 “Literacy crisis in college students: Essay from a professor on students who don’t read.” If you’re like me and your livelihood consists of either selling textual objects or using textual objects to sell services to a youth-obsessed sector (tech) then this is seriously bad news https://slate.com/human-interest/2024/02/literacy-crisis-reading-comprehension-college.html 21 comments
It isn’t a coincidence that video has been taking over for a number of software development topics. Tech is obsessed with young, undemanding labour that will work themselves to the bone for vague promises of future glory (see also publishing) and it’s starting to look like the US education system isn’t leaving those generations with the skills needed to process nuanced and complex prose, which any meaningful attempt at software development requires. The problem is that software programs themselves are textual objects. Code isn’t prose, but when it comes to parsing out structure, flow, and relationships, reading a program is an analogous skill to reading and writing prose. Video tutorials and youtube videos tailored for the rec algorithm are not going to be sufficient. Useful, but not sufficient. Still, I’m not sure where that leaves people like me except that I will probably have to brush up on my old video production skills and add video to the mix at some point. My tendency towards writing long essays and short ebooks means that my writing skills are probably a very poor fit for the current landscape. (I started out on the photography/film/video/radio side of things before I switched my creative focus towards prose. My first paid media gig was a radio documentary back in the late 90s.) @baldur ISTM the factors you mention may be limited largely to the US. Skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking remain important globally. Countries whose economies are growing, whose educational systems are improving, and whose international influence is rising will fill the gap. A number of countries in Africa, South Asia, and East Asia are poised for rapid growth. Look to emerging markets where "people like you" are appreciated and needed. @davenicolette Yeah, I’ve heard from people here in Iceland that things have declined (and our global scores in education reflect this) but not to this degree. And, yeah, there is probably a case to be made here that this reflects a declining West, whose disinvestment in education is finally having consequences. @baldur AI-driven coding and copy/paste answers also fit into this. We don't understand what we code - we just know the result we want, we copy/paste it from some source, and hope for the best. Speed is rewarded, not compactness or efficiency. I can't lecture more than 5 minutes with my students before they all stop listening. I have to constantly inject activities and teach process only, no theory. I don't know what they will do when the process changes. @jen4web I imagine it must be a struggle. I haven’t taught live classes since 2008, for a variety of reasons, but even in those pre-iPhone times keeping students’ attention was tough. The whole “process only, no theory” thing is something I’ve encountered with younger coworkers/collaborators, though. It’s definitely become a thing. @baldur Employers reward process. Bootcamps teach process. Employers hire on process, then wonder why their employees struggle with solving problems and adapting to new ways of doing things. We're doing it to ourselves.  @LonM So, I’ve been asking around here in Iceland and the consensus here seems to be that reading comprehension has declined, but not as much as we’re hearing from English-language countries. Still, I know of a few kids who are about to head to college who’ve complained that they feel incapable of reading what they call “grownup” books. Not because they aren’t interested but because they feel they don’t understand the books when they try.  @baldur BRB, going to read 30 pages of Hegel in one sitting just because this guy said I couldn't. Seriously though. When I was in college about 15 years ago, all the old head professors said they used to assign way more reading. This guy is talking about 30 pages in between class sessions? My old professors used to assign 2000 pages a week in the 60's/70's. They claimed their students actually read that much. I think this is because university students were less likely to have jobs back then @sidereal I mean, if something has been declining for 50 years instead of just ten then that’s worse news, right? A decade means it’s a trend that can be turned around. But if this is an issue that’s been festering throughout society for 50-60 years, then there’s next to nothing you can do to meaningfully change what’s happening. @rustoleumlove The declining computer skills is something I’ve heard many employers complain about here in Iceland.  @baldur Smells fake or at least exaggerated, like critiquing a boomer caricature of young ppl rather than actual people. Completely out of touch with the reality of any young ppl I know. @baldur Also pretending "they don't do the readings" is a trait of the new generations is a load of shit. I basically never did the readings, and that was pretty normal, back in my time. Volume too large, information density too low, life too short. I suspect there have always been some ppl who learn well that way, but if modern systems are less hostile to those who don't, it's probably a good thing. |
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@baldur @Gustodon This does hit on something I’ve observed and complained about. There’s a whole lot of money behind standardized tests and standardized test prep but not behind other aspects of education. And now all the standardized testing and test prep is leeching not just money but time and other resources from other aspects of education. We’re seeing the impact.