Every course creator can attest: the journey from concept to completion is not always an easy one. Designing, refining, and then marketing and selling a course often comes with unexpected challenges. At the very least, it tends to take more time than you initially predicted.
That’s where AI tools can really come in handy.
This is your guide to leveraging AI-powered prompts, specifically for the ultra-popular ChatGPT, to streamline and enhance your course creation process.
In the sections that follow, we’ll delve into the different stages of course creation and how ChatGPT can be used to make each step more manageable and effective. You can click on the link to skip to that section.
- Course design and development: How ChatGPT can help in the initial stages of creating a course, including designing the course structure and developing the content.
- Course packaging and bundling: How ChatGPT can aid in packaging your course attractively and bundling it with other related courses for maximized value.
- Course marketing and sales: How ChatGPT can generate marketing content, sales pitches, and more to help your courses reach their target audience and convert prospects into enrollees.
- Course content enhancement: How ChatGPT can assist in enriching your course content, making it more interactive, engaging, and effective.
- Course evaluation and feedback: How ChatGPT can help in the evaluation process, collecting feedback, and making data-driven improvements to your course.
- Learner support and communication: How ChatGPT can facilitate effective communication with learners, providing immediate responses to queries and fostering a supportive learning environment.
How to make the most of these prompts for your online course business
The beauty of these prompts is that they’re incredibly flexible and can be adapted to fit your unique needs.
Here are some ways you can make them your own:
- Add or Remove Criteria: The prompts include specific criteria for [input], but these are just suggestions. Feel free to add more criteria or remove some that do not apply to your situation. The goal is to tailor the prompt to your specific use case. For example, if you are generating a marketing campaign plan and you know your target audience’s preferences, you could add this to the prompt to get a more tailored response.
- Adjust the Language: These prompts are designed to be versatile, but the language might not always fit your style or context. Feel free to adjust the tone, level of formality, or specific terminology used in the prompt to better match your own communication style or the requirements of your industry.
- Provide Detailed Context: The more context you provide to the AI, the more precise and applicable the output can be. If there’s specific background information, guidelines, or constraints related to your request, include those in your prompt.
- Play with Formatting: Experiment with different formatting styles, such as bullet points, numbered lists, or paragraph form, to see what generates the best response for your needs. Different formats might work better for different kinds of prompts.
- Iterate and Refine: You might not get the perfect response on your first try. Feel free to tweak the prompt, rephrase your request, or add more information, and then try again. AI models like ChatGPT learn from interaction, and your iterative refining process can lead to increasingly satisfactory results.
Remember, these prompts are just a starting point. The real power comes from experimenting, iterating, and refining them to align with your unique requirements and objectives.
Enjoy the creative process, and you’ll discover that with the right guidance, AI can be a powerful tool in your toolkit.
With that, let’s dive in and uncover the power of AI for course creators!
Interested in learning how to write better prompts but don’t feel like reading? Me neither. Check out our video instead!
1. Course design and development
Course design is a systematic process combining instructional design and content development to create effective and engaging learning experiences.
Here are a few prompts you can use to help as you take on this task:
Using instructional design and course creation models to design your course
ChatGPT can help course creators in generating content, designing course structures, and creating lesson plans. It can even follow whatever instructional design model you input to create a learning path that meets your specific objectives.
To get ChatGPT to design your course using the specific course creation model/framework you’d like to use, you’ll need the following inputs:
- [specific course creation model/framework]
- [Course Title]
- [Target Audience]
- [Learning Objective 1, Learning Objective 2, Learning Objective 3]
- [Key Topic 1, Key Topic 2, Key Topic 3]
Example prompt:
The learning objectives for this course are [Learning Objective 1, Learning Objective 2, Learning Objective 3]. Here are some key topics this course should cover: [Key Topic 1, Key Topic 2, Key Topic 3].
Using the principles of the [specific course creation model/framework], please create a course outline including the following sections:
Course Title: [Course Title]
Learning Objectives: As stated above
Key Topics: As stated above
Course Content: Detailed content covering the learning objectives and key topics
Activity Suggestions: Engaging activities to reinforce the learned concepts
Assessment Methods: Methods to assess the understanding and knowledge retention of the learners.
