Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm not trying to change the subject. Perhaps you and I are just talking about different subjects.
Its possible that, out of all the colleges in the country, Duke may be one of those where the students are well prepared enough that they can get away with reading comics in class and still be able to function in an intellectually demanding profession -- or at least a large number of them can (assuming the 4.31 is not all based on courses that assign GNs). But its clear that the majority of college students in less demanding schools are not reading at their level. Shouldn't Duke and other "A schools" set the example for educational excellence?
Remember that the reading levels in issue were set at a time when "college reading level" meant the level at which college students actually read. What happened, and is there anything to be done about it? My humble suggestion is to get rid of the comics, as one cannot have the ability to analyze text without the preliminary skill of being able to focus, read, and understand it.
Duke is not worried about setting an example for other schools. They are concerned with their own students. And the caliber of students they admit are expected to develop critical thinking skills involving all sorts of media and topics. Particularly the ones that make them challenge and further explore their own presumptions and examine other viewpoints as well. It's by exposing ourselves to the things that challenge us the most that we are able to best articulate and defend our own thought processes.
I'm not trying to change the subject. Perhaps you and I are just talking about different subjects.
Its possible that, out of all the colleges in the country, Duke may be one of those where the students are well prepared enough that they can get away with reading comics in class and still be able to function in an intellectually demanding profession -- or at least a large number of them can (assuming the 4.31 is not all based on courses that assign GNs). But its clear that the majority of college students in less demanding schools are not reading at their level. Shouldn't Duke and other "A schools" set the example for educational excellence?
Remember that the reading levels in issue were set at a time when "college reading level" meant the level at which college students actually read. What happened, and is there anything to be done about it? My humble suggestion is to get rid of the comics, as one cannot have the ability to analyze text without the preliminary skill of being able to focus, read, and understand it.
I am fan comic book and graphics novel.
They can be used for academic purposes.
Last edited by Sommie789; 08-25-2015 at 12:38 PM..
Duke is not worried about setting an example for other schools. They are concerned with their own students. And the caliber of students they admit are expected to develop critical thinking skills involving all sorts of media and topics. Particularly the ones that make them challenge and further explore their own presumptions and examine other viewpoints as well. It's by exposing ourselves to the things that challenge us the most that we are able to best articulate and defend our own thought processes.
I think you are confusing the medium with the message. Pls note that I have not said a word in this thread about the content of the GN in question. In fact, I agree that students should be asked to "challenge and further explore their own presumptions and examine other viewpoints as well."
You say that "students they admit are expected to develop critical thinking skills involving all sorts of media and topics." Yes, but as I understand it, its precisely the school's job to help them develop critical thinking skills. There is a lot of work that goes into the ability to take a body of complex information, organize it, digest it, and make meaningful comments about it. It takes practice, and that is not going to happen if we make the task easier so as to arrive more quickly at the conclusion.
No, it does not take a wall of text to develop critical thinking skills, but walls of text do come up pretty often in real life -- such as a lease, mortgage, insurance document, job application, etc. And I, as a potential employer, am going to be definitely prejudiced in favor of the applicant that can handle the wall of text, because I know that she is more likely to have the basic skills to generate a meaningful work product. I think its fair to say that if you can read War and Peace and comment, you can probably read any number of graphic novels and have something intelligent to say.
Last edited by CapnTrips; 08-25-2015 at 01:06 PM..
" Duke freshmen refuse to read graphic novel on sexual identity "
Well, I don't know. On the one hand, I wish I had stood up to my professors and some of the crap we had to do and read. Oh, and the papers, I can't tell you how many essays I skewed towards their political leanings. All because I wanted to pass, not to mention my parents were paying for it. On the other hand, I did survive all the various "agendas". Can't they just suck it up like we did.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
