Remediation Warning: What Happens When College Students Can't Read, Write, or Count?

This session starts from a hard truth: many students arrive with real literacy and numeracy gaps, and institutions are serving learners with an unprecedented range of preparation and ability. The question is no longer whether these deficits exist, but how higher education responds—at scale and without lowering expectations.

Panelists will explore how institutions, curriculum developers, and edtechs are combining clear-eyed diagnosis with new approaches to teaching and support, moving beyond one-size-fits-all remediation toward learning environments that deliver continuous feedback, targeted practice, and early intervention. AI-enabled tools are reshaping large lectures and gateway courses—surfacing misunderstandings in real time and helping faculty address gaps before they become barriers.

Rather than debating readiness, this session focuses on responsibility: how we design learning environments that confront skill gaps directly, strengthen core competencies, and make progress visible. In an era of heightened scrutiny and declining trust, honest and effective responses to literacy and numeracy will matter more than ever.

‍