Of all the effects of the Israel-Hamas war, one of the most alarming is that college students across the country are rapidly taking a hard-line stance, despite having little knowledge of one of history’s most complex conflicts. That’s what I took. Very often their opinions are obtained by reading the first few paragraphs of an article without context or by social media posts by friends or influencers that are not supported by facts.
The price of this ignorance can be sudden endorsement of views that one does not even believe, or physical and psychological attacks targeted at groups of people. Lack of awareness can also lead to other forms of violence. Last week, some demonstrators clashed with police on the street outside Columbia University during a pro-Palestinian rally, and others were allegedly sprayed with a chemical that causes nausea, vomiting and vomiting. Ta. and other diseases.
Therefore, it is important to teach students to look beyond the superficial details and feelings of the moment so that they can form opinions based on facts and a deep understanding of the subject matter.
As an academic leader at a university, I believe this is extremely important because it is central to the purpose of university education and our obligation to our students.
Universities must teach students to draw strategic conclusions from complex information and base their decisions on reliable evidence and data rather than intuition. We should not tell our students what to think by promoting a particular ideology, but rather teach them how to apply deep analysis, evaluation, and synthesis so that they can consider a wide range of information and diverse ideas. need help.
The massive campus protests against Israel in recent months following brutal attacks by designated terrorist organizations highlight how we are failing our students in this regard. Now more than ever, we need to encourage the intensive study of history and facts to prevent over-reliance on values-laden language as a means of understanding current events.
How many college students know that the chant “From River to Sea” is a call for the murder of Israelis, both Jews and Arabs? The answer seems to be surprisingly few.
A few weeks ago, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, wrote: wall street journal He hired a research company to survey 250 students about this expression. According to the company, 86% of those surveyed said they supported the term, but when the meaning was explained to the same students, more than 67% rejected the term.
The fact that 67% of students only learned from the pollster’s explanation that “From the River to the Sea” was a genocidal anthem that they had happily supported without question is a testament to the quality of university education. What does it say about quality?
Clearly, we are not doing enough to encourage students to delve deeper into a subject before taking up a role.
Considering that most higher education institutions reject binary explanations of people, using binary explanations for problems within the classroom should also be considered unacceptable. colonialism and xenophobia. Apartheid versus diversity. Such absolutes allow students to avoid critical thinking by providing them with an escape route that perhaps leads to easy answers, rather than the shades of gray that are at the root of most, if not all, conflicts. make it possible.
The focus should be on teaching critical thinking skills. Students should also research topics on their own in an honest manner, but they should also be aware that even respected authorities can be biased, so use multiple sources when researching controversial topics. It is important to use
Distinguish between information and opinion
Students should remember not to trust “facts” from social media and to distinguish between information and opinion. Additionally, students should consider valid reasons for forming opinions that differ from their own, rather than demonizing those who disagree with them.
Of course, professors should not espouse their political views in the classroom, reward those who share them, or punish students who dare to disagree.
Professors who encourage discussion and the sharing of differing opinions must respectfully question students’ different opinions, but they must also encourage students to explain both sides of the argument, even when not required. . Students will receive a more comprehensive education, and professors will become better teachers by forcing them to consider alternative perspectives, even if students are unable to shed their biases.
Universities need to further their students’ education by providing multiple perspectives so they can make smarter, more informed decisions. If we don’t, we will emerge into the world with a generation of students who are eager to fight for justice, if only we could learn to appreciate it.
The author is dean of Touro University’s Lander College for Women in New York City and vice president for online education at Touro University.