Energized Student Engagement: The Active Reading Checklist

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Session Materials

Brief Abstract

Students with in online, blended, or traditional may find assigned reading exhausting and unmemorable. It is vital that students assimilate the content in assigned reading to identify important topics and personal connections and to foster engagement with their learning. This active reading checklist supports students' learning, retention of course concepts, and personal connection with the material. 

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Jeanette Landin, Landmark College

Dr. Jeanette Landin is an Associate Professor of Business and Accounting at Landmark College. Dr. Landin earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction and her MBA from the University of Phoenix. She holds Master's level certifications in Autism Spectrum Disorders from Antioch University and in Accounting from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Landin co-authors McGraw-Hill’s Payroll Accounting, a collegiate textbook. Dr. Landin is an Associate Editor for Accounting for MERLOT and has been a speaker at international, national, regional, and local academic conferences. She has also published many consumer-education pieces about credit cards, credit reports, and similar topics via wallethub.com. Dr. Landin’s professional passion lies in her work with college-aged students with learning differences. She has developed accounting and business curriculum specifically for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Dyslexia, and ADHD. She enjoys the challenge of working with students who would not otherwise find academic success in mainstream traditional or online settings.

Extended Abstract

Students with learning differences often encounter anxiety when faced with a reading load that they perceive to be lengthy. Students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences frequently struggle to mitigate the biological challenges associated with reading and comprehension. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders often encounter challenges connecting the course-specific reading to other courses and personal experiences. Students with ADHD encounter issues with mental focus when reading large amounts of text. Finally, students with working memory issues may find it difficult to process and remember the details of their reading. One solution to alleviate the students’ anxiety is the use of a checklist that helps them to read strategically by employing active reading strategies such as determining main points, summarizing, developing personal connections with the text, and predicting the effect of the reading. The use of a template promotes the development of executive functioning to select items of interest and/or importance and to concentrate on important concepts in required course readings.