Lippmann likened the average American—or “outsider,” as he tellingly named him—to a “deaf spectator in the back row” at a sporting event: “He does not know what is happening, why it is happening, what ought to happen,” and “he lives in a world which he cannot see, does not understand and is unable to direct.” In a description that may strike a familiar chord with anyone who watches cable news or listens to talk radio today, Lippmann assumed a public that “is slow to be aroused and quickly diverted . . . and is interested only when events have been melodramatized as a conflict.” A committed élitist, Lippmann did not see why anyone should find these conclusions shocking. Average citizens are hardly expected to master particle physics or post-structuralism. Why should we expect them to understand the politics of Congress, much less that of the Middle East?
In the spring of 2015, Eduventures fielded the Eduventures' 2015 Online Student Survey of 28,000 students, primarily adult learners over the age of 25, who are currently pursuing a degree or certificate program online. One goal of this research was to help our clients better understand factors driving or hindering success in an online learning environment. As part of our survey, we asked respondents to assess their academic performance to date, with responses ranging from "great" to "very poor," and to identify specific factors they say contribute to high or low performance. Read More at www.eduventures.com/2015/06/why-online-students-succeed/
