To address the needs of 21st.century society at large as well as changes in the workplace, colleges need to adapt their curricula as well as their methodology. As former Harvard University president, Derek Bok, stated:”Colleges and universities, for all the benefits they bring, accomplish far less for their students than they should . . . (graduates)are unable to write well enough to satisfy their employers, reason clearly, or perform competently in analyzing complex, non-technical problems. Within the last decade, The Social Science Research Council, in collaboration with the Pathways to College Network, organized research later published as a book: Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses. The studies call for action at the college level that can better serve students in their post-secondary education To serve their students well, college courses must train their students in analytical thinking, reasoning, and writing skills. Unfortunately, the published studies conclude that, “organizational changes to colleges and universities in recent decades have undermined the core educational functions of these institutions.”
Most teachers are concerned with transmitting only the content material of their specific academic areas. Yet, content alone is insufficient for success as a productive member of society. In addition to course content, educators should transmit certain values to their students. They must have high expectations. They also have to include sufficient rigor in the syllabus.
The research studies demonstrate that courses that include a minimum of forty pages of reading per night and at least twenty pages of written work better prepare students productive members of society. Yet many, if not most, students evaluate course selections based on the amount of work required. Consequently, they often select courses that require little rigor: courses that require less reading and very little writing. They attempt to produce high GPA’s with little actual learning. Moreover, instructors are encouraged to devote time and energy to research that will provide acknowledgment from the academic community and discouraged from emphasizing teaching.
Thus, the current paradigm of American university education must change if our country is to prosper. College courses must include a writing component as well as training in critical thinking and analysis.
