EHeller comments on Rationality Quotes May 2014 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: elharo 01 May 2014 09:45AM

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Comment author: EHeller 02 May 2014 02:30:07AM *  9 points [-]

Now if only the humanities departments of most universities taught any of those things, rather than the latest PC/SJ fashionable nonsense.

According to the "Academically Adrift" study, humanities and social science majors show the second highest gains in critical thinking skills, behind only science/math, above engineering and computer science.

To the extent that students are showing limited and declining learning, it largely reflexs a switch to business and education majors (business shows the least learning ,with education right behind), not a weakening of humanities majors.

Comment author: wedrifid 02 May 2014 06:25:59AM 7 points [-]

According to the "Academically Adrift" study, humanities and social science majors show the second highest gains in critical thinking skills, behind only science/math, above engineering and computer science.

Is this a reflection of the influence of course participation or of reasoning capability prior to entry?

Comment author: johnlawrenceaspden 02 May 2014 09:22:02PM 5 points [-]

For some reason, I very much want this to be true. And I take that as a warning sign. Does anyone know if it is true? And what sort of test could possibly measure 'maths creativity' and 'english creativity' on the same scale anyway?

Comment author: EHeller 02 May 2014 09:54:41PM 1 point [-]

They aren't measuring field specific skills, which is the whole point. They are measuring gains in critical thinking using the CLA test (i.e. how much better do you get at general critical thinking as a result of studying your major.). The study itself was quite famous and made the blog rounds a few years ago, I'm sure some light googling will answer any other questions.

Comment author: ChristianKl 02 May 2014 12:15:05PM 2 points [-]

To the extent that students are showing limited and declining learning, it largely reflexs a switch to business and education majors (business shows the least learning ,with education right behind),

There a joke someone in education major being near the bottom when it comes to learning, but at the moment I don't know how to best make it.

Comment author: johnlawrenceaspden 02 May 2014 09:20:03PM 5 points [-]

.... Those that can't teach, teach teaching.