#dumbingusdown — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #dumbingusdown, aggregated by home.social.
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What Do Students Lose When They Stop Writing?
Educators are worried that many students can no longer write essays without #AI . And it’s costing more than just grammar skills.
By Dana Goldstein
Aug. 17, 2026Excerpt: "A growing number of educators are alarmed, and insist that students should write without A.I. These teachers are returning to #handwriting, #BlueBooks and proctored, in-class essay tests — all attempts to prevent students from outsourcing their writing to #chatbots.
"This is baffling to tech industry leaders, who see A.I. rejection as a form of educational malpractice. They point out that writing is already the leading use of A.I. in the workplace, and argue there is no need to continue suffering through the task without help. After all, they say, chatbots now exceed the ability of most human beings to produce fluent prose.
"All this points to some questions about writing itself: Why work so hard to learn it? And what do students stand to lose when they stop facing down a blank page, alone with their thoughts?"Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/us/student-writing-essays-ai.htmlArchived version:
https://archive.ph/TGoVV#CriticalThinkingSkills #TheBlankPage #AISucks #DumbingUsDown #Enshittification #Proctoring #InClassEssays
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#ICYMI (I know I did)... Apparently, part of #Trump's #BigUglyBill involved withholding future student #FinancialAid if they withdraw from a class. Wow...!
"Beginning in Summer 2026, changes to #FederalStudentAid under the One #BigBeautifulBill Act will significantly affect how federal direct loans are adjusted when students withdraw from courses or reduce enrollment. Several of you have met with me via zoom to learn more about these changes, and I am grateful for the questions and conversation.
What’s changing in brief:
- Financial aid for loan borrowers may now be recalculated based on a student’s enrollment, even in cases where students continue to pay for all of their credits.
Students who withdraw from courses may:
- Lose eligibility for a portion of their aid in a future semester and/or,
- Owe a balance back to the university
Please contact the Office of Financial Aid with questions or refer students directly for individualized guidance.
Thank you for your continued support of our students during this transition."
#USPol #TrumpSucks #DumbingUsDown #GuttingHigherEd #StudentLoans
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So, maybe I'm biased, but I personally think that degrees in #LiberalArts and #Humanities are very important in having well-rounded citizens -- who are exposed to art, history, geography, philosophy, etc. And I think that sort of education should be free and start at the high school level (or even before).
Hampshire College Will Close Amid Student Enrollment Declines
Other small private colleges like Hampshire have closed in recent years as financial pressures and competition for students increase.
by Mark Arsenault, April 14, 2026
Hampshire president, Jennifer Chrisler: “Some of it is a persistent and ill informed, I think, belief at the federal level that the only value of an education is what you earn four years after your graduation”.
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/snPv7#Authoritarianism #DumbingUsDown #CharacteristicsOfFascism #HigherEducation #Education #LearningForLearningsSake