He was the second dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Education,[1][2] as well as a senior fellow at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
It received national media attention for its finding that, after the first two years of college, a significant number of students demonstrated no improvement in a range of skills, including critical thinking, complex reasoning, and writing.
This comprehensive effort aims to enhance institutional effectiveness, promote educational equity, and deepen societal understanding of the undergraduate experience.
By developing metrics and analytical frameworks, this research combines administrative, learning management systems, performance assessment, experiential sampling methods, and survey data to paint a full picture of the value and character of undergraduate education.
[9] From 2011-2016, Arum served as principal investigator of Connecting Youth, a multi-city research project on teen behaviors, attitudes, and competencies around digital media and learning.