“I do notice a difference, having taught for 38 years,” says James D. McJunkins, an assistant professor in Clark Atlanta University’s Department of Mass Media Arts. “Now there’s more to distract the students, and it seems to be more of a challenge.”
McJunkins is not alone in his assessment.
Dr. Renae D. Mayes, an assistant professor and director of the school counseling program at Ball State University, says that, while students’ creativity and intelligence have not been hindered, work ethic is suffering and students require more “hand-holding” than past students have demanded.
Dr. Craig Cameron, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State University, agrees.
“I think we’ve entered into an era now where just for showing up you get a reward, and so … instead of cultivating an individual’s strengths, we are rewarding mediocrity,” says Cameron.
Dr. Nicholas Hartlep, an assistant professor of educational foundations at Illinois State University, says the challenges of social promotion and grade inflation have added a new layer of challenges.
