Free Practice Question
CR · Critical Reasoning
sub-505
Assumptions
A prominent Midwestern university has revised its educational approach. Previously, most introductory courses were taught by instructors without advanced degrees; now, all introductory classes will be taught by professors holding advanced degrees. This change will result in the average class size increasing from 50 students to 700 students, but it is expected that the quality of student learning will improve.
Which of the following is an assumption necessary for this argument to hold?
Answer Choices
Correct answer marked belowA class taught by a professor with an advanced degree, even in a large lecture format, provides a better learning experience than a smaller class taught by an instructor without an advanced degree.
Correct
B
The university will need to recruit additional faculty with advanced degrees to accommodate the new teaching model.
C
Students are more engaged in smaller classes compared to larger lectures, regardless of supplementary discussion sections.
D
Other universities have successfully adopted a similar model where professors with advanced degrees teach large introductory classes.
E
Ranking services typically factor in the proportion of classes taught by professors with advanced degrees when determining university rankings.
See the full step-by-step explanation
You can see the correct answer above. Sign in for free to unlock the complete worked solution.
Track your performance and improve
Get detailed analytics, unlock full explanations, and move up difficulty tiers as you practice.
Explanation
Preview
Official Explanation
Official
The argument suggests that changing the teaching staff to include only professors with advanced degrees will enhance the learning experience, despite the increase in class size. For this argument to be valid, it must be assumed that the quality of education provided by a PhD professor in a large class is superior to that provided by a non-PhD instructor in a…
Read the full explanation
Sign in for free to see the complete step-by-step solution to this question.
Comments
4
Sign in to join the discussion
L
LeoFeb 22, 2025
Great!
A
AuroraJan 2, 2025
Great explanation
M
ManasiDec 9, 2024
can you explain more?
B
BryanAug 8, 2024
Thank for sharing!
What this question tests
What it tests
Whether you can identify the unstated assumption a critical-reasoning argument depends on.
Common trap
Picking an option that strengthens the argument or is merely relevant instead of one that is required.
Details
Difficulty
sub-505
Type
CR