How to Incorporate AI in Online Course Creation

Creating online courses is a dynamic and demanding process. You navigate through a lot of challenges before the course is ready for sale. Content development and time constraints are just a few of these challenges.

However, we are at the dawn of a new era with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI brings innovative solutions to address these challenges. It has revolutionized how online courses are developed.   

You are about to find out how you can use different A.I.  tools to automate some processes in course creation.

How A.I. tools changed educational technology

AI tools offer new methods of assessment and curriculum that test creativity. They provide informative and quick answers to complex questions. That's why Chat GPT has recently aroused global interest.

Educational institutions have also started to adapt to AI Rise. They use tools such as:

• Learning Management Systems (LMS): AI-enhanced platforms that help create courses, deliver content, track students, and more. 
• Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS): AI-powered systems that provide personalized instruction and feedback to students. 
• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) tools: AI-powered simulations that provide realistic and interactive environments for exploration and experimentation.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): Tools for automated language translation, speech recognition supporting communication, and language learning

With the help of generative AI and other tools, you can produce your course materials much faster.

“I find that having AI tools when learning about a topic is quite beneficial because we can find resources that align with the topic really quickly. I can go in and say I need ten videos on machine learning that are applicable to a student of the age of 16, and the tool is going to provide me with as many videos as it can find. So, the use of artificial intelligence when creating courses has been awesome”.

Kelly Schuster-Paredes 

Ed Tech Specialist, Course Creator, and Podcast Host 

For example, you can

• Create your online course outline.
• Generate content for your course.
• Develop quizzes and various assessments.
• Generate any type of media to support your online course.
• Write copy and content for marketing purposes.

Here is a more detailed overview of how you can do that. 

How to Use A.I. Tools In Every Step of Course Creation

As you can see,  A.I. tools can help you with every step of course creation. They include generating visuals, bringing in interactivity, organizing and refining your materials, etc. 

Creating online course visuals with A.I.

When it comes to online courses, visuals play an important role in enhancing their learning experience. We’ve left the days of text-heavy courses behind. Today's learners seek interactive and visually appealing content, which can be achieved by using top AI tools that are available to everyone. 

Especially if you are offering online courses related to graphics and arts, you may need unconventional examples and images. For this purpose, you can use

• Artbreeder - to blend images together, creating new and unique artwork.
• Runway ML - to create different projects by editing images and videos
• Lumen5 - to transform plain text into engaging presentations 

There are thousands of other tools you can choose from to generate video, image, and audio materials real quickly. What you need to pay attention to is whether the product you are using is safe. 

“When you are using AI or online products or tools, make sure you know the product and can stand behind it and use it without putting yourself or your learners at risk.”

Kelly Schuster-Paredes 

Ed Tech Specialist, Course Creator, and Podcast Host 

Creating interactive elements with A.I.

You can engage learners using various interactive elements. They include multimedia resources, real-life examples, quizzes, and collaborative projects.

By incorporating such features, courses become more dynamic and stimulate active participation.

Kelly Schuster-Paredes, who has a passion for integrating technology into education, uses generative A.I. a lot of the time to generate a whole bunch of quizzes. 

“I will generate a prompt with AI tools, such as Gemini, Omni, and ChatGPT. For example, give me options for some questions and add information that is specific to my outcome. These generative AI tools really produce some great questions. Of course, next, you want to check over the answers”. 

Kelly Schuster-Paredes 

Ed Tech Specialist, Course Creator, and Podcast Host 

So, you can choose a generative A.I. tool that works for you, come up with a specific prompt that is focused on your learning outcome, and get a bunch of options for your quiz questions. 

Creating online course outline with A.I. 

It is important to ensure that all course components are organized and interconnected. This means that: 

• Each topic or module should flow into the next. So, creating a cohesive structure will make it easier for learners to follow. 
• A well-structured course helps students understand how different concepts relate to each other. 

To get your course outline ready quickly, you can use Uteach’s A.I. course outline generator tool. First, you will need to enter your niche, and the tool will suggest several ideas for your online course. 

Next, you can choose whichever of those ideas you want and generate a course description and outline for it in one click. 

How to use ChatGPT to get started with your online course

While there are various generative A.I. tools available, you can use ChatGPT to set the basis of your course and build on it. 

“I highly recommend going straight to the source, finding a generative AI tool that works for you, and really practicing honing in on your prompts and outcomes.” 

Kelly Schuster-Paredes 

Ed Tech Specialist, Course Creator, and Podcast Host 

Brainstorm and draw up course outlines with ChatGPT

ChatGPT helps generate topics, organize modules and lessons, and outline the course structure. It also identifies relevant concepts and provides suggestions based on the input. 

Here is an example prompt you can use to create an outline for your course. 

Create a list of subtopics I shall touch on in my course “Digital Marketing For Beginners” for teenagers.

As you get some ideas of what your course can comprise, select the topics you would like to cover. Afterwards, you can organize them into modules. 

It’s very important to be specific with your prompts. If you are expecting great outcomes, your input should be great as well.  For example, in this case, instead of having something like “Generate the modules,” you can say: 

Organize all the topics into 16 modules, each module containing at least four relevant episodes, which can be covered in 5 minutes maximum. 

It is also a good idea to mention what specific group of students your course is for. 

You can also proceed to set the learning outcomes.

Develop one learning outcome for each module based on the SMART goal-setting technique.

You can continue to ask about developing a content outline for each episode, assessment and evaluation techniques, etc.

Specify the tone of voice you want the AI to write in

Creating an engaging course requires careful consideration of the tone of voice. It is also inseparable from developing your brand identity.

The tone sets the mood and establishes a connection with the audience. For example, you can choose your tone to be informative, friendly, or conversational. 

If you use concise sentences, AI  can maintain clarity and avoid unnecessary complexity. This way, you will ensure the results AI provides are precisely how you want them to be.

Here is an example prompt for setting the tone of voice A.I. can write your course description. 

Write a description in no more than 150 words for the course "Digital Marketing For Beginners." The tone of voice should be friendly but not too conversational. Use short and concise sentences. Make it engaging using active voice constructions, and include a CTA for the students to enroll. 

Here you have the results! Ensure your instructions are clear and as detailed as possible to get the best possible results.

Check and edit the outcomes 

Artificial Intelligence may be efficient in generating quick results. However, you need to double-check the results to be on the safe side.

Not only should you provide guidance and clear instructions when using AI, but also actively monitor the outcomes. Regularly checking and evaluating the generated outputs allows you to assess the overall performance and identify areas for improvement.

So feel free to adjust the parameters and make necessary corrections to ensure the results align with your expectations. 

“The worst case scenario is assuming that the answers to a question from a generative I are true is horrible. You don't want to go in and assess a student and have the wrong answer. That is not going to prove well for your credibility as an educator. So, do fact-check, know your information, and know what you want the students to learn”.

Kelly Schuster-Paredes 

Ed Tech Specialist, Course Creator, and Podcast Host 

Conclusion 

AI has revolutionized the creation of online courses. It addresses challenges, offers innovative solutions, and enhances the teaching and learning process. 

AI tools like ChatGPT provide personalized learning experiences and automate administrative tasks. You can use them to create visuals, maintain your brand’s positive voice, and create interactive elements.

If you are ready to create your first course with the help of AI, use Uteach’s free course idea generator and start quickly.