In today's society, the higher education system has been a very controversial topic for many years. There are many problems that people have with the higher education system in America. People have questioned its tactics and debated the pros and cons of the higher education system. One of the many problems that higher education presents is that learning is linear. Many educators do not go into further detail with their lesson. "Most teachers and professors in colleges have a set plan, and this is what makes higher education rigid"(Ruytenbeek, 2013). This is why most students find higher education tedious and difficult to grasp. This linear learning is a significant problem in our higher education system because it does not educate every student equally. Every student learns differently, and this linear model forces students to learn a certain way that they are not accustom to. If this linear learning continues, then those who graduate from this education will continue to be inexperienced and struggle. The higher education system has not made a significant change and has remained rigid over the years.
One example that shows why linear learning is a problem is because it is teacher focused, not student focused. Higher education requires a teacher to teach hundreds of students, who learn differently. Students have to learn the way a teacher teaches and must adapt to their learning style. Teachers follow the linear method of teaching, and this does not always work with everyone. Most professors in college and universities plan out lessons and learning's according to their own needs and not the students. "The process of learning is controlled by the teacher, just as the process of getting a degree is controlled by the university"(Fad...
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...ility to learn. This is a problem because we are paying so much for so little. With this rigid education, it takes up a lot of time and it students do not get much out of the rigid lesson. If this continues to happen in the higher education system, then most students will continue to fail and unable to proceed in college. A solution to this problem can be applied through self-directed learning. "Students learn better when they control their experience. We can empower students by giving them choice in the classes they choose and in how they wish to learn"(Ruytenbeek, 2013). This is why our education system should remove this one-dimensional learning and improve it into a better teaching system, that satisfies most students needs. Hopefully most people are now aware our need to improve the education system, with this suggestion of change to the linear learning style.
During my first few days of sophomore year at Stuyvesant High School, I saw how the ways of thinking were diverse in each of my classes. In my European Literature class, where, in our first reading assignment, we questioned the purpose of education itself. I always went with the flow in my learning, and never stopped to say to myself, “Why am I doing this to myself?”. However, once I read Live and Learn by Louis Menand, I started to think about Menand’s three theories of college and juxtapose each of them to my experience so far in high school. In the end, I concluded that many of my classes followed the main points of Theory 2, which was the theory that I mostly agreed with when I read the article for the first time.
Loh explains that not every college professor is properly taught how to give a lecture, making it difficult for students to get the correct education from a professor who isn’t trained to explain the material. Various colleges and universities are starting to stray away from the traditional lecture and begin a more hands on approach to teaching a college course, while professors are looking to get rid of the college lecture completely. A research study showed classes that had an interactive approach as opposed to the traditional style resulted in better academic grades and a “36 percent drop in class failures.” Many educators prefer
"The more we know the world around us, the more successful we will be." This quote, from the introduction of my high school chemistry book, was my driving force as a teenager to attend college. My expectations of college were to gain insight into a world that I had not yet discovered. I had high aspirations of receiving a good education and obtaining a good job when I graduated. But four years later when graduation day arrived, I felt unfulfilled. In evaluating my education, I realized that I learned how to get good, but not great grades. I learned how to study to make the most of my time. The focus I shared with many of my peers was not always to appreciate the information received, but rather, to value the counsel from someone else who previously took that professor's class and maybe to be lucky enough to get a hold of last semester's examinations. Basically, I acquired useful skills for any job: to follow directions, to give the boss what he or she was asking of me, and to network and gain insight from other colleagues. It was still disturbing to me that after four years of schooling, I felt I had not received the education I initially expected. Overall, college does not bring out the full academic potential of the students who invest the time and money into an education. Teachers need to set aside their biases and restructure and develop curriculum, as well as student-teacher relationships, in order to truly develop college students into freethinking, exploratory people.
The higher education system (or lack thereof) is not serving the country and its citizens. The increasing number of admission standards, exponential tuition increases, the financing of the cost through loans, and the boasting of turning students away all contribute to rising disparity between the quality of education that upper class families can afford compared to lower and middle income families. The rising costs of higher education in this country are problematic in that they fuel a disparity between economic classes. Capitulating the problem is the amount of debt college graduates have accrued at the time of graduation. The Institute for College Access and Success (2013) reported that 70% of graduates had and average of $29,400 of debt. This number primarily focuses on non-profit and private institutions. The average annual salary of a college graduate is $57,616 (United States Department of Labor, 2014). So many college graduates have accumulated a debt worth half of what their starting salary may end up being. The Institute for College Access and Success (2013) reported that 20% of that debt “is comprised of private loans, which are typically more costly and provide fewer consumer protections and repayment options than safer federal loans3” (p. 1). This is an oversimplification in that it is looking at a very general population. Based on the degree and the subsequent employment, income will vary as does the institution attended and the student’s economic status affect the overall individual debt.
