This is a very interesting report, which I first saw at Dialogic. You may encounter bits of it as soundbites and such, but it really is important and deserves a closer look. Go look.
When reviewing survey results , always look for the methodology. This survey , unlike many that get media coverage, uses credible methodology-see for yourself.
What they found is that college kids are, in general, not very well-informed, that today's youngsters don't know jack shit about American History and Civics. Presumably, they know even less about the rest of the world.
Big surprise, that.
This is a sample of the quiz. Real stumpers, eh?
Note that the grade for the internet sample is much higher than the overall collegiate score. Two possible reasons for this come to mind:
1) The sample is easier than the actual test. The sample is very, very easy, so this is possible...
2) The majority of the people who took the test were people who cared enough to take the time and energy to read about the study, finding the the quiz as a result. Such people would naturally score higher.
To paraphrase my blogpal Susanne, these are the dumb kids that get mocked on the Leno Show.
To paraphrase Bill Maher, I have seen the future and the future is our children. The future sucks.
6 comments:
What is scary about the test is that these are not the dumb people that Leno finds on the streets... these are our future leaders... if you go into the study is that this level of misinformation (disinformation) is rife in the upper echelons of our universities, as much as it is, sadly, in the lowwer levels of education.
I have decided to focus the last half of all my courses on exploring this problem.
It disturbs ... very much!!!
Alan/Susanne, I'll probably forget that I have invited you and ask again (i'm only on the m's on my links), but while I was here I figured I would ask now:
I would like to extend an invitation to you to join in on a collective blogging section of our upcoming winter issue of Reconstruction. The issue is the “Theories/Practices of Blogging.” In addition to the special section of posts on blogging there will be about a dozen essays on blogging.
The deadline is October 20th.
Our intent in this section of the issue will be to collect a wide range of bloggers and link up to their statements in regards to why they blog (something many of us are asked) and any statement they have on the theories/practices of blogging.
If you already have a post on this you can feel free to use it, or, if you are interested, you can submit a new one.
We will link to each statement from the issue at our site, with the intent of creating a hyperlinked list of statements on blogging that can serve as an introduction to blogging (or an expansion of knowledge for those already blogging).
If you are interested please contact me at mdbento @ gmail.com
Interesting...
I got 4 out of 5...which is a helluva lot better than I thought I would considering.
be afraid.....be very afraid...
TA,
Yes, I would love to contribute - email coming...I'll make sure to let Susanne know as well- Thank You!
APP,
Well, you did better than most college students...
YDG,
I am. Have been for years...my crackpot rants from MANY years ago are all coming true- AHHHHH!
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