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"A generation that rarely reads books or emails, breathes through social media, feels isolated and stressed but is crazy driven and wants to solve the world’s problems (not just volunteer) is now on campus."
The iGen Shift: Colleges Are Changing to Reach the Next Generation from the NYTimes, 8/2/18.
Is the NYTimes right that today’s college students don’t read books?
This certainly doesn’t track with what I see each day on my campus. My office happens to be located in our main library, which on my campus is also center of all student life. Outside of my office, where the card catalog was once located, are comfortable chairs and couches for the students to study, socialize, and chat. What these students often do is read books.
Perhaps small liberal arts schools are different. Not representative in terms of student book reading. I have my doubts, however, that today’s college students are really reading less books...
How college students may want to read may be different. Pew data also indicate that young adults may prefer digital books at higher rates than other age groups.
I suspect that if there is a book reading issue with today’s college students, the problem is more us than them. Most colleges have not figured out how to integrate or coordinate the curriculum across courses. At only a few institutions are a common set of books read across the range of required courses. Reading is time and energy intensive. If we want students to read more books, we need to set them up for success.
Read more...
Source: Inside Higher Ed (Blog)
