February 10, 2025 12:30 pm - 2:10 pm ET
W. E. B. Du Bois Library, 6th and 7th floors, see sessions for room numbers

Reports from faculty and students alike note that students seem less likely to complete assigned readings. Join us in the CTL on Monday, February 10, for a half-day of micro sessions on reading across the disciplines, from textbooks to primary literature and scientific articles. We will examine trends and strategies to support reading in general and then take a deeper dive into the specific challenges of reading in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and STEM in three separate concurrent sessions.  

 

Listen to Learn Lunch: Why Don’t Students Read?

12:30 – 1:30 pm

Facilitators: Beth Lisi & Colleen Kuusinen (CTL)

Location: W. E. B. Du Bois Library – 600, 6th Floor

What prevents students from reading? In this Listen to Learn session, we will explore the root causes and discuss the implications for our teaching. On your own before the session, listen to the podcast episode "Why Don’t Students Read?with Betsy Barre, and then join us for a discussion about the major ideas explored in the episode and implications for our classes. As you listen, take a look at our Why Don’t Students Read? Listening Guide that highlights the main ideas and key reflection questions to consider while you listen. (An accessible listening guide is also available.) We will offer lunch in this session

 

Concurrent sessions

1:40 – 2:10 pm

Choose one of these concurrent sessions as you register.

Fostering a Community of Readers in Humanities Classrooms (And Beyond!)

Facilitator: Brian Baldi (CTL)

Location: CTL Conference Room (W. E. B. Du Bois Library – 714, 7th Floor)

One way to foster deeper engagement with course readings is to leverage the benefits of community. In this session, we’ll discuss how to promote active reading through peer engagement structures.

STEM Requires Reading Skills, Too!: Supporting Student Reading in STEM

Facilitator: Katie Ingraham Dixie (CTL)

Location: W. E. B. Du Bois Library – 600, 6th Floor

Students in STEM often struggle to effectively read textbooks and primary literature. In this session, we will explore ways we can support STEM students to build skills to become more efficient readers.

Social Sciences' Specific Challenges and Strategies for Reading

Facilitator: Claire Hamilton (CTL)

Location: CTL Mei-Yau Shih Library (W. E. B. Du Bois Library – 702M, 7th Floor)

Study after study reports that students are reading less and that many are not completing their assigned course readings. We’ll discuss the challenges and strategies for engaging students in reading textbooks, primary resources and popular text sources in the social sciences.