Due to the effects of higher enrolment, teaching methods are now directed towards suiting the masses, thus everything has become less personal, as well as, less educationally in depth. Teaching techniques consist of multiple choice tests, rather than written answer questions which require critical analysis, as Jacobs states “So many papers to mark, relative to numbers and qualities of mentors to mark them, changed the nature of test papers. Some came to consist of “True or False?” and “Which of the following is correct?” types of questions” (Jacobs 49). While teachers also no longer engage in one on one conversations with students, but merely in a lecture hall among masses and everyone is seen as just a student number. Jacobs states a complaint from a student “who claimed they were shortchanged in education. They had expected more personal rapport with teachers” (Jacobs 47). Universities are too much focused on the cost benefit analysis, of the problem of increased enrolment, with the mind set of “quantity trumps quality” (Jacobs 49). The benefit of student education and learning is not being put first, but rather the expansion of the university to benefit financial issues. Taylor states “individualism and the expansion of instrumental reason, have often been accounted for as by-products
Studying a university degree is one of the biggest achievements of many individuals around the world. But, according to Mark Edmunson, a diploma in America does not mean necessarily studying and working hard. Getting a diploma in the United States implies managing with external factors that go in the opposite direction with the real purpose of education. The welcome speech that most of us listen to when we started college, is the initial prank used by the author to state the American education system is not converging in a well-shaped society. Relating events in a sarcastic way is the tone that the author uses to explain many of his arguments. Mark Edmunson uses emotional appeals to deliver an essay to the people that have attended College any time in their life or those who have been involved with the American education system.
Many people believe that college is not for everyone. They believe that knowing and learning about life cannot be gained by reading books. In the meantime, there are many people who believe that college does prepare students for the real world. They believe college offers students valuable tools that will equip them for the real world. For instance, open classrooms where students can engage in stimulating conversations prepare students for professions that pay people who can think fast and come up with creative ideas for their companies. Moreover, professors assign homework, exams, and papers to stimulate thinking and prepare students for deadlines and job assignments. However, college may prepare students for the professional world, but does it really prepare students for the real world. The purpose of this essay is...
In conclusion, education is broader than just falling into what the contemporary school system has to offer. Both Gatto and Graff proved this by explain how conforming students to certain perspectives of education limits their potential in other educational branches that interest the students. Also, curricula should bring a balance between making a school a place for obtaining information, and accommodating the educational demands for each individual student. It is imperative to understand that reforming the academic system, by fine-tuning schools to have its students learn what exactly they are interested in, will lead to having students accessing their full intellectual potential.
Most students have never experienced this type of learning. They aren’t familiar with taking the risks necessary to take on this learning. Their experience in high school has been completely teacher-centered instruction and it is hard to let go of this old habit. Without proper encouragement and instruction the student is likely to fail and fall back into the familiar style of learning that has led to their current success. Without clearly understanding their role it is likely they will not succeed. This is a complete shift in both the teaching and the learning process and will take time to take root for both the student and the
Higher education debate is a controversial and hot topic for politicians in the United States due to the price associated with higher education in the country. State lawmakers regularly worry about the rising cost of attaining a college degree, and lowering the debt burden to the student. Consequently these issues have been turned into a talking point during the presidential campaign trail. The pressure on the amount of tuition paid has not only been seen from the government but also from the families, which have shown reluctance in paying the high tuition fees. Public universities 'which have attempted to increase the fee' have come under heavy scrutiny despite the reluctance of the state to invest in higher education (Holmwood, 2011).
Attending public schools as a child, I remember learning the basic skills on how to add and subtract, read, and write. These basic skills are necessary in order to function in our society and work force in the United States. As we all know each child learns differently, some learn faster than others and some slower than others. Our public schools have become overcrowded and we do not have enough teachers to fit the needs of each student. Some students get left behind and are not learning the skills needed to move on to the next level. What these students are not learning they can learn in higher education such as a college or university. In this report, I would like to express the importance of a higher education. I will use the works of John Henry Newman, Jon Spayde and Mike Rose, all three writers believe in having an educated society. Our students’ needs are changing, there are a growing number of immigrants with children coming to the United States from all over the world. They bring with them the language and culture of their country. The age in which they arrive to the United States determines how well they learn English and what skills they will need to acquire to become productive in our society. The task of teaching our children the basic skills is becoming harder and harder each day, making it harder for our education system to achieve their goals. There are a high number of students graduating from high school who does not have the skills needed to meet the needs of the work force in our society. A higher level of learning is needed to make our society literate.
It is time to turn the tables and test the teachers on the challenge of college. Throughout high school, students are told all about how difficult college is and what to expect. Not yet having experienced it, the students typically prepare for the worst. They teach themselves how to study based on the standards of their high school. They write papers, do homework, and participate in class in the attempt to meet the expectations of their teachers. They base their picture of college off their teachers’ standards and what their peers say. While many high school students have developed accurate expectations regarding the difficulties of college, the study skills acquired in high school may not be enough to ensure success at the collegiate level.
Education is an infinite learning process that plays a vital role in modern society. Even now, without a higher education one cannot even get a simple occupation such as a sales clerk, carpenter, or custodian. From writing checks, filing taxes, driving a car, to budgeting groceries, all involve the pre- knowledge and basics of reading, writing, and calculating. Higher education is very important to the success of a person’s career goal. To avail all benefits and acquire a proficient education, one has to take the learning process as a solemn one.
Education plays a very important role in a person’s life. Basic education is attained through primary school and high school. Education may be further perused after graduating from high school by attending university. This decision can make a person’s future brighter because, in most cases it is really hard to get a well-paid job and live a stable life without having a bachelor’s degree. However, people who want to peruse higher education must know that although there are similarities, there are also some differences between high school and university in terms of assignments, teachers, and responsibilities.
...at previously, sometimes in the midst of a discussion, people forget that there are two sides of a story and not everyone has to agree to yours. What we learn from our books or our studies is not what is necessarily important. What we learn from our peers and our professors is what’s important. Learning is more than absorbing fact, it is acquiring understanding, and it is being passionate about the material you are given. Each piece that we have read in class, and each comment that we make impacts a person no matter how little it seems. The education systems focuses too much about effective methods of teaching and not enough about effective methods of learning. However, this course felt like we were learning something instead trying to finish the curriculum. As Albert Einstein once said, “education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think”.