Academically Adrift: Limited Learning On College Campuses (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Although the authors make the same arguments for why higher education is not serving students as many authors have done in past year or so, their approach is much more thoughtful and supported with data. The hysterical, wild accusations and improbable remedies are lacking from this read. They base their ideas on real data from the CLA. Many in higher education would dismiss this book based on their lack of belief in the CLA (and the authors do acknowledge the test's weaknesses at the beginning of the book). Discounting the appendixes, this is a 140 page volume that lays out many of the major challenges facing higher education. Stay away of you don't want to have to wade through a lot of stats.Note: The number of times the statement "Given the large number of students who were not exposed to courses that required more than forty pages of reading per week and more than twenty pages of writing over the course of the semester...." appears in this book is amusing. I really don't know how to rate this because it was required reading, and I feel pretty "blah" and overwhelmed about the whole "here, graduate from high school and attend college, a better world! except just kidding, higher education has no idea what's going on either. Enjoy high tuition costs!"So, uh, Academically Adrift. Absolutely an important book (or, you know, ridiculously long research article, but whatevs) that, in hindsight, I'm glad my professor assigned. I just never want to write another paper about Arum and Roksa's take on grade inflation ever again, and you can't make me.
What do You think about Academically Adrift: Limited Learning On College Campuses (2011)?
Very interesting book. There is a lot of great information in here, but no great solutions.
—Leldy007
Verified everything that I had experienced during my 9 years of post-secondary education.
—DomFam
The argument could have been made as convincingly in about 10 pages.
—july714
