Articles on: AI Course Builder

Getting Started: Generating a Course in AI course builder

Learn the different ways to start building courses in AI course builder, including how to use the Storyboard and how to set up AI generation.

AI course builder gives you multiple ways to start building interactive courses. Whether you’re generating with AI or building manually, this article walks you through the two core tools — the Storyboard and the Editor — and the different ways to begin course creation.

By the end of this guide, you’ll understand:

The difference between the Storyboard and the Editor
When and why to use the Storyboard
The various starting paths for building your course
Where to configure key AI generation and content settings

Jump to Methods to Start a Course

Generate from Instructions (Storyboard)
Start Manually in the Editor
Import a Document
Import an Outline
Import a Video
Generate a Standalone Assessment
Import a SCORM Package

Storyboard vs. Editor: Where to Start and Why It Matters

When you create a course in AI course builder, you have two core tools available: the Storyboard and the Editor. Each serves a different role in the creation process. Understanding how they work together will help you move faster and build better content.

The Storyboard

The storyboard helps you plan your course before jumping into full production. It’s where you can:

Outline the structure of your course (pages, sections, flow)
Define learning objectives
Describe the target learner and their needs
Set the writing style or tone
Choose content settings like interactivity, image preferences, allowed tiles, and language
Apply branding elements like logos, fonts, and colors

If you’re using AI to generate a draft course, the storyboard is your best tool. The more context you provide here, the better the AI can tailor the course to your goals. Think of it as setting the foundation — the AI takes it from there and builds the first draft.

You’re not locked into what you build in the storyboard! Once the course is generated, you can customise everything in the editor.

The Editor

The editor is where your course comes to life. You can:

Review and refine AI-generated content
Add or remove pages
Insert interaction tiles, images, or media
Edit text, layout, and formatting
Manually build courses from scratch

If you already know what you want to say and don’t need help from the AI, you can skip the storyboard and go straight to the editor. It works just as well for manual content creation.

Ways to Start a Course in AI course builder

There’s no one way to start building in AI course builder. Different users, teams, and content types require different entry points. This section walks through the available build paths, what each is best suited for, and what to expect when you choose that method.

1. Generate from Instructions (Storyboard)

Best for: Structured courses, collaboration with SMEs, instructional designers working with clear goals and outcomes

The Generate from Instructions path opens your planning space. It gives you a place to shape the structure of your course and guide the AI toward building something perfectly aligned with your content strategy.

Inside the generator dialog, you can configure:

Your Topic & Instructions: Provide a detailed prompt describing what the course should cover.
Reference Materials: Upload documents (.pdf, .docx, .pptx, .csv), paste text, or provide webpage URLs for the AI to cite.
Objectives & Audience: Click the Objectives button to define what learners should know, and specify your target Learner and Tone.
Writing Style: Upload a custom writing sample to train the AI to match your organisation's exact voice.
Advanced Generation Settings: Click Advanced to control page length, interactivity levels, image providers, allowed page types, and specific interaction tiles.

When you click Generate Storyboard, AI course builder uses everything you've outlined to produce a complete draft.

Conversational AI Agent:

During the generation process, AI course builder uses an AI Agent to actively research your documents and draft the content. If the AI encounters missing context or needs clarification, it may pause and open a Conversation Panel. You can answer its questions directly to guide the final output. To learn more, see The Mindsmith Agent.

2. Start Manually in the Editor

Best for: Regulatory content, finalised scripts, full creative control

Starting manually in the editor gives you complete authorship over your content. No AI inputs are used unless you choose to call them in later.

How it works:

Click Create > Blank course
You’ll enter the course editor with a blank canvas
From there, you can add pages, write content, and insert interaction tiles as needed

What you can do in the editor:

Add or remove pages, reorder them, or organise into sections
Choose from a wide range of interaction tiles (e.g., multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank)
Upload visuals, audio, or documents
Apply themes and branding settings manually

When to use this method:

This method is best when the content has already been approved or when strict requirements mean AI suggestions are out of scope. Typical use cases include legal or compliance training, finalized product documentation, or replicating existing eLearning experiences built in another tool.

3. Import a Document

Best for: Repurposing existing training assets, modernising legacy content, scaling SME-authored material

AI course builder supports importing a variety of document formats. This functionality allows you to breathe new life into static content by transforming it into engaging, interactive courses.

How it works:

Click Create > Import Document
Upload a file (.docx, .pdf, .txt, .pptx), paste text, or provide a webpage URL.
Choose your Document Following strategy using the slider. You can have the AI strictly follow the text, use it as a reference source, or select Plain Import to copy the text exactly as-is without any AI rewriting.
The system scans the structure and content, then builds a fully editable course inside the AI course builder editor.

What gets converted:

Slide decks and documents are split into logical pages
Section headers, bullets, and paragraphs become structured course content
Interactive elements (like question tiles or flashcards) may be inserted where appropriate

When to use this method:

Use this method when you already have content developed in other tools or formats and want to quickly make it interactive and scalable. Ideal scenarios include uploading instructor-led training decks, transforming static handbooks, and scaling subject-matter expert content without requiring them to learn a new authoring tool.

4. Import an Outline

Best for: Executing pre-planned curriculums and structured syllabus documents

If you already have a course plan mapped out, you can upload it directly. AI course builder will read your document's hierarchy and generate the content exactly as requested.

How it works:

Click Create > Import Outline
Upload a file in one of the supported formats: .docx, .pdf, .txt, or .pptx.
The AI scans the structure and content, then builds a fully editable storyboard inside the AI course builder editor.

What gets converted:

The outline is logically segmented into pages using section headers from your outline document.
The bullet points and text under each header are inserted directly as page-level instructions for the AI to follow.

When to use this method:

Use this method when you already have a detailed course outline developed and approved. It ensures the AI strictly adheres to your required pacing, topics, and structure without deviating from the plan.

5. Import a Video

Best for: Creating interactive content from recordings

Video import lets you turn recorded content into structured learning experiences. You can extend the value of webinars, demos, or training sessions by breaking them into searchable, interactive courses.

How it works:

Click Create > From Video
Upload an MP4 video file.
The AI extracts the transcript and reviews the visual and audio track.
A course is built with pages aligned to key segments or timestamps from the video.

What you can do afterward:

Add interactive question tiles between video clips
Include supporting text, images, or resources on each page
Adjust the start and end times of the video segments directly in the editor

6. Generate a Standalone Assessment

Best for: Knowledge checks, certification readiness, quick evaluations

This path creates a quiz or test without needing a full course structure. It’s useful when your primary goal is to measure retention or validate understanding.

How it works:

Choose Create Assessment from the Create menu
Provide a topic, upload a document, or paste a URL
AI course builder generates a quiz with question tiles based on your source

You can:

Set the number and type of questions
Review and edit answers and feedback
Apply grading or completion rules

7. Import a SCORM Package

Best for: Migrating legacy courses into an editable, modern format

If you have old courses exported from legacy authoring tools, you can upload them directly into AI course builder to unlock and edit their contents.

How it works:

Click Create > Import Document (or drag and drop directly onto the dashboard).
Upload a .zip file containing your exported SCORM package.
AI course builder will process the package and automatically rebuild it as a fully editable course or course inside your workspace

Updated on: 28/05/2026

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