Here are some common course creation models/frameworks you could plug in by adding, ‘please use {insert course design framework}’ to your prompt
- ADDIE Model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation)
- Bloom’s Taxonomy (Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, Creating)
- SAM Model (Successive Approximation Model)
- Gagné’s 9 Events of Instruction
- Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction
Related: 7 Instructional Design Storyboard Templates For Online Course Creators
Generating course ideas
Coming up with unique and engaging course ideas is fundamental for attracting learners. ChatGPT can be your best brainstorming partner, helping to generate course ideas based on specified fields or topics.
Example prompt for a few different situations:
| Generate 10 unique course ideas related to the field of [personal development]. The target audience is [working professionals looking for personal growth]. Please also suggest a [key learning objective] for each course. |
| Convert the following YouTube videos and their descriptions into an idea for an online course, including a title, description, learning objectives, and an outline: [Video title 1] – [Description 1] [Video title 2] – [Description 2] |
| Create a course outline based on the following eBook: Ebook title: [input eBook title]. Ebook Description: [description] Learning Objectives and key takeaways: [learning objectives & key takeaways] Ebook Chapters: [Chapter 1 – description] [Chapter 2 – description] Use the chapter names and summaries for each chapter to create individual lessons. Provide a brief description of each lesson. Including the learning objectives. Include Interactive activities and group discussions. |
| Create a course outline using the following blog posts and their descriptions: [Blog title 1] – [Description 1] [Blog title 2] – [Description 2] Sort the blog topics into a few lessons, with modules, and provide a brief summary of each lesson with learning objectives. Include Interactive activities, and group discussions. |
Related: 50+ Online Course Ideas (Plus 4 Steps To Refine Them)
Course outlining
An essential step in course creation is outlining the course structure. This involves defining the topics, subtopics, and the sequence of lessons. ChatGPT can quickly create draft outlines from a variety of inputs which you can then refine to suit your own approach.
Example prompts:
| Create a course outline based on the following list of blog posts and YouTube videos: [Copy in resources (titles, descriptions, etc)]. |
Create a course outline based on the following list of blog posts and their descriptions
|
Please create a course outline based on the following list of youtube videos and their descriptions:
|
Related: How To Create An Effective Course Outline (+Template)
Lesson planning
Once you have your outline, you’ll need to plan out each lesson in detail. This is another area where ChatGPT can provide a useful starting point based on multiple inputs.
Example prompts:
| Create a lesson plan for the topic ‘[input topic]’ using the following information: Resources: [input resources] Learning Objectives: [Learning Objective] |
| Create a lesson plan based on the following details: Lesson Objectives: [Enter the specific learning objectives for this lesson, including what students should know or be able to do by the end of the lesson.] Student Background: [Provide information about the student’s prior knowledge, skills, learning styles, and any special needs.] Content to be Covered: [Specify the topic or skills that will be taught in this lesson, including key concepts, ideas, or skills.] Teaching Strategies: [Describe the teaching methods that will be used during the lesson, such as lecture, group activity, hands-on experiment, discussion, etc.] Resources and Materials: [List any resources or materials that will be used during the lesson, like textbooks, videos, handouts, software, etc.] Assessment Methods: [Explain the formative and summative assessment methods that will be used to gauge students’ understanding during and after the lesson.] Lesson Timeline: [Provide the duration of the lesson and an estimate of how much time each section of the lesson plan should take.] |
Related: The Ultimate List of Free Online Course Lesson Plan Templates
Microteaching lesson plan
A shorter variation of your typical lesson, micro-teaching is becoming increasingly popular as people turn to TikTok and other short-form media sources for learning. ChatGPT can provide the same support for micro-teaching lesson plans as it does for full-length ones.
Example prompt:
ChatGPT, I am preparing a micro-teaching session on [specific topic] and I want to implement a mix of microteaching styles: [microteaching style e.g., role-playing, case study, simulation, etc.]. I’m aiming to enhance my [specific teaching skill/technique]. Can you help me outline a detailed 20-minute lesson plan that includes a clear objective, instructional strategies, assessment methods, and potential teaching aids?
