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Are College Students Techno Idiots?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the need-nerd-training-stat dept.

ict_geek writes "Are college students techno idiots? Despite the inflammatory headline, Inside Higher Ed asks an interesting question. The article refers to a recent study by ETS, which analyzed results from 6,300 students who took its ICT Literacy Assessment. The findings show that students don't know how to judge the authoritativeness or objectivity of web sites, can't narrow down an overly broad search, and can't tailor a message to a particular audience. Yikes. According to the article: 'when asked to select a research statement for a class assignment, only 44 percent identified a statement that captured the assignment's demands. And when asked to evaluate several Web sites, 52 percent correctly assessed the objectivity of the sites, 65 percent correctly judged for authority, and 72 percent for timeliness. Overall, 49 percent correctly identified the site that satisfied all three criteria.'" If they are, they're not the only ones.

19 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. Clearly this is posted by ... by guysmilee · · Score: 3, Funny

    Clearly this is posted by one of the studies subjects :-)

  2. ID10T5 by rajafarian · · Score: 4, Funny

    This goes well with my theory that over 50% of human beings are idiots.

    1. Re:ID10T5 by Vraylle · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think you're being generous.

      My personal longstanding theory is that the total global I.Q. is a constant. It's just split up among an exponentially growing population.

      Every seven seconds or so I feel a brain cell trying to die.

      --
      Mutant Freaks of Nature: "Frighteningly Addictive"
    2. Re:ID10T5 by griffjon · · Score: 4, Funny

      exactly; does this study control for people who are idiots?

      --
      Returned Peace Corps IT Volunteer
    3. Re:ID10T5 by wunchaliketano · · Score: 2, Funny

      We sent you to college so you could turn the lights off and on, not so you could throw techno/rave parties. You are so grounded.

  3. So... by jfclavette · · Score: 4, Funny

    What's this article about ?

    1. Re:So... by Trespass · · Score: 4, Funny

      'Those goddamn kids are so stupid today yadda yadda yadda...'

      We were all so much smarter at their age, because that's how we care to remember things.

    2. Re:So... by spellraiser · · Score: 3, Funny
      What's this article about ?

      It seems to me that it's about purple haddocks that live in houses made of straw. I could be wrong though ...

      --
      I hear there's rumors on the Slashdots
  4. Yes by 77Punker · · Score: 5, Funny

    Real conversation

    Me: What program did you use to download all that pr0n?

    Fellow Student: Windows 98

    Me: Could you be a little more specific?

    Student: Oh, Windows 98 SE

    This stuff happens to me seemingly everyday. Don't even get me started on the argument I had with a CIS student over whether USB 2.0 is better than USB 1.1

  5. Re:Yes by kabocox · · Score: 2, Funny

    This stuff happens to me seemingly everyday. Don't even get me started on the argument I had with a CIS student over whether USB 2.0 is better than USB 1.1

    Which was better?

  6. Re:Yes. by MightyYar · · Score: 3, Funny

    Frankly, I'm astonished that it broke 50%. I think we should be celebrating... no I'm not kidding. If this study is correct, it has significantly RAISED my expectations.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  7. I agree by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Most people are great at critical reading, like me.

  8. Re:Yes by Hijacked+Public · · Score: 3, Funny

    Firewire

    --
    "Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
  9. In my opinion by scenestar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Everyone who listens to techno is an idiot.

    Oh wait, you meant the OTHER techno

    --
    perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
  10. Re:Yes by 14CharUsername · · Score: 2, Funny

    USB 1.1 obviously, since it's "full speed" and usb 2.0 is "hi speed". USB 2.0 may be hi speed so its better than USB 1.0, but full speed is the best because you can't go any faster than full speed.

  11. Re:Yes by Garabito · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are you sure? I've heard that this 1394 thing is better.

  12. Re:It's not college students, it's people by QuantumPion · · Score: 5, Funny
    Parent.modpoints++; Most people I know here (Suburban NY) refuse to read any work aside from 'executive' summaries & Cliff notes. I write techincal papers for a living; I would say a good 90% read the first page (the afore mentioned 'executive' summary) and proceed to fire off questions about what is covered in the other 99% of the document. We intentionally write in 'lay man''s' terms to avoid talking over many people, yet they refuse to read anything more than the first 1 - 2 pages. We have purposfully tested this idea with writing the first five pages in english, then filing in the rest with either technobable from a Markov Generator or pages from lipsum. Although this was an unimportant document, only one person actually asked what the rest of the document ment. Ouch. It's a good thing that I don't have to stay if layed off by a decent program (since that could easily generate a two page summary for these idiots).

    This comment is too long. Can someone give me an executive summary?

  13. No... by noSignal · · Score: 2, Funny

    I find that they're favoring Emo and Rap these days. Techno is so twentieth century.

  14. Re:Yes by tenton · · Score: 2, Funny

    It doesn't compare to i.Link, though. I hear that beats both of those.