By: Stewart Hall
The argument that today's students have the wrong attitude towards learning continues to be a hot topic in higher education. Some people believe that students are too goal oriented and see college as just another step to getting a job rather than an enhancement of the self as it should be viewed. While these people tend to blame this on the general attitude of our generation, it may have a lot to do with the way schools are now run.
The attitudes of students may actually have a lot to do with the policies and assessment criteria of today's universities. Probably the biggest problem with students that are lazy is the disconnect between their attitude and the attitude necessary to succeed in a job. In many jobs, the worker is competing against other candidates and him/herself to impress their. It seems that the real disconnect may be a result of the difference between how students are evaluated and how employees are evaluated. Students are evaluated on whether or not they complete the requirements of an assignment on time. Employees are evaluated on how productive they are, as well as how innovative they are. In the workplace, 100% is not pre-defined. It is defined by the quantity and quality of work attained by the highest performing worker. If we want students to take on the attitudes of a person in the workplace and be better prepared for a career, it may be time for a change in how students are evaluated.
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