How Might Authors use AI to Create OER?

Now that you've learned about the copyright status of content generated by artificial intelligence, you probably want to know how authors can use it. Then, later in this unit we will offer Reflective Questions so that you can consider whether you want authors to use AI in your OER publishing program.

Improve Accessibility 

There are several ways that Generative AI can be used to make OER more accessible. Here are some examples:

  • simplifying complex text
  • translating language
  • creating concise summaries
  • converting text to audio
  • finding images in an OER that do not have appropriate alt text
  • creating alt-text for images
  • creating captions and transcripts for videos

In theory, AI can also be leveraged to make remediating OER more efficient. More on that when we discuss editing and revising OER later in this module.

Brainstorm, Plan, Edit  

Generative AI can help with both administrative and planning work. That means you can use it as a tool to brainstorm content, plan a textbook's structure, and edit your work. 

For example, an author might use goblin.tools Links to an external site. to figure out how to start writing a chapter for an open textbook. Using the Magic ToDo tool, an author would enter information related to the task. The tool generates a list of steps for completing task. The tool offers additional features related to writing, timing and brainstorming.

A task list titled "Magic ToDo" with steps for writing a textbook chapter.
Using Magic ToDo to itemize how to write an OER textbook chapter.

 

In The Writing Process – Where to Start? Links to an external site. chapter from the Fanshawe OER Development Guide Links to an external site.there is an excellent example about how to use Generative AI to help structure a chapter.

Screenshot of ChatGPT suggesting sub-topics for a chapter on applicant screening in a recruitment and selection book.
Using ChatGPT to suggest a list of subtopics for an OER textbook chapter.

Fanshawe OER Development Guide Links to an external site. Copyright © 2023 by Fanshawe College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License Links to an external site., except where otherwise noted.

These are just a few of the ways that an author could use Generative AI in the process of planning to create an OER. 

Content Creation

As for actual content creation, here are some ways an author could potentially use Generative AI:

  • generate text, including essays, reports, stories, and correspondence that reasonably replicates human writing;
  • review documents in order to find information, summarize, analyze, or give feedback;
  • analyze large amounts of data to identify trends and patterns;
  • translate between languages or regional dialects;
  • produce, debug, and optimize computer code in a variety of languages;
  • generate graphics and illustrations;
  • create audio content including voice, music, and sound effects;
  • create original video content, as a standalone video or to extend an existing video.

Capabilities, Benefits, and Drawbacks by Troy Heaps, OpenED ManitobaLinks to an external site. is licensed under CC BY 4.0Links to an external site.

Illustration of a humanoid unicorn shaking hands with a humanoid robot (cover image of Cyborgs and Centaurs).

For an example, see Liza Long's chapter the "Generative AI Model Essay Links to an external site." or the cover image of her book Cyborgs and Centaurs: Academic Writing in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence Links to an external site.. The corresponding chapter What’s Wrong with This Picture? Links to an external site. explores how Long generated the cover image with AI and some issues she ran into. These included teaching ChatGPT about centaurs and cyborgs, and sorting through multiple image iterations.

Editing and Revising OER 

There is potential for AI to help with the onerous task of updating and revising out-of-date OER.

As one example, Adam Croom used ChatGPT to help update his out-of-date OER textbook. He wrote about it in a post on his webpage, Updating an OER Textbook via AI and ChatGPT Links to an external site.. His process involved placing a chapter in ChatGPT, providing it a role, and iteratively prompting it to try and get the output he wanted. While it was far from a perfect solution, he concluded that he could see this being one of the best use cases for AI and OER. 

Generative AI can also help with developmental editing. For example, it can help with writing, summarizing, and changing tone. This is already built into many familiar platforms, like Microsoft Word and Grammarly. For OER, this feature may be especially helpful if multiple authors who write in very different styles are working on a project together. They may wish to standardize the writing style for a consistent tone. 

Takeaways

  • While AI offers efficiencies in the OER production process, it does not replace a human's ability to vet content.
  • OER requires a person with deep subject expertise, and can't be generated by AI alone. 
  • AI can be used as a planning, drafting, and editing tool in creating OER.