Blogside Chat with Authors of Academically Adrift and Aspiring Adults Adrift
6In their 2011 book, Academically Adrift, Arum and Roska described the sobering reality that 45% of college students demonstrate very little learning during their first two years of college. They outline a shifting culture of higher education that increasingly prioritizes social and recreational campus life at the expense of academics and developing critical thinking, writing, and reasoning skills. Just released, Aspiring Adults Adrift reports on this same cohort of students as they entered the job market during the great recession. This new book paints a complex portrait of young people as they reflect on their lives and college experiences, analyzing the kinds of capacities they need to develop in order to thrive as adults. Join Mimi Ito in a conversation with the authors to discuss the implications of their research for our responsibilities as faculty and the purpose of our courses.