Gathering and Organizing Resources for Your Course
Before delving into curating an OER we should look at the broader task of course curation. In other words, if you are moving your course over to be a zero textbook cost course or are unable to find a single OER resource, you may need to find a variety of OER resources to use throughout your course. You can then either use them separately or combine them into a single resource.
You can use the Course Organization Spreadsheet to help you organize and keep track of the resources for your course. The spreadsheet has room for all the information you will need to organize your course. The more fully you fill it out, the easier it will be when you are ready to make a single resource or integrate them into your online course.
Using the principles of backward design, start filling out the spreadsheet. You will want to use a course outline, your syllabus, or other documents that break down the course into sections.
Instructions for the spreadsheet:
- See the list below to download the template in the version of your choice, either an Microsoft Excel Worksheet or a Google Sheet. Google Sheets is free to any one with a Google account. If you prefer to use Excel, your campus should provide free access. Butte College provides a free downloadable version for students, faculty, and staff
- Using your course outline, syllabus, or other information, start by filling in the units of your course under the tab “Topic/Outcome/Lesson.” This will help you determine what sort of content you need to find for your course.
- Next think about how students are going to be assessed on the content. Do you already know what sort of evaluation method you will use? Fill this in now.
- This next part is up to you. You can work systematically through your spreadsheet lesson by lesson, or you can fill out the spreadsheet as you find useful content.
- To get a sense of what the spreadsheet will look like filled out, view a short example of the spreadsheet: Example of Template: Course Organization Spreadsheet (Google Sheet).
Templates of Course Organization Spreadsheet:
- View a short example of the spreadsheet: Example of Template: Course Organization Spreadsheet. (Google Sheet).
- Template: Course Organization Spreadsheet (Google Sheet). To use in your own Google Drive account, copy the template by going to file, then “make a copy.” You will then be able to edit your own copy of the spreadsheet.
- Template: Course Organization Spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel)
Attributions: Spreadsheet adapted from “Getting Started: A Content Catalog,” by Quill West, CCCOER, Licensed under CC BY 4