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5 Strategies to Improve Readings

  • Make sure that students need to utilize the reading in some clear and direct way, either for class discussion or an assignment. Students report reading more when they know that they’ll need to apply the reading and it’s clear how doing the reading will impact their success in the course.
  • Tie the readings to your learning objectives or course outcomes–in line with TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education) and the Teaching and Learning Center's (TLC) efforts to make the hidden curriculum visible, making clear to students how and why readings are core to their learning helps create buy-in. 
  • Assign readings that are intentional, succinct, and can be listened to (i.e. are a high-quality scan that can be recognized by text-to-speech readers) whenever possible to accommodate for student preferences and needs. 
  • Student format preferences are nuanced and often change based on context–don’t assume that your students will always prefer print or or always prefer digital. Moreover, often students can’t have their preference because of cost considerations. Try to provide as many format options as possible and avoid ‘locking’ students into one format when possible. 
  • When readings are dense or take a lot longer than the instructor estimated, some students resort to using ChatGPT, TikTok, and other resources to teach themselves the content. Others may feel overwhelmed by jargon or reading length and give up reading altogether. Whenever possible, give students guidance and transparency on what is most essential to read. Don’t assume that all students have the same knowledge of how to skim, summarize, or prioritize readings. 

These strategies were developed through focus groups with UCSC students conducted in 2024. These changes can be made incrementally–choose what to incorporate based on your bandwidth or what you think would resonate with your students most.

Do UCSC Students Read?

In 2022, ~4,600 UCSC students were asked what percentage of their assigned course readings they did on average throughout the academic year. A majority of students (67%) said they read less than 80% of their readings, with a third reading less than 60% of their assigned readings. Students not reading can impact student learning, classroom engagement, and instructors’ ability to progress through the curriculum.