A different AI instructional tool

Build active, collaborative lessons in minutes.

EduStax is an AI-powered instructional tool that generates complete lesson plans grounded in peer-reviewed OpenStax textbook content and based on active learning strategies proven to boost engagement and persistence.

EduStax is a beta tool, free for verified instructors, and teachers using it are encouraged to share feedback that may inform future improvements.

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How EduStax works

From topic to teachable lesson in four steps

EduStax is built around how students actually learn: through discovery, discussion, and productive persistence. EduStax is grounded in OpenStax's peer-reviewed textbook content, trusted by over 10,000 K12 educators. Activities generated are based on the specific topic you select, and can be used alongside any curriculum.

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EduStax generates a complete plan you can refine to fit your classroom.

Create your first lesson

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Active learning based in peer-reviewed content

Drawn from the book, taught your way

Pick an OpenStax book and a topic. EduStax builds a complete active-learning lesson on that topic, using the book's peer-reviewed content and research on how students learn. Refine any part to fit your class. Because it's a standalone lesson, it pairs effectively with any curriculum your classroom uses.

Available titles in EduStax: Algebra 1, Algebra and Trigonometry 2e, Anatomy and Physiology 2e, Biology 2e, Biology 2e for AP® Courses, College Algebra 2e, College Algebra 2e for Corequisite Courses, Concepts of Biology, Elementary Algebra 2e, Intermediate Algebra 2e, Introduction to Computer Science, and Prealgebra 2e.

EduStax is free for verified educators, and a free OpenStax account is how you get in.

Create your free account

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Research and impact

Validated with teachers, in real classrooms

EduStax was built to help teachers implement effective, active-learning lessons using trusted, peer-reviewed content. Change the classroom dynamic and improve student engagement, while implementing research-based pedagogy with a reduced planning burden.

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Designed with teacher input

Built on research and tested with experienced teachers, so the tool fits how teachers actually plan and produces results they can actually use.

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Comparable to a human expert

In a blind comparison, teachers rated EduStax lessons comparable to a subject-matter expert's, and could not reliably tell which was AI-made.

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Tested in real classrooms

Teachers in our beta-test cohort reported increased motivation and engagement from their students who received EduStax lessons.

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Why the lessons work

EduStax lessons are built on established learning science, not guesswork.

Students work, talk, and problem-solve before they are handed the answer. That is when learning sticks. OpenStax research scientist, Dr. Katie Bainbridge, explains the foundational learning science concepts behind EduStax, and how the outputs were mapped to what teachers told us they needed to facilitate instruction.

Productive Failure

Dr. Manu Kapur

Students grapple with a hard problem before instruction, so the concept lands deeper when it arrives.

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Generative Learning

Dr. Richard Mayer

Students build understanding by doing, discussing, mapping, and self-testing — not by passively receiving instruction.

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Read the blog

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“Once I started using EduStax, they got excited by doing math — and that doesn't generally happen. It felt so empowering... I could actually see and hear mastery within the moment.”

EduStax Research Participant
Algebra 1 instructor, New York City Public Schools

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Questions & answers

Frequently asked questions

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Which OpenStax books can EduStax build lessons from?

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EduStax builds lessons from the following OpenStax textbooks:

• Algebra 1
• Algebra and Trigonometry 2e
• Anatomy and Physiology 2e
• Biology 2e
• Biology 2e for AP® Courses
• College Algebra 2e
• College Algebra 2e for Corequisite Courses
• Concepts of Biology
• Elementary Algebra 2e
• Intermediate Algebra 2e
• Introduction to Computer Science
• Prealgebra 2e

What does an EduStax lesson include?

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Each lesson is a complete active-learning plan built from the OpenStax book and section you choose, and every part of it is editable.

You start by picking the kind of lesson you want, whether you're introducing a new topic or reviewing one. From there, you refine the output to fit your class. You can change the context of a problem, like relating it to the Mets instead of the Astros, or add components like a warm-up or an exit ticket. Some pieces come standard, and others you can prompt EduStax to add, so you can build the lesson out as far as you need. When the plan is ready, print it or save it.

How does EduStax build a lesson, and can I change it?

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Yes, EduStax uses AI to build each lesson, but it doesn't generate from scratch. Every lesson is built from the peer-reviewed OpenStax content in the book and section you select, so the material it draws on has already been vetted by subject-matter experts.

Here's how it works. You choose a topic and whether you want to introduce it or review it. EduStax then suggests a few activity options with short summaries, so you can see what each one involves before you commit to it. Pick the one that fits your class, or ask for a new set of ideas if none of them are right.

From there, the lesson is yours to shape. You can refine it and edit any part before you teach, so what ends up in front of your students is a plan you have reviewed and approved.

Do I have to teach with OpenStax to use EduStax?

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No, you don't have to be teaching from an OpenStax book to use EduStax.

Every lesson is built from peer-reviewed OpenStax content, so the material it draws on has been vetted by subject-matter experts. But the lesson stands on its own, which means you can teach it alongside whatever curriculum you already use. You can even use it in a different course, like bringing an algebra activity into a physics unit. The OpenStax content is the foundation each lesson is built on, not a curriculum you have to adopt.

Is EduStax free?

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Yes, EduStax is free for verified educators during the 2026-2027 school year.

You use it by signing in with a free OpenStax account. If you already use OpenStax, it's the same account, and if you don't have one yet, you can create it when you start. EduStax is a planning tool for teachers, so it isn't student-facing. Students don't log in or use it directly. You build a lesson in EduStax, then teach that lesson to your class the way you normally would.

Educators using EduStax are encouraged to provide feedback on their experience which will be used to inform future improvements to the tool.

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Spend less time planning.

Give your students more learning.

Free for verified instructors. Built on OpenStax content.

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