The first step to developing your edX course is organizing its curriculum. Whether you're creating a new course or converting an existing course, you will need to identify each of the components of your course and where they will be delivered to students. While a syllabus was an effective option in the past, you might find it inadequate with the more interactive and engaging elements of your edX course.

While not part of the edX platform, one tool you might find useful is the edX Course Matrix. A Microsoft Excel document that outlines the course curriculum with links to the source material and finished files for each instructional element, the edX Course Matrix provides you with a simplified project management process. This document is not required by any means, but it is included here as a value-added best practice.

The following is a screenshot of the edX Course Matrix. As you can see, there are two parts of it: Course Data at the top and Course Details at the bottom. We...