Dr. Amanda Green from Eastern Kentucky University presented a recorded talk for the 2020 Lilly Conference that was both engaging and informative. I didn’t know anything about Course Preparation Assignments (CPAs) and loved how Green designed the workshop! I watched the recording three times. Green used the new Zoom option to embed a live screenshot feed in the slides. The slides were all easy to follow with a simple black and white design highlighting titles and key points in black boxes with white text. Green discussed challenges and research addressing the question: are students reading? As a cultural anthropologist, Green teaches several courses with reading assignments required for productive discussions in class. David Yamane is a researcher using CPA and evaluating their use. CPAs are regular, low-stakes assignments for readings that include analysis questions and personal reflection. They force students to read and connect concepts to their lives. Green emphasized how they are authentic because some of the questions in CPAs allow for the application of ideas that is personal: there may be no “right answer” since it is personal. Yamane 2006 found that CPAs were perceived by students to increase engagement and that the students were responsible for the success of the course (democratic engagement). Green mentioned that Yamane did several assessments and analyses. Ewell and Rodgers argued that CPAs work because they help students engage with texts and help them analyze and feel prepared for class discussions. Green stated that the CPAs include an introduction with key concepts and references, objectives (including disclosure of personal information), and then assignment instructions such as length and how to submit. Green quotes Yamane as mentioning that CPAs have authentic questions with no pre-specified answer. I love this, as students are creating based on their experiences and connections to the context! The way Green uses CPAs is really helpful: students bring their CPAs to class. Small group discussions are used to share CPAs before a larger class-level discussion. Mini-lectures help reinforce concepts and takeaways. Green grades CPAs as credit/no credit. Lackluster submissions get an initial warning before no credit. No credit assignment can be rewritten within a week. Green conducted a study with surveys to evaluate what students think of CPAs. The results are preliminary and thought-provoking: most students are reading, most agreed that the assignment helped them read. The qualitative findings do not mention that CPAs were “busy work”… and did mention that CPAs stimulated critical thinking and connections to students’ lives! One challenge is how to do CPAs online without the small group discussions and larger class conversations. Green asks: what is the point of a CPA if they are not sharing them in small discussions? It is challenging to do CPAs online. I do think CPAs could be useful online. We are going to try video lecture and reading assignment scaffolded notes that will be regular, low-stakes, and include reflective questions. Green has a fantastic system and gave a great workshop. While we don’t have textbooks in some of the courses we teach, we do have readings. I’m excited about learning how to use CPAs and maybe reading sets too.