Related: How to Make a Microteaching Lesson Plan
Instructional design model integration
Incorporating instructional design models like ADDIE, Bloom’s Taxonomy, or the 70/20/10 model can enhance the structure and effectiveness of a course. These models guide the course creation process to ensure a comprehensive learning experience. If you’re not as familiar with the models, ChatGPT can actually apply them to your course structure for you.
Example prompt:
Design a course structure for ‘[input course name]’ using the [ADDIE model].
The course should cover the following topics: [Topic 1, Topic 2].
Related: 10 Instructional Design Models For Creating A Winning Online Course
Creating learning objectives
Formulating clear learning objectives provides direction for the course and clarity for the learners. It also helps direct ChatGPT in executing some of the other prompts we’ve listed more effectively. So why not use the tool to help outline your learning objectives as well?
Example prompts:
| Generate learning objectives for the following course outline: [input course outline] |
| Generate learning objectives for the following course outline, chapters, modules: Outline: [input course outline]. Chapters: [chapters] Modules: [modules] |
Related: How To Craft Magnetic & Compelling Learning Objectives
Integrating multimedia
Many people are visual learners. Including multimedia elements in your course can significantly improve learner engagement and help with comprehension. Some types of media you might consider adding to the course material are images, infographics, audio clips, and videos.
Example prompt:
How can I integrate multimedia elements into the following lesson plan to enhance learner engagement: [input lesson plan]? Here’s some information to help you: Here are the learning objectives: [learning objectives]Here are the lessons that have poor engagement: [poor engagement lessons]
Creating a learning path
A learning path outlines a sequence of courses or lessons that lead to a particular learning outcome. ChatGPT can help craft a logical learning path based on the learning objectives and target audience.
Example prompt:
Create a learning path for [aspiring data scientists]. The path should start from beginner level courses:[beginner level courses] and progress to advanced topics: [advanced topics]. Please include at least [5 courses], each with a [brief description and key learning outcomes].
Related: How To Design An Effective Learning Path
Course description writing
Crafting a captivating course description is key to attracting potential students. The description should highlight the main features of the course, how someone will benefit from it, and why it stands out from other, similar courses.
Example prompts:
| Write a compelling course description for a course titled ‘[input course title]’ that Utilizes the following: Course Features: [input course features]. Course benefits: [course benefits] Course outline: [input course outline] Learning objectives: [learning objectives] |
| Please generate a captivating online course description using the following content details: Course Working Title: {course title} Please generate a captivating online course description using the following details: Course Objectives: {course objectives} Target Audience: {target audience} Course Outcomes/Benefits: {course outcomes/benefits of taking course} Course Content: {copy any course content text here}Please use this format: {Names: Course name idea 1 Course name idea 2 Course name idea 3 Subtitles: Subtitle idea 1 Subtitle idea 2 Subtitle idea 3 Course Description: Course Learning Objectives: Benefits of taking this course:} |
Interactive activity design
Creating interactive activities, like quizzes, group tasks, or simulations, can improve the learning experience by promoting active participation and engagement. These activities need to align with the lesson objectives and should encourage learners to apply their knowledge.
Example prompts:
| Design an interactive activity for learners on the topic of ‘[input topic]’ based on the following lesson objectives: [input lesson objectives]. |
| ChatGPT, I’d like to incorporate more interactive activities into my course on [Course Subject]. Here are the main topics we cover: [List of Main Topics]. Here are the learning objectives: [learning objectives]. Can you help me design two interactive activities that will allow learners to apply and deepen their understanding of these topics? |
Related: 8 Ways To Make Online Classes More Interactive
Learner engagement strategy
To keep students motivated throughout the course you’ll want to build out a strategy for learner engagement. Some tactics you might consider are setting up discussion forums, conducting regular, personal check-ins, or organizing interactive sessions for your learners.
Example prompt:
Related: How To Maximize Student Engagement In Online Learning
Repurposing content to generate course ideas and course outlines
Blog-to-course transformation
Transforming a collection of blog posts into a cohesive mini-course is a smart way to repurpose content while providing a structured learning experience. You’ll need to map out each blog post to a relevant lesson or module in the course and create transitions to make for a smooth learning journey.
