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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
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Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
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February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
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Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
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Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Sept. 28, 2006
/ 6 Tishrei, 5767
Higher ed's senior moments
By
Debra J. Saunders
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
File this under: Why am I not surprised? Seniors at the University of California, Berkeley know less about American history, government and politics than Berkeley freshmen, according to a study, "The Coming Crisis in Citizenship," released by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) on Tuesday. It's odd to think that those Cal students who think they know it all more likely know less about America after three years at Berkeley.
As the press release put it, the study of 50 colleges and universities found that, overall, they "are failing to add to their graduates' understanding of America's history and essential institutions" including "some of the most expensive and elite" schools in America.
"If you're a school that claims you're putting out well-rounded citizens, you should expect some improvement over time and some base level of knowledge," noted Chris Barnes of the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy. Yet the study found that overall seniors gave only one more right answer out of 60 questions than freshmen.
Worse, in 16 out of 50 schools, freshmen outscored seniors. The study called it "negative learning": "At these schools, seniors apparently either forgot what is known by their freshman peers or more ominously were mis-taught by their professors." Some "negative learning" schools were expensive, prestigious institutions such as Yale and Brown which are supposed to produce America's future leaders.
Figure part of the problem has to be that professors at tony institutions are more interested in pushing their political doctrine than making sure students develop an understanding of how government works in America and why. Et tu, Cal?
Then there's the general dumbing-down of America. Eugene Hickok of ISI sees smart, bright kids entering college, but their education lacks the content, depth and rigor of former years. "This is more evidence that we need to ask the question: Is higher education still higher education?"
Don't blame the survey questions. High school students should know that the Bill of Rights prohibits the establishment of a state religion but more than half of college seniors did not know that.
Researchers included questions from a standardized high school test, but college students did no better with them. The survey's field supervisor reported that students did not complain that the survey was too hard. They complained that they should have known the answers.
Hickok sees one factor as universities' treatment of students "as customers, not as clients." Schools should understand their "job is not to make your customer happy," but to educate young adults.
Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, has seen that attitude. The solons of academia don't want professors to be too tough, he noted, "they want students to be entertained and happy."
Sabato was not happy to learn that the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson to educate leaders of a new democracy, is a member of the Negative Learning Club. Sabato told me, "Thomas Jefferson's university should have been at the very top in terms of civic knowledge."
Indeed, if there is any good news for parents, it's that expensive schools did not fare better than cheaper state schools. "There is no relationship between the cost of attending a college and a student's' acquired understanding of America's history and key institutions," the study reported. My alma mater, the University of Massachusetts at Boston, outscored Harvard.
Try this multiple-choice question: Who suffers when college students don't much know about their government? The students, the quality of leaders they elect or the country? Half of America's college kids have no clue.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
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Debra J. Saunders Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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