If you’re thinking about creating an online course, then you’ve probably wondered if you can use artificial intelligence technology. The answer is yes! You can use AI to create your next course or program. However, before diving into the world of AI education, there are a few things to consider.
The first paragraph was generated by a popular AI writing tool.
can you say
Robot-generated copy gets a lot of things right– it’s concise, professional, yet conversational and even engaging. She was able to introduce the topic with just a simple prompt. But can you rely on AI tools to create online courses?
When it comes to creating useful, engaging and effective training content, AI tools can give you a significant advantage over starting from scratch. But this does not mean that they can, or shouldtake on the whole task.
What is AI and how is it written?
Artificial intelligence refers to technology that allows computers to decide how to react based on previous experience or information. Artificial intelligence is used in everything from voice recognition to self-driving cars to dating algorithms. And now, with tools like ChatGPT, it’s gaining traction as a way to create original written content.
AI writing tools generate content using processes like machine learning (learning from data) a natural language processing (understand language as people speak or write it and translate it into a language that a computer can understand).
They take input from a person, whether in the form of questions, suggestions, or prompts, and collect data based on that input from around the web. They process all this data and use it to spit out or “predict” original content.
How to use AI in writing
The technique has limitations. And that means you may not want to give 100% responsibility for creating an online course with AI (more on these limitations later). However, there are a number of ways to use it to increase your writing effort.
For example:
- Generating topic ideas
- Putting together the initial outlines from which you will work
- Conducting preliminary research on facts and statistics related to your topic
Each of these benefits strengthens the writing process, and each can be used when creating your online course.
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4 ways to use AI in creating online courses
AI can streamline the process creating new courses different ways. Here are four ways AI can help you build an online training course, from helping you overcome writer’s block to speeding up production to improving your content.
1. Brainstorming content
AI writing assistants can help you break through writer’s block and ensure you consider everything that matters content.
You know what kinds of training your organization needs – it could be courses needed for compliance or help you support specific KPIs or company initiatives. But you may still be wondering where to start or what specific information to include.
When you type questions into an AI typing tool like ChatGPT, it will generate ideas by analyzing data on the topic and intended audience.
For example, let’s say your company has moved to a remote asynchronous work model. You want to train your staff on how to communicate effectively via email to avoid misunderstandings and potential hiccups in your project schedules.
You insert a prompt to create an outline of best practices for email communication. The tool analyzes existing content and comes back with some of the top issues and tips discussed on the site.
You can then sift through these responses to select the ones that are most relevant to you and start formulating a lesson or series of modules based on that.
2. Create useful course descriptions
Use AI to generate course descriptions that explain why the course is important and what the students get out of it. A brief summary of your training will help employees understand its value and encourage them to participate.
And it saves you time.
Whether it’s a summary in your LMS library to help individual employees follow a useful learning path, or a document that gets support for your training strategy from company executives, AI can help you quickly create concise and compelling course descriptions.
Many AI tools have templates for content summaries or descriptions. Simply enter the entire course content or outline and select any parameters (things like length or tone of voice). Then click the button to generate a description the main points of your content.
3. Production of visual elements
AI creation is not limited to writing. Use it to add engaging visuals and multimedia elements to your course.
Interactive training requires different media types.
Graphics make it easier for the human brain to grasp and process information quickly. And many people learn better through video or audio instruction than text alone.
The right AI programs can take your content and automatically generate attractive infographics that break up blocks of text and present important or complex content in a digestible way.
You can make your content even more dynamic with AI programs that can take your text and quickly convert it into a professional looking, engaging eLearning videos. These programs draw on existing usable images and clips, and you can also customize your videos with logos, custom images or clips, and design elements.
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4. Clarification of the text
You can use artificial intelligence to help polish the final product. Grammatical or spelling mistakes or convoluted writing can distract readers and reduce your credibility.
AI tools for editing and revising are on the rise sophisticatedmeaning they can scan your content for context and meaning and highlight or resolve even complex human errors.
With everything from grammar checks to rewriting long-winded or unclear sentences, AI tools can ensure your writing is concise, professional and to the point.
You can use AI grammar and vocabulary tools to edit for correct word choice and clear, readable writing. Many writing assistants will also edit existing text to match the voice and suggest changes to make your copy more professional or friendly, depending on your preferences.
What an AI can not do
While AI has come a long way and can be a big help in creating your first drafts, don’t rely on it to do all the work for you. There are many nuances to a well-designed online course that only human drivers can achieve.
For example:
- Tailored content. Artificial intelligence can analyze standard information related to your content topic. However, this does not guarantee that everything it finds will be relevant to your needs. You must read and understand what is relevant, accurate and valuable.
- Creativity. AI can learn from data it encounters and previous experiences, but it does not generate original thoughts or ideas. It can be a useful way of organizing and analyzing data, but its thinking capabilities are still “inside the box”.
- Quality control. Artificial intelligence has amazing learning capabilities, but its understanding of language and logic has its limits. Without human review, you risk poor quality affecting your content, from grammatical and usage errors to misuse of statistics to plagiarism.
AI plays an important role in the future of L&D
As we have learned in history, robots cannot replace humans. They can give your effort a boost (see the opening paragraph of this article), but they can’t add the creative touch it will engage students.
Does this mean you can’t create an online course using AI? We are not neglecting this idea yet.
As the technology and tools used to develop training continue to evolve, L&D can benefit by maintaining and incorporating what is relevant.
An online course Artificial intelligence cannot create a completely effective and engaging course by itself. However, with planning and strategic use, it can help you meet your L&D goals faster and more reliably.
