Most persuasive writing relies on finding effective leverage

One of the "light" news items from the past few days is a report on a Tennessee college professor who hid a $50 bill in a locker at the beginning of the fall semester. He included the location and the locker combination in the middle of the syllabus for a class he was teaching and even hinted that there were lots of good reasons to check out the syllabus when he began the course.

No one grabbed that $50 bill.

Since the semester is now ended, the story reminded me of how difficult it is to clearly communicate information to people. It also reminded me that college students don't read their course syllabus very carefully, in the same way most of us click quickly through product information online before finalizing our orders. 

A "trick" that can work is to require students to write a summary or simply answer some simple questions that can only be found in the syllabus... and give them points. 

It would be nice if syllabi were written more clearly and concisely, but finding the right leverage to induce more careful reading is likely to produce better results. Leverage is always the key in persuasive writing, which is the broader point here.

I saw a news report on Sarah Palin (yes, she is still around) saying she would get the vaccine "over my dead body." Classic and perhaps ironic, if the universe decides her hubris is worth punishing.

I saw another report that the former president told a rally crowd in Dallas last weekend that he had not only been fully vaccinated but had received the booster shot. And he encourage everyone to get vaccinated. After all, his administration got the ball rolling on the rapid research that gave us effective vaccines. 

And the crowd booed.

That's the thing about leverage. You would have thought that the Cult of Trump would hang on his every word and follow his directions, but it turns out that at least some percentage of the population has moved to even more extreme positions than their fearless leader.

What do those in authority do when the levers they count on simply don't work anymore?

Mandates are often the favored reaction. The "lever" is a fine or not being allowed to enter a restaurant if unvaccinated. Or paying more each month for insurance coverage. Or being dismissed from your job.

As far as college syllabi go, if we really want students to read them, we have to mandate that... and we have to check for their understanding. In a sense, giving a syllabus quiz is just the academic version of a mandate. Students can still opt to NOT read it or not take the quiz, but there is a clear sanction in the form of points lost. That still might not be enough incentive but for any student "on the fence," that is likely enough.

I am guilty of providing all sorts of readings in my online courses that I never really discuss later or ask students to respond to. I consider many readings as models and "extra" support to reinforce concepts. But if I consider a reading to be essential, I have to require some sort of quiz or essay or discussion post.

We all need some sort of nudge.