Reading assignment

For a reading assignment, you instruct your students to read a particular text, such as a book, article or scientific research. Then you have them perform an assignment related to the text, for example summarising the content, giving their opinion about it (with justification), taking notes, formulating questions about it, answering questions about it, analysing the text or comparing several texts.

There are several ways to test your students' knowledge and skills with a reading assignment:

• Written assignment - you have your students write a summary or essay on the text to be read. You assess them on content, style and grammar.
• Oral presentation - you ask your students to give a presentation where they discuss the main points of the text and give their opinions. This allows you to assess presentation skills, knowledge of the text and communication skills.
• Multiple-choice or open-ended questions - give your students a quiz or test with multiple-choice or open-ended questions based on the text read. With this, you test their knowledge of the text.
• Discussion - you ask students to have a discussion about the text by posting annotations and responding to each other.
• Reflection - get your students to reflect on their reading experience and how it affected their understanding or personal development.

Tip: With a reading assignment, you not only test your students' knowledge but also promote reading skills, understanding and insight into the subject area. 

Want to know more?

• How do you encourage students to do their self-study assignments? - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Teaching Techniques for motivating students to read literature (pdf) - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

See also: Perusall, FeedbackFruits Comprehension, FeedbackFruits Interactive Document.