Instruction over Incentives: Assessing Reading Strategies for International Security Studies.

This article examines the effectiveness of two interventions—course-preparation assignment worksheets (CPAs) and instruction in critical/active reading strategies and information literacy—on undergraduate students’ reading completion and comprehension in a discussion-based International Security Studies course at the United States Air Force Academy. The study finds that both CPAs and reading strategies instruction independently increase students’ self-reported consumption of assigned materials and comprehension, particularly among students who might otherwise engage less with readings. However, combining both interventions does not yield additional gains in comprehension. Additionally, CPAs tend to increase the time students spend preparing for class, while reading strategies instruction reduces it, suggesting different impacts on students’ reading efficiency. The findings highlight the value of skill-based reading support over extrinsic incentives and recommend that instructors tailor interventions based on institutional resources and student needs.