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Jun 25, 2024
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T3 4071 - The Literacy Crisis: Origins and Effects
What is the literacy crisis? Our environment bombards us with increasing amounts of information: images, words, text. Those who speak of a literacy crisis assert that a large portion of the United States¿ population is overwhelmed by rising demands made on them and handicapped by inadequate literacy skills.
This problem can be demonstrated by the poor performance of students on international tests of reading and writing, and employers¿ charges their workers cause accidents and decrease production because of limitations in their reading and writing skills.
To assess the validity of these claims, this course reviews the historical development of literacy; the personal and professional applications of literacy; the power of literacy to effect change within the developing world; the educational strategies employed by U.S. schools to foster literacy skills; and the performance of students and workers on reading and writing tasks. The course also addresses the tensions that complicate efforts to establish a definitive standard for writing and reading skills. Some of these tensions arise from the evolving nature of reading and writing skills and from the demands made by various activities and professions on these same skills. Beyond the tensions produced by changes within literacy itself, other changes might arise from employers¿ efforts to acquire the most highly skilled workers at the lowest possible wage.
Students critique the arguments for and against the existence of this crisis and suggest responses based on their views. Students also study literacy practices within their areas of study and propose solutions to literacy problems that arise within their disciplines.
Requisites: Sr only
Credit Hours: 3
General Education Code: 3
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture
Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
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