Plan a course reading sequence
A reading list is also a sequence of decisions about what students need to understand. Keep the purpose of each reading beside its reference and teaching notes so you can review the course as a whole.
- Audience
- Educators
- Role
- University lecturer
- Project
- Course reading
- Reading time
- 2 min read
Start with a question for each week. Decide what students should be able to explain or discuss before selecting the readings.
Separate essential reading from optional depth. A useful resource does not have to be required for every student.
Give each week a question
Draft the weekly question and a short explanation of how it connects to the previous session. Use that sequence to identify where background knowledge is missing.
Attach a purpose to each reading, such as introducing a concept, challenging a claim or showing a method. Remove duplicate tasks from an overloaded week.
Check editions and access
Add the source record and confirm the author, edition and publication year against the material students will actually read. Similar titles can describe different texts.
Keep chapter or page details in your teaching notes. Check access through the library or publisher separately, because a correct citation does not establish access rights.
Prepare for discussion
Write a question that requires students to use a specific passage. Add a second question that asks them to compare the reading with an earlier source.
Record likely points of confusion and the context needed to address them. Keep your explanation separate from quotations from the reading.
Review the sequence
Invite a colleague to comment on the plan and ask whether the workload and progression are realistic for the intended students.
Use comments to resolve overlap between weeks. Preserve the reason for a change so the next revision starts with context.
Prepare the handoff
Review the bibliography and exported document before sharing them with students. Confirm any institutional requirements for accessible materials and reading lists.
Keep the working course plan for later revision. Update readings when the teaching question or evidence changes, rather than changing dates to make the list look new.