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Reading Lists in Canvas

Information supporting the use of the Reading List app in Canvas.

Why Reading Lists?

Reading Lists are an interactive and collaborative way of managing course learning materials.

Teaching staff can

  • Link students directly to learning materials
  • Ensure copyright compliance of learning materials
  • Get statistics on student usage
  • Collect and store readings to your Favorites, then add them to courses whenever you want
  • Easy to update and rollover lists each semester
  • Collaborate with others to create Reading Lists

Students can

  • Easily find and access course learning materials
  • Access lists anywhere, anytime, on any device
  • Provides functionality to save items to your Favorites for future reference

Questions? Need help?

Reading List enquiries may be sent to the Library's Teaching Support team

Best practice for Reading Lists

Apply best practices when creating or updating your Reading Lists to enhance your students' learning experience for your courses.

The following are some recommended tips from the Library.

Image: Copyright © 2023 RMIT University. Is provided under CC-BY-NC-4.0

  1. Length: Keep the list manageable to ensure it loads quickly and is easy to navigate. Follow the course rubric for the appropriate number of weekly readings.
  2. Importance: Indicate the significance of each resource (e.g. required reading, class discussion, assessment support).
  3. Navigation: Use weekly topics or section headings to structure the list and guide student learning.
  4. Currency: Ensure resources are current, ideally no older than 5 years.
  5. Electronic Resources: Prefer electronic over print materials for better access.
  6. Ebook Considerations: Be mindful of user limits and download capacities for ebooks.
  7. Diversity: Include diverse voices and perspectives, such as disability, LGBQTI+, and varied cultural histories, beyond Euro-centric views. Refer to the guide on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives for more details.

Copyright University of Queensland. Adapted from Best practice for reading lists. Reproduced with permission from University of Queensland.

Video - What I love about Reading Lists

The following video shows RMIT University academic Cath Nolan from the College of Business and Law talking about Reading Lists.

Why I Use Reading Lists (2:23 min) by RMIT College of Business and Law (YouTube)