How are we doing at engaging students? Charles Schroeder talks to George Kuh

Abstract

DURING THE PAST TWO DECADES, more than twenty national study groups have issued clarion calls for reform of undergraduate education by urging colleges and universities to “put student learning first.” These calls have not gone unnoticed by state legislatures, who demand more accountability; by parents, who want more value in return for escalating costs; and by accrediting boards, who require more hard evidence that student learning outcomes are indeed being achieved. Even publications such as U.S. News & World Report are starting to question traditional approaches to ranking colleges. Everyone, it seems, is looking for more evidence of the quality of undergraduate education.