Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Neilium · 03-04-2003, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scm_redrum
Thank you for replying everyone

It's hard to argue against Postmans point of view if you haven't read the book, but if you ever turn on a television today it's pretty plain to see that everything is pretty much "crap." i.e "Joe Millionare, "Married by America," "American Idol," and so on. Ever since the ivention of television, "American Culture" (if such a thing exists), has been declining at a rapid pace. We can arguably blame alot if things like A.D.D, declining SAT scores, mass propaganda, and the idea that "learning must be fun" on television because it created a culture where everything must be fast and simple (like sound bites).

Brian Min

1. There's a big difference between coincedence and causality. Before you blame ADD on television, one has to show the work.

2. Declining SAT scores? According to this table of mean national averages since 1967, they're actually on there way up.

http://www.collegeboard.com/press/se...pdf/table2.pdf

Granted, verbal scores dropped from 1967 to 1983, but have drifted up and down since then. They are currently on the way up.

Math scores, on the other hand, have risen to nearly 1967 levels.

In 1985, when Postman's book was published, one could argue that test scores have done nothing but fall since 1967 by looking at this table. However, there's nothing on this table regarding the number of test takers from year to year. (I'll guess the number has gone up.)

-neil

scm_redrum · 03-04-2003, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Neilium
1. There's a big difference between coincedence and causality. Before you blame ADD on television, one has to show the work.

2. Declining SAT scores? According to this table of mean national averages since 1967, they're actually on there way up.

http://www.collegeboard.com/press/se...pdf/table2.pdf

Granted, verbal scores dropped from 1967 to 1983, but have drifted up and down since then. They are currently on the way up.

Math scores, on the other hand, have risen to nearly 1967 levels.

In 1985, when Postman's book was published, one could argue that test scores have done nothing but fall since 1967 by looking at this table. However, there's nothing on this table regarding the number of test takers from year to year. (I'll guess the number has gone up.)

-neil

I don't know if you know, but they had to change the scoring system about 7-10 years ago since the scores were so dramatically low. You now get 400 points just for writing your name correctly. Pretty sad if you ask me.

Neilium · 03-04-2003, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scm_redrum
I don't know if you know, but they had to change the scoring system about 7-10 years ago since the scores were so dramatically low. You now get 400 points just for writing your name correctly. Pretty sad if you ask me.

Read the footnote on the table at the link I provided. This adjustment is taken into account for the test score averages listed prior to 1995. The "re-norming" (interesting euphemism) doesn't really change my point.

-neil

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