Comments on: Why Can’t College Students Argue? Don’t Ask Me, I Don’t Control Academia.

By: Jimmie

Jimmie — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 04:42:21 +0000

You read the article to which I linked, yes? It contains the researched support.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:16:11 +0000

You ask about critical thinking, but you provide the challenge: "If college students never have to make an argument and never hear their professors make an argument, how in the world are they supposed to learn to argue?" At the university where I teach and the departments across campus, students are taught and required to conduct research on all aspects of a problem or topic and make an argument or state a hypothesis based on evidence, not opinion. Analysis as opposed to opinion, support as opposed to beliefs and feelings are prioritized though student experience and other information can be part of the evidentiary foundation. I'm not going to say all professors require this, but I know many who do and I challenge you to critically rethink your overly generalized statement that none do. This is exactly what we challenge our students to do–to reconsider blanket generalizations that have no researched support. This is one of the ways we DO teach critical thinking. What is your researched support for your statement?

By: Taxpayer1234

Taxpayer1234 — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:56:27 +0000

When teachers are forced to teach the party line, when the kiddies' feelings are more important than finding the truth, when "getting along" is more important than settling a controversy–it's no wonder college kids can't think. Heaps o' thanks to the predominantly socialist membership in academia.

By: Linda

Linda — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:07:53 +0000

Oh wow! College kids can't think? Who'd a thunk it?

I suppose that's what "fluff" courses of study bring about. You know, those degree fields like "Women's Studies", "African American Studies", "Asian Studies", "Art History", "Theater and Dance", and "Fashion". They are light-weight courses that don't require a high degree (no pun intended) of critical thinking, complex reasoning, or written communication.

Sadly, high schools are graduating students who don't have the basics, and colleges just perpetuate it. Can't damage their precious little egos or hurt their self esteem, don't you know.

Case in point, a few years ago, I was having a discussion with a bartender at restaurant/bar I go to on occasion. We were discussing college tuition, and she said she thought college should be free, just like local schools. I asked her who she thought should foot the bill for that. She said "the Government". When I asked her how Government would finance that, first she thought the Mint, then the Fed, then the Treasury, funded Government. I had to burst her bubble, and let her know that Government is funded by taxpayer dollars, and that free public education isn't free.

She was a recent college graduate, with a degree in Art History.

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