Sports Editors News Funnies Features Page 5 Page 2 Page 16 Page 11 Page 20 Page 8 New Study Finds University Students Learn Next to Nothing A study from NYU suggests university students show no significant improvement HANNA PETERSEN NEWS EDITOR 1c am. vw _- - ee _ ; _ = 4 aia SHELBY PETERSEN Why study if is doesn’t matter? New York University sociologists Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa conducted a study among 2,300 students from 24 four-year colleges. The study found that 45% of students preformed no better on reasoning and writing tests after two years of college than before. The study also showed that 35% of students show no improvement on the tests even after four years of college. The sociologists found business and education students preformed especially poorly. The report raises questions about the nature and effectiveness of post-secondary education systems. Bob Rae Visits UNBC Arum stated that, “students have become increasingly obsessed with the idea of a credential that can be traded for labour market success. They are finding ways to navigate the system with minimal effort.” The report found that students today are studying for only half of the amount of time students of a decade ago were studying. However, the sociologists did not leave the entire onus on the students as professors focusing less energy towards teaching and more towards research was cited as a contributing factor. Arum and Roksa’s study attempts to provide an analysis of the effectiveness of university education that cannot be easily determined because of the absence of any kind of perfect measures. University education lacks a code of standard procedures or standardized testing which could be used to determine the effectiveness of a university education in regards to learning. The study was also done only among U.S. students and the questions asked were generalized logic and comprehension skills rather than discipline specific questions. Thus, the study does not account for the differences and skill specification among contrasting majors. It would be understandable that a math or physics major would show no or little improvement in writing tests after four years of studying math or physics. Another report out of the Maritimes concluded that Atlantic Canadian students were satisfied with their University education. The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission found that despite the high costs of tuition 95% of students were satisfied with the quality of their education. However, personal satisfaction was not contrasted with whether or not the students had actually learned anything. Instead the study found that students were satisfied with their educations despite the accumulation of student loans and personal debt that almost always accompanies the completion of a degree. Although the New York University report's generalizations are not far reaching, discussions and research into the improvement of the University model could eventually lead to promising results. Bob Rae holds meet and greet in the UNBC Crash &Burn Lounge on January 28, 2011 JOHN HALL Rae is the Liberal Party of Canada’s Foreign Affairs critic. JOHN HALL Rae emphasized the imortance of education in Canada and the need to make it accessible to all.