Guided Course Design
Darci Spangler
Lesson Plan Customization
AI can be a powerful tool for lesson planning with OER textbooks by quickly generating aligned learning objectives, discussion prompts, and assessment ideas based on the content of each chapter. It can also help tailor instructional materials to different learning styles and modalities, making it easier to adapt OER content for diverse classroom needs.
Example: Using AI to Create a HyFlex Lesson Plan from an OER
Goal
The goal of this project was to design a lesson plan based on an existing OER textbook and adapt it for delivery in a HyFlex classroom environment. In addition to creating a flexible and engaging lesson plan, the project also aimed to ensure alignment with the established course outcomes. By doing so, the project sought to support consistent learning experiences across in-person, synchronous online, and asynchronous online formats, while maintaining a strong connection to the course’s overall learning objectives.
How It Was Done
Three chapters from an open educational resource (OER) text were selected to revise a four-week faculty learning circle on HyFlex teaching that would also be taught in a HyFlex capacity. As the learning objectives for the circle had already been established, my goal was to ensure that both the new text and individual lesson plans aligned with those outcomes. Initially, I encountered limitations in using Copilot, as I was unable to link or attach the book directly in my prompt. As a result, the AI-generated responses provided useful general suggestions for a lesson plan but lacked book-specific suggestions. To address this, I downloaded the relevant chapters and uploaded them as individual PDFs, which allowed for more targeted responses.
Several rounds of prompt refinement were necessary to achieve meaningful results. I began by providing a detailed description of the project, including the learning objectives, the target audience, and the fact that the course would be delivered in a HyFlex format. Initial AI-generated responses were overly broad and did not adequately address the unique needs of HyFlex delivery. To improve the output, I narrowed the prompts to focus on individual chapters and explicitly stated the need for learning activities that would allow participants to collaborate across all modalities—whether attending in person, online synchronously, or online asynchronously. This approach produced clearer, more actionable lesson plans for each week of the faculty circle. However, Copilot initially suggested similar activities for each module, typically variations of discussion-based tasks. To introduce more variety, I iteratively refined the prompts, requesting more creative and diverse activities. After several additional rounds of fine-tuning, I arrived at an end product that met my expectations. Once a solid draft of the lesson plan was developed, I reviewed and incorporated the original learning objectives to ensure full alignment with the intended course outcomes.
I used Chapters 1.4, 2.1, and 2.2 of this Hybrid-Flexible Course Design by Brian Beatty for this example.
Results
Initially, the AI-generated responses were too broad and did not fully align with my instructional goals. Through iterative prompting, I was able to refine my own understanding of what I wanted to achieve, which naturally evolved throughout the process. This back-and-forth with the AI highlighted the importance of clarity and specificity in prompt design. As I honed my prompts, the responses from Copilot became significantly more targeted and useful, ultimately providing valuable support in shaping the final direction of the project.
Potential issues
- There is no direct way to link to the OER, which presented a minor challenge. However, I was able to work around this by downloading the relevant chapter and attaching it as a PDF file.
- AI has inherent limitations in the specificity and depth of its responses. In this case, I wanted to use a particular book as a guide and AI initially provided broad, general suggestions rather than directly integrating the book’s content. Human intervention was essential to refine the prompt, ensuring a more targeted and relevant response.
Best Tools for the Job
- Copilot was used for this task, but other AI tools could also be used, though the result may be different.
About the author
name: Darci Spangler
institution: South Central College
Darci is the Curriculum and Instructional Design Specialist at South Central College, where she collaborates closely with faculty on course and curriculum development. She leads the new faculty onboarding process and supports online teaching best practices, as well as provide educational development trainings and resources for instructors.
