Status Updates: Increasing Communication through Calculus Pre-Reading Assignments

In this study, we use Class Preparation Worksheets (CPWs) as pre-class reading assignments for a Calculus I course. We describe the implementation and data collection as well as a qualitative and quantitative analysis. Then, we discuss the implications for student engagement with course materials, a student-and-instructor feedback loop, impacts on student attitudes, and changes in student use of tutoring centers. Overall, the CPWs promoted increased communication and more meaningful class interactions. In particular, students frequently used CPWs to provide status updates to the instructor, including positive and negative emotions as well as student assessments of difficulty.