The Chronicle has posted two letters in response to my most recent article. One is from Dan Sullivan and Kate McConnell who wrote because they felt I had misunderstood an article they had written. I have previously posted a critique of the article in question. The second and more recent letter is from Catherine Wehlburg. She takes the argmentum ad lapidem approach. I am wrong because my argument is just “silly,” so there is no need to deploy evidence to counter it.
I also take issue with the statement that “learning isn’t the most important element of a college education.” Now, that’s just silly. Of course learning is the most important part of a college education. That is why students attend college — it isn’t just to collect course credits (though some students might think that it is). The point is to learn — new skills, behaviors, knowledge, and even new perspectives. And there is a great deal of data on what students are learning and how that learning is helping them be successful in the workforce and in life.
This just reinforces my sense that the arguments for assessment are ultimately based on people’s intuition about what college is about or ought to be about rather than thoughtful or critical reflection.