Academically Adrift

Academically Adrift

Higher education in the United States, once considered a privilege for a select few, has evolved into an extensive network of institutions for everyone. People spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to put themselves or their children through college, which begs the question: is it worth the money? In his book, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses, Richard Arum, drawing from his 4-year study on 2,300 students at 24 universities around the country, asserts that today’s higher educational system does not improve critical thinking and writing skills. He claims the lack of learning is caused by a decrease in the academic rigor of college courses and the amount of studying per week. The disturbing report has dramatic consequences, as Arum contends in order for American society to function effectively, our students must learn effective critical thinking and communication skills.

Arum’s study shows a large deficiency in the development of critical thinking skills in higher educational institutions. College freshman showed only a seven-percentile gain from their senior year of high school on the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA). College seniors only showed a .50 standard deviation over the average college freshman in the 1990s, as compared to a standard deviation of 1.00 in the 1980s. The data infers that not only are universities ineffective at augmenting critical thinking and writing skills but also shows their productiveness has decreased in the past few decades.

The research contains few methodological problems that distort Arum’s analysis. First, he fails to account for the drastic increase in college enrollment; collegiate enrollment has increased around 45% since 1980 (U.S. Department of Education). With higher attendance, comes a wider array of educational backgrounds and intellectual ability. In the past, college was for the intellectually talented or privileged elite, both of which have the tools to be prepared...