Example prompt:
[Blog title 1] – [Description 1]
[Blog title 2] – [Description 2]
Sort the blog topics into a few lessons, with modules, and provide a brief summary of each lesson with learning objectives. Include Interactive activities, group discussions.
Related: How to Make Money Blogging: 8 Proven Ways to Monetize Your Blog
YouTube-to-course conversion
Turning a series of YouTube videos into a mini-course can extend the value of your video content. This process involves identifying key learning points from each video and structuring these into lessons or modules.
Example prompt:
Convert the following YouTube videos and their descriptions into a mini-course outline:
[Video title 1] – [Description 1]
[Video title 2] – [Description 2]
Sort the videos into a few lessons, with modules, and provide a brief summary of each lesson with learning objectives. Include Interactive activities, and group discussions.
Related: How to Successfully Sell Courses on YouTube
Podcast-to-course Conversion
Podcasts can also be rich sources of information, so why not turn them into the foundation for a course. Use ChatGPT to break down podcast episodes into lessons and then arrange them into a logical sequence.
Example prompt:
Related: How To Start A Successful Podcast (Step By Step Guide)
eBook-to-course transformation
eBooks can often be quite long, so not all learners are willing to invest the time and effort into reading them. Transforming an eBook into a course allows you to cater to visual learners or those looking for a more engaging experience. To do so, use ChatGPT to break down each chapter into lessons or modules and elaborate on the key points in each chapter.
Example prompt:
Ebook Description: [description]
Learning Objectives and key takeaways: [learning objectives & key takeaways]
Ebook Chapters:
[Chapter 1 – description]
[Chapter 2 – description]
Use the chapter names and summaries for each chapter to create individual lessons.
Provide a brief description of each lesson. Including the learning objectives. Include Interactive activities and group discussions.
Related: How to Sell Ebooks Online: The Definitive Guide
2. Course packaging and bundling
Bundling related courses not only provides prospective students with a more comprehensive learning experience, it’s also a great sales tactic.
Here are a few prompts you can use to do course packaging and bundling:
Course sequencing
Organizing courses logically within a bundle is important. It helps learners progress and build subject matter expertise as each course builds off the last. Arranging courses in a sequence that makes pedagogical sense, considering prerequisites and complexity levels, is something ChatGPT can help with.
Example prompt:
Course Title: [Course Title 1], Course Description: [Course Description 1], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Course Title: [Course Title 2], Course Description: [Course Description 2], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Course Title: [Course Title 3], Course Description: [Course Description 3], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Related: How To Use Learning Sequencing To Plan Your Lessons
Course bundling
ChatGPT can assist in curating and structuring a cohesive bundle of courses around a specific theme, making it easier to market and sell educational packages. It can also suggest a suitable price for the bundle in comparison to individual course prices.
Inputs: Theme of the bundle, a list of courses (along with brief details and prices about them), target audience, and proposed bundle price(optional).
Example prompt:
| If you know your bundle price | “ChatGPT, I’d like to bundle the following courses around the theme of ‘[input theme]’: Course Title: [Course Title 1], Course Description: [Course Description 1], Course Price: [Course Price 1] Course Title: [Course Title 2], Course Description: [Course Description 2], Course Price: [Course Price 2] Course Title: [Course Title 3], Course Description: [Course Description 3], Course Price: [Course Price 3] Our target audience is [target audience], and we plan to sell the bundle at a price of [bundle price]. Please create a cohesive course bundle outline that highlights how each course contributes to the overall theme and justify the bundle price, and the savings of bundling them together vs purchasing separately. |
| If you don’t know your bundle price | “ChatGPT, I’d like to bundle the following courses around the theme of ‘[input theme]’: Course Title: [Course Title 1], Course Description: [Course Description 1], Course Price: [Course Price 1] Course Title: [Course Title 2], Course Description: [Course Description 2], Course Price: [Course Price 2] Course Title: [Course Title 3], Course Description: [Course Description 3], Course Price: [Course Price 3] Our target audience is [target audience]. Please suggest a bundle price, and create a cohesive course bundle outline that highlights how each course contributes to the overall theme and justify the bundle price, and the savings of bundling them together vs purchasing separately. |
Create a bundle of courses around the theme of [input theme] using the following information:
Course Title: [Course Title 1], Course Description: [Course Description 1], Course Outline: [course Outline 1]
Course Title: [Course Title 2], Course Description: [Course Description 2], Course Outline: [course Outline 2]
Course Title: [Course Title 3], Course Description: [Course Description 3], Course Outline: [course Outline 3]
Bundle pricing strategy
Developing a pricing strategy for a course bundle involves considering multiple factors such as the content value, target audience, market rates, and course objectives. A well-thought-out pricing strategy can significantly impact the bundle’s marketability and profitability.
