Johnson’s concerns about waning participation and declining reading are shared by professors and teachers in liberal arts programs, including in Pittsburgh. Teachers at four universities interviewed for this story had a variety of theories about the cause, including:
1. Inequitable educational opportunity that leaves some college students unable to comprehend difficult material
2. Federal policies that encourage teaching to the test rather than critical thinking
3. Increasing student use of artificial intelligence (AI) to draft papers and write summaries, which some instructors worry will only worsen the trend.
