree to work at Starbucks?

Critical thinking that drive choices and decisions like that?

[jowsybart]

29. how dare you speak against the groupthink!!1!!??????

careful now....you are running up against hundreds of propagandized...er...educated minds.

[Douglas Carpenter]

28. What good is book learnin if it can't get you a job?

The Reagan and post-Reagan generations grew up in a world where being ignorant and simplistic was redefined in large parts of the society as being sensible and pragmatic. Complexity and nuance became spinelessness and weakness.

Another factor I suspect is the "McDonaldization" of educated even at the primary and secondary level. This included not just a profound de-emphasis on liberal arts and social science but a broad cultural disrespect for liberal arts and social sciences regarded more as an unnecessary and expensive luxury. These are areas which this study concluded were more apt to facilitate critical thinking.

[redqueen]

42. So very well said.

Money came to be seen as the only measure by which something's value could be determined in that era, or so it seemed to me. If a degree doesn't earn big money, what use is it? That's the attitude that took hold, and about so much more than education. If there's no profit, there's no point. What a wonderful influence that mindset has had on society.

[Zorra]

56. Well said. Succinct and accurate, IMO.

I am often amazed at the profound lack of critical thinking skills combined with the lack of general knowledge among these groups.

Like, "How in the world can you not even know that Illinois is a state if you graduated from high school?!?" A very large percentage of this group would fail miserably on the citizenship test required for becoming a US citizen.

Reagan appointed the RW extremist William Bennett to the post of Secretary of Education in 1985 to begin in earnest the deliberate dumbing down of US students. The 60's taught them that a society with too many smart people is not easily controlled and is dangerous to transnational corporate business interests and a threat to maximized profits.

So Bennett was chosen to administrate the distribution of ignorance in our school system to help insure the continuation of a populace that could not figure out what was going on and that would not question authority within the matrix. They succeeded in birthing our current "idiocracy" to a large extent, and it is a testament to the resourcefulness and perception of the folks raised in these generations who can think critically and logically, a bunch of whom post awesome insights and ideas here at DU.

William Bennett

William John Bennett (born July 31, 1943) is an American conservative pundit, politician, and political theorist. He served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He also held the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (or "Drug Czar") under George H. W. Bush.
snip---
Bennett tends to take a conservative position on affirmative action, school vouchers, curriculum reform, and religion in education. As Education Secretary, he asked colleges to better enforce drug laws, supported a classical education rooted in Western culture, and derided multicultural courses. He frequently criticized schools for low standards. In fact, in 1988, he called the Chicago public school system "the worst in the nation."<1>
snip---
In 1995, he teamed up with C. Delores Tucker to create advertising to target Time Warner's lack of regulation of gangsta rap and its glorification of violence and denigration of women. Bennett is a member of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and was one of the signers of the January 26, 1998 PNAC Letter<5> sent to President Bill Clinton urging Clinton to remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bennett

[Agony]

30. maybe administrators should get the hell out of the way and let faculty do their job

university systems are almost fully corporatized at this point

that this study shows that education students (among others) are further behind the curve is freaking sad and disturbing, but not surprising from my experience.


...
Agony

[deafskeptic]

32. This is news?

I can think of people who went to college way back in the 1950s who are unable to think critically. This has been going on for decades.

[Darth_Kitten]

44. Most people, period, seem to not know how to think critically.

I don't know why so many people get to graduate high school and move on.

[mzteris]

59. ayuh. just look around.

(and you don't have to look far! :rofl: )

[patrice]

47. Too much pseudo-co-operation, i.e. so called co-operative education has become the death of learning

[Odin2005]

53. IMO most people are simply mentally incapable of true critical thought.

The difference now is that these people are being forced to go to college because most of the good-paying jobs you can get right out of high school have been outsourced. Colleges have become glorified and expensive vocational schools for most people. The truly college-worthy have been swamped by those who use college as mere vocational training and are mentally incapable of any thing more.

[Lucian]

54. This is an article written for a guy who wants to sell a book.

[mzteris]

57. fact-based learning is highly over-rated

and in this day and age of computers - almost useless. (Note I said almost...)

What's important is:

1. HOW TO LEARN.
2. How to evaluate the information before you.
a. Is it credible?
b. What's it's source? Is that credible?
3. How to determine what it is you "know" and what it is you "don't know".
4. Where to go to find out what it is you need to know.

Rinse, repeat, recycle . . .

[indepat]

60. Thank God no child is getting left behind in America and that junior's educational initiatives

have been ratified. :patriot:

[DirkGently]

64. Everyone's entitled to his or her own facts now. Don't like it. Don't believe it.

[The Backlash Cometh]

65. Anyone have a list of the kind of things that someone who can't

critically think might fall for? If it's something that's very obvious, it can be exploited by the wrong people.