The OER PromptbookA Field Guide for OER Work With AI
Promptbook Task · Find OER

Find a Manageable Shortlist Without Becoming an OER Search Expert.

Tell the Promptbook what you teach and what you need. It builds the AI prompt and asks for a short, source-linked list you can review yourself.

Start small. Verify at the source.

Choose One Route

You do not need to work through this page in order. Pick the situation that matches the problem in front of you.

  1. Pick a route.Replace a textbook, find one unit resource, find an open alternative to a current book, search from a course document, or check a list you already have.
  2. Add only what matters.For search routes, the course or class title is enough to start. Optional context can improve the result.
  3. Use Quick first.Go Deeper only when the first pass is not enough.

Not sure? Replacing most of a textbook? Start with Replace a Textbook. Need only one reading, video, or activity? Start with One Unit or Topic.

Prefer to browse on your own first? Visit Explore OER to look through California-focused and broader OER collections without building an AI prompt.

Course Details

For the first four routes, enter your course once. Only the course or class title is required. If you are only checking an existing candidate list, you can skip this section.

Required for search routes. A course number is not required.
Optional: add context that may improve the search

Skip anything that does not matter for your search.

Course numbers vary across systems, so use this only if it helps narrow the search.
Need a starting point? Explore OER sources and paste one or more here.

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.

Find OER · Route 1

Replace a Textbook or Major Course Resource

Use this when you need a main text or substantial set of materials for most of the course.

Rely on quizzes, slides, homework, H5P, or instructor materials? Add them under Teaching supports I need in the optional course details above so the search accounts for what you would otherwise have to replace.

Start here
Quick

Find 3 to 5 Candidates

Get a small set of realistic options to open and review yourself.

Preview the prompt
Human Check: Open the original source and confirm the license, content, course fit, and whether any teaching supports have their own rights or access terms.
Go Deeper
Search More Thoroughly
Use this when the first search is weak or you need a clearer comparison of tradeoffs, gaps, and teaching supports.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Treat the comparison as decision support, not an adoption decision.
Back to Find OER routes


      
Find OER · Route 2
Find OER for One Unit, Week, or Topic
Use this when most of the course already works and you need one focused resource.
Add only what is useful for this unit
Start here
Quick
Find 3 to 5 Strong Options
Best when you know the topic and need a few assignable possibilities.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Read or watch the resource before assigning it and verify the license from the original source.
Go Deeper
Search Beyond the Obvious Terms
Use this when the topic is specific, interdisciplinary, or hard to find.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Verify relevance, representation, accessibility evidence, and student workload.
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Find OER · Route 3
Find an Open Alternative to My Current Book
Use your current book as a search map without asking AI to reproduce copyrighted text.
Start here
Quick
Search for Similar Coverage
Get a few open alternatives with recognizable course coverage and note whether the teaching supports you rely on are available.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Similar coverage does not mean equivalent quality, pedagogy, supports, or fit.
Go Deeper
Compare Coverage, Supports, Strengths, and Gaps
Use this when preserving particular coverage, sequencing, or teaching supports matters.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Review the actual OER and any associated teaching materials, not only the AI comparison.
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Find OER · Route 4
Search From a Course Outline or Syllabus
Use this when your course document should define what the search needs to cover.
California Community College faculty: Your Course Outline of Record (COR) works here. In other systems, use a syllabus, catalog description, course outline, or similar official course document.
Start here
Quick
Identify Needs, Then Find Candidates
Turn course requirements into a focused shortlist.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Confirm that the AI interpreted your course document accurately.
Go Deeper
Map Requirements, Search, and Document Gaps
Use this when you want a transparent record of how the search criteria came from the course document.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: The official course document remains the authority.
Back to Find OER routes


      
Find OER · Route 5
Check a Candidate List I Already Have
Already have titles or links? Paste them here before spending time evaluating them. You do not need to enter a course for this route.
Start here
Quick
Verify Links and Licenses
Find out which leads appear real, open, and worth carrying forward.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Click through to the original source yourself before relying on the result.
Go Deeper
Separate Verified Facts From Unconfirmed Claims
Use this when the list is long, mixed-quality, or generated by AI.
Preview the prompt
Human Check: Verification does not tell you whether a resource is good enough to teach.
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Before You Use a Candidate
  • Open the original resource, not just the AI summary.
  • Confirm the license from the original source.
  • If you rely on quizzes, slides, homework, H5P, or instructor materials, verify whether those supports are actually included and what rights or access terms apply to them.
  • Treat “Needs verification” as unresolved.
  • Review course fit, accessibility evidence, representation, and student workload yourself.
  • If a claim depends on your college's library holdings, approved platforms, ZTC process, or other local practice, confirm it with the appropriate campus source rather than asking AI to guess.