| name | build-a-course-reading-list |
| category | school |
| description | Build a course reading list with purposeful sequencing, source diversity, accessibility, workload control, rights, and alternatives. Use when readings must support stated learning outcomes. |
build-a-course-reading-list
Every reading earns its place in the learning sequence.
When to use
- Use for courses, workshops, programs, or guided independent study.
- Do not require inaccessible, unlawfully shared, or needlessly expensive material.
Preconditions
- Define learners, outcomes, course length, contact hours, budget, language, accessibility, and institutional rules.
Procedure
- Map each outcome to the concepts, evidence, practice, and perspectives learners need.
- Search authoritative, foundational, contemporary, critical, and applied sources.
- Verify authorship, edition, status, rights, access, format, and accessibility.
- Evaluate whose knowledge, geography, methods, languages, and lived experience are represented or missing.
- Estimate weekly reading time and mark required, excerpted, optional, and reference items.
- Sequence readings by prerequisite and pair disagreements deliberately.
- Add a teaching purpose, prompt, and accessible alternative for each required item.
- Ask a learner or librarian to test access and workload.
Failure plan
- If a required source is inaccessible, secure a lawful accessible copy or replace it.
- If workload exceeds capacity, cut or excerpt rather than hiding optionality.
Worked example
An eight-week policy course pairs foundational theory with empirical critiques, caps weekly reading time, and provides accessible alternatives for one unavailable archive item.
Done
- A reading-list document records outcomes, sequence, source purpose, workload, access, rights, representation, and alternatives
- Link, edition, accessibility, cost, workload, diversity, and learner-test checks verify usability