Example prompt:
Course Title: [Course Title 1], Course Description: [Course Description 1], Course Price: [Course Price 1]
Course Title: [Course Title 2], Course Description: [Course Description 2], Course Price: [Course Price 2]
Course Title: [Course Title 3], Course Description: [Course Description 3], Course Price: [Course Price 3]
The target audience: [target audience]
The value proposition: [value proposition]
Here are some criteria to create your pricing strategy [the savings per course by getting the bundle should be attractive]
Describe your rationale behind the pricing strategy, and write a quick description of the savings of the bundle for the customer.
Related: How to Price Your Online Course (Complete Guide to Course Pricing)
Course bundle naming
An engaging and descriptive course bundle name might just be what convinces someone to buy. But naming can be tough; it needs to reflect the overall theme or benefit of the bundled courses while capturing attention.
Example prompt:
Suggest a catchy and descriptive name for a course bundle that includes the following courses:
Course Title: [Course Title 1], Course Description: [Course Description 1]
Course Title: [Course Title 2], Course Description: [Course Description 2]
Course Title: [Course Title 3], Course Description: [Course Description 3]
The target audience: [target audience]
The value proposition: [value proposition]
Here are some criteria to create your bundle name: [eg. don’t use fluffy language, use emojis, friendly yet professional tone]
Bundle description writing
A well-crafted bundle description can effectively convey the value of the bundle to potential buyers. It should highlight the key features of the included courses and the overall benefits of purchasing the bundle.
Example prompt:
Course Title: [Course Title 1], Course Description: [Course Description 1], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Course Title: [Course Title 2], Course Description: [Course Description 2], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Course Title: [Course Title 3], Course Description: [Course Description 3], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Here are some criteria to create your description: [bundle description eg. don’t use fluffy language, use emojis, use a friendly yet professional tone]
3. Course marketing and sales
Building a course is often the fun part. It’s what course creators are passionate about. But if you build it, that doesn’t mean they’ll come. You need to effectively marketing and sell a course to drive enrollments and revenue.
Many course creators have no background in marketing or sales, so here are a few prompts you can use to get ChatGPT’s help in these areas:
Course launch checklist
Want some help project managing your course launch? ChatGPT can help create a course launch checklist based on your specific requirements so you don’t forget any important steps.
Example prompt:
Create a detailed course launch checklist for my online course ‘[Digital Marketing Mastery]’. Include tasks related to [course content finalization, platform setup, marketing and promotion, and post-launch activities (table with dates across the next 30 days)]
Here is some information on the course(s):
Course Title: [Course Title 1], Course Description: [Course Description 1], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Course Title: [Course Title 2], Course Description: [Course Description 2], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Course Title: [Course Title 3], Course Description: [Course Description 3], Course Learning Objectives: [LO1, LO2]
Writing course titles and descriptions
It’s funny how creating an entire course is sometimes easier than just naming it. A captivating course title and an informative description are an important part of marketing your course but not something you want to hold up your entire process. So, turn to ChatGPT for help.
Example prompt:
Creating a sales page
Sales pages are the place where the transaction happens — that makes them pretty important! A good sales page will help convince a potential customer to purchase by emphasizing the value of a course or product. ChatGPT can generate engaging and persuasive sales page content tailored to specific products and target audiences.
Example prompts:
- You are an expert sales page copywriter. Your task is to create a compelling sales page for my online course titled ‘[Digital Marketing Mastery]’. The course is designed for [beginners in digital marketing]. Highlight its [12-week duration, live Q&A sessions, practical projects, and certification]. Please provide a strong call to action.
- Generate an enticