The OER PromptbookA Field Guide for OER Work With AI
Promptbook Task · Build a Plan

Plan Only as Much as You Need.

Keep the course structure that already works. Use the Promptbook to swap materials, organize a workable sequence, or check a rough plan without turning the task into a full redesign.

Start with what already works.

Choose One Planning Job

You do not need a finished syllabus or a complete course map before you start. Pick the planning problem in front of you and give the Promptbook only the information that helps with that problem.

  1. Add your course.The course or class title is enough to begin.
  2. Choose one job.Swap materials, organize what you already chose, or check whether a rough plan is ready enough.
  3. Use Quick first.Go Deeper only when an important planning question remains.
Working on only one unit? You can use these prompts for a unit or short stretch of the course. You do not have to plan the whole semester.

Start With the Course

The course or class title is the only shared field you need. Add optional context only if it will help with the route you choose.

Required to copy a prepared prompt.
Optional: add course context that may improve the plan

Skip anything you do not need.

Privacy: Shared course details stay in your browser. By default they last only for this browser session so you can move between Promptbook tasks without retyping them. Use Remember only on a device you control, and do not paste private student information.

Build a Plan · Route 1

Replace Materials Without Redesigning the Course

Use this when the course itself is working and you mainly need to replace a commercial text or another costly resource.

Start here
Quick

Make a Minimal-Change Replacement Plan

Keep the course shape intact and identify only the pieces that may actually need attention.

Preview the prompt
Human Check: Keep your official course requirements, assignments, and sequencing authoritative.

          
Go Deeper
Find Hidden Replacement Work
Use this when the old material is tied to quizzes, homework, chapter order, slides, or other course pieces.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: AI can flag possible dependencies. You decide what actually needs to change.

        

        Back to Build a Plan routes
      


      

        Build a Plan · Route 2
        
Organize Materials Into Weeks or Modules

        
Use this after you have a rough set of readings, videos, activities, or other resources and want a workable sequence. This can be a whole course, a few weeks, or one unit.

        

        

          
Start here
Quick
Make a Simple Working Map
Put the materials into a usable sequence without forcing every item into the course.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Review pacing and workload from the student point of view before you publish the schedule.

          
Go Deeper
Check Sequence, Practice, and Pacing
Use this when you need to see assignment connections, overloaded stretches, or important support that may still be missing.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Treat workload and alignment claims as estimates unless the evidence supports them.

        

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        Build a Plan · Route 3
        
Check Whether My Plan Is Ready Enough

        
Use this before spending more prep time. The goal is to catch the few issues most likely to matter, not to generate a perfect-course checklist.

        

        

          
Start here
Quick
Find the Few Things Most Worth Fixing
Prioritize only issues that could meaningfully affect students or create avoidable prep.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: A flagged issue is a place to inspect, not proof that the course has a problem.

          
Go Deeper
Check Sustainability and Hidden Work
Use this when you also need to look for fragile links, recurring updates, missing supports, or access questions that could create work later.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Verify access, accessibility, licenses, and local LMS or library conditions yourself.

        

        Back to Build a Plan routes
      


      

        
Field Rule: Ready Enough Beats Overbuilt

        
Do not turn an OER change into a course redesign unless the course actually needs one. Keep what works, fix the pieces that matter, and stop planning when you have enough to teach the next version well.

        
If you discover only one missing item, move to Fill a Gap instead of rebuilding the plan.