I really enjoyed the Nelson reading. I feel like it did a great job of giving some context to the objective(s) of a class like this. (Basil, this reading might be a really good thing to assign during the first week. That way, the class could begin with a discussion about the relationship between college courses, institutional authority, knowledge, etc.) I thought that the prose was very effective - clear, concise, and engaging - and that Nelson offered interesting generalizations from his analysis (e.g. most people graduate from college without having developed strong interdisciplinary critical thinking.). Claims like this have the potential to really resonate with current college students - after all, many of us are ready to take a critical stance with regard to our professors' instructional styles once we are offered a perspective that allows us to effectively evaluate the way that material is being presented.

In general, I felt that the first section of the article (where Nelson identifies the "problem(s)") was more effective than the latter parts (which are more solution-oriented). I say this because the second half of the essay felt a bit speculative, as though Nelson was comfortable drawing some fairly broad conclusions from limited examples. This is not to say that the second part would not contribute something to class discussions (it is always more difficult to be right than to be useful), simply that I was more impressed by Nelson in the first half.
Overall, great reading. I think it would add a lot to this course, especially if assigned at the beginning of the semester.
-Eamon