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Why Can’t College Students Write Anymore?
Psychology Today ^ | February 21, 2014 | Azadeh Aalai, Ph.D

Posted on 02/21/2014 5:24:09 PM PST by Zeneta

Why Can’t College Students Write Anymore?

Is it just me, or are student competencies like basic writing skills in serious peril today? Granted, I am about a decade in to my teaching career, but even within this fairly short span, I have noticed a startling decline in the quality of written work turned in by my students, regardless of which institution (community college, private, four year school) the papers are coming from.

It’s not just that students aren’t demonstrating critical thinking skills in their writing, basic competencies like proper syntax, spelling, and even proper structure like paragraph indentation and how to cite sources are being done very poorly. Teachers have been reporting anecdotally that even compared to five years ago, many are seeing declines in vocabulary, grammar, writing, and analysis (e.g. Westin, 2013; Bloomberg News, 2012). Moreover, on an international scale, our standards in literacy is similarly on the decline (McGuire, 2014).

There are only so many times you can correct a “their” that is meant to denote “there” before wondering, when was the last time this college student’s writing abilities were actually assessed? As a psychology professor, I am starting to feel like an English instructor, because so much of my feedback on these papers is focusing on such basic writing skills, that the coherency or theoretical merit behind the content is getting lost in the shuffle.

Snip

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-first-impression/201402/why-can-t-college-students-write-anymore

(Excerpt) Read more at psychologytoday.com ...


TOPICS: Education; History; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: dumbingdown; writing
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The Closing of the American Mind is a 1987 book by Allan Bloom. It describes "how higher education has failed democracy and impoverished the souls of today's students." He focuses especially upon the "openness" of relativism as leading paradoxically to the great "closing" referenced in the book's title. Bloom argues that "openness" and absolute understanding undermines critical thinking and eliminates the "point of view" that defines cultures.

he Closing of the American Mind is a critique of the contemporary university and how Bloom sees it as failing its students. In it, Bloom criticizes the modern movements in philosophy and the humanities. Philosophy professors involved in ordinary language analysis or logical positivism disregard important "humanizing" ethical and political issues and fail to pique the interest of students.[1] Literature professors involved in deconstructionism promote irrationalism and skepticism of standards of truth and thereby dissolve the moral imperatives which are communicated through genuine philosophy and which elevate and broaden the intellects of those who engage with these imperatives.

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

More.

Understanding How Modern Liberals Think- Evan Sayet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIboXTpF6t4

1 posted on 02/21/2014 5:24:09 PM PST by Zeneta
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To: Zeneta

The links.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIboXTpF6t4


2 posted on 02/21/2014 5:25:42 PM PST by Zeneta (Thoughts in time and out of season.)
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To: Zeneta

Shouldn’t it be anylonger?

Anywho, they cannot write because they are not asked to. When they are asked to they are asked about their feelings or not their thoughts. Logic is no longer taught. The trivium is no longer taught. The are not aske to do expository writing. They are not asked to describe anything in detail. They may not discuss whether something is good or bad only how all is equal. They text continuously and never craft anything in writing.

AND...THE NUMBER ONE REASON THEY CANNOT WRITE!

They do not read.
Try teaching music to someone who has never heard it.


3 posted on 02/21/2014 5:29:42 PM PST by rey
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To: Zeneta

An author in Psychology Today asks “Is it just me?” LOL


4 posted on 02/21/2014 5:30:18 PM PST by Misterioso ("There are two potential violators of man's rights: the criminals and the government." Ayn Rand)
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To: Zeneta
wat are yew talken aboot? I is a colleg colledge gardeate and I has literasy!

CC

5 posted on 02/21/2014 5:30:30 PM PST by Celtic Conservative (tease not the dragon for thou art crunchy when roasted and taste good with ketchup)
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To: Zeneta

Wright, write rite right.


6 posted on 02/21/2014 5:31:14 PM PST by edpc (Wilby 2016)
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To: edpc

It’s the internet, and texting. It’s not that we can’t write anymore, the language is changing into a kind of english shorthand.


7 posted on 02/21/2014 5:33:01 PM PST by FreedomStar3028 (Evil must be punished.)
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To: Zeneta
Just read Michelle Obama’s doctoral thesis and make the decision for oneself. Also, note that MLK’s doctoral thesis contained 19 pages of clearly plagiarized material and was awarded his PhD. The heroes for that culture are dumbed down and the ones following in the footsteps are even less educated and receive their awards with less merit.
8 posted on 02/21/2014 5:33:08 PM PST by vetvetdoug
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To: Zeneta

Not just college students. Everybody. We’re devolving into a nation of illiterates.


9 posted on 02/21/2014 5:34:20 PM PST by IDontLikeToPayTaxes
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To: Zeneta

Imagine a world where the common man is unable to read the founding documents in the handwriting they were written in.

The written word being made available to all men is probably the single greatest thing to happen to mankind.


10 posted on 02/21/2014 5:34:31 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Zeneta

In 60 years we have gone from Ian Fleming and JRR Tolkien to EL James.

No wonder people cannot write.


11 posted on 02/21/2014 5:34:54 PM PST by Perdogg (Ted Cruz-Rand Paul 2016)
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To: Zeneta

Because they are Wii tawded .....


12 posted on 02/21/2014 5:35:14 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Misterioso; vetvetdoug; edpc; Celtic Conservative; rey

Please watch at least the first 7 minutes of Evan Sayet.

Understanding How Modern Liberals Think- Evan Sayet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIboXTpF6t4

You should watch the entire clip.

This is where the battle is being fought.


13 posted on 02/21/2014 5:37:13 PM PST by Zeneta (Thoughts in time and out of season.)
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To: Zeneta

Reading, writing, and arithmetic are no longer the main focus of today’s educational system. Those are things kids have to more-or-less pick up off the street now. Political correctness, socialism, and gay tolerance have pretty much taken their places.


14 posted on 02/21/2014 5:37:28 PM PST by Telepathic Intruder (The only thing the Left has learned from the failures of socialism is not to call it that)
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To: FreedomStar3028
Nonsense, I can be drunk as a lord, and post grammatically correct drivel on the internet all weekend long.

It's because students don't learn to read, and they aren't taught to write.

/johnny

15 posted on 02/21/2014 5:39:22 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Fo’shizzle.


16 posted on 02/21/2014 5:40:35 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: cripplecreek

I don’t do cursive....


17 posted on 02/21/2014 5:42:02 PM PST by wetgundog (" Extremism in the Defense of Liberty is no Vice")
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To: Telepathic Intruder

I’m well aware of all those things.

The idea, the issue is what can be done about it ?

We need to gain a better understanding of “How” the left “thinks” in order to formulate a way to destroy them.


18 posted on 02/21/2014 5:42:07 PM PST by Zeneta (Thoughts in time and out of season.)
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To: Zeneta

The liberal plan of dumbing down America is working like a charm.


19 posted on 02/21/2014 5:43:50 PM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Haven't you lost enough freedoms? Support an end to the WOD now.)
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To: Celtic Conservative

OMG! ##CTC? Then NBD EM...JLMK K?


20 posted on 02/21/2014 5:44:10 PM PST by Red Steel
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