Expecting students to complete their readings predicates the need for faculty to hold students accountable. Faculty can hold high expectations and hold students accountable by avoiding lecturing about the reading content. Making students accountable to one another through group or partner work that requires students to read, such as jigsaw activities, is one way to increase reading completion (Coffman, 2003). Utilizing class preparation assignments that incorporate information gathered from reading assignments or using quizzes and other graded and non-graded activities to reinforce and assess student reading are also ways to increase reading completion (Yamane, 2006; Lei, Bartlett, Gorney, & Herschbach, 2010). These and other methods, such as participation points in classroom discussions that are reading-related, supports faculty expectations, reinforces the importance of reading, and holds students accountable (Ryan, 2006).

In determining assigned readings, consider the reading level of an assignment as well as the length, number, and type of readings (Ryan, 2006). Studies suggest students are less likely to read chapters from textbooks and articles authored by their instructors, and more likely to engage in alternate types of readings such as novels, short stories, or historical documents (Armstrong, Stahl, & Kantner, 2015; Ribera & Wang, 2015). Faculty may choose to use a group reading assignment and divide up the reading and make group members responsible for individual sections, reducing the amount of reading and increasing accountability. Ensure that assigned readings hold an explicit purpose within the class; readings should be the basis of foundational knowledge or incorporated into the class discussion and/or activities (Nilson, n.d.).

Engagement is a reliable predictor of learning (Ozis & Demir, 2017; Ambrose et al., 2010). When students are disinterested in course content or do not believe a course or its readings hold importance within the contextual framework of their learning, they are less likely to be engaged (Baier et al., 2011). Boosting student engagement requires active intention by the course instructor. Be explicit about why you chose to assign particular materials, discuss what purpose they hold within the context of the course, and, when possible, connect the relevance of the course and readings to their lived experiences and future goals (Baier et al., 2001; Ryan, 2006).

Lacking confidence in one’s ability to meet learning goals, such as the completion of course readings, contributes to a lack of engagement and poor compliance. Faculty should expect and believe that students are capable and can succeed. Faculty should communicate clearly about their expectations early and often, and maintain their expectations throughout the course (Wambach, 1998). When faculty believe students are capable of completing their readings and expect them to do so and provide appropriate support, students are more likely to engage. Ensuring students have the tools to be successful may involve coaching them on how to read. Utilizing reading guides that outline the purpose and directions for the assigned reading, retrieval practice strategies such as brain dumps, and explicit study questions within the syllabus can encourage student reading while giving them tools to read with a purpose (Coffman, 2003; Ozis & Demir, 2017).