According to a report in the July 1, 2017 issue of World Magazine, college doesn’t do much for you. Each year, students in their first year and last year of college at 200 institutions of higher learning around the country are tested with the Collegiate Learning Assessment test. The goal is to see if the students’ cognitive abilities have increased during their four-year-stint at the feet of some of the smartest folks in the country. You can hear the original podcast at http://www.wsj.com/podcasts/colleges-fail-to-improve-critical-thinking-skills/78A18B49-A53E-4F46-BD48-C54FC5310783.html.
In the words of the news article, the “results are terrible.” The Wall Street Journal reviewed the tests that gave the exams in 2013 and in 2016. In at least half of the schools, around 1/3 of the seniors could not make an argument. They could not assess evidence. They were not able to interpret a data table.
These tests were run at some of the “flagship” universities around the country but the average graduate showed no improvement after four years of study. Better results, as you might expect, came from smaller colleges.
There are a few immediate lessons we learn from this. First, for learning to take place, you have to have knowledgeable teachers and students willing to learn. We do not know, from this study, who is more to blame. Second, this suggests that many of America’s institutions of higher learning are in serious trouble, which suggests that America might be in trouble. Third, Ivy-league schools might not be worth the cost if students are no better educated after four years than they were before. Fourth, smaller colleges (like Christian universities) might just be better bargains than one thinks.
But, let’s go to a deeper level. Four years ago, where were you in your Bible knowledge? Have you grown from your personal Bible study in the last four years? Have you grown from your Bible study at church and from Bible study through the sermons preached? If not, why not? Is it because you are not putting anything into your study or your worship? Is it because the Bible class teacher or preacher is not putting much into his class preparation?
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Some teachers and preachers are enjoyable to listen to primarily because they fill their lessons and sermons with stories from real life. Everyone loves “human interest” stories. Or, they fill their lessons and sermons with humor. We all (myself included) love to laugh.
But when the class or sermon is over, do we need to walk away with “warm fuzzies” or a better understanding of God, Christ, and His word? It really is not the teacher or preacher’s responsibility to entertain us. I would rather educate (as a preacher) or be educated (in the audience) than to be entertained (or to entertain). I think that fits better the example of Christ and the apostles. There’s not much humorous in 2 Corinthians 4.
In Hebrews 5:12-14, the writer admonishes Christians in a well-known text for their lack of growth in their understanding: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”
Are you better educated, as a Christian, today than you were four years ago? If not, why not?
–Paul Holland
