Build a course reading list

---
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

1. Map each outcome to the concepts, evidence, practice, and perspectives learners need.
2. Search authoritative, foundational, contemporary, critical, and applied sources.
3. Verify authorship, edition, status, rights, access, format, and accessibility.
4. Evaluate whose knowledge, geography, methods, languages, and lived experience are represented or missing.
5. Estimate weekly reading time and mark required, excerpted, optional, and reference items.
6. Sequence readings by prerequisite and pair disagreements deliberately.
7. Add a teaching purpose, prompt, and accessible alternative for each required item.
8. 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