Assigned Readings: Questions to Ask Yourself

In any course that assigns texts to read, a concern for new instructors is how much reading is “too much.” The answer to this question isn’t universal—it varies substantially by school, course, and even the ebb-and-flow of student trends. It’s not surprising, then, assigned reading produces some of the most heated arguments among educators at conferences and online.

This article will help you determine what assigned readings might look like in your course using five key questions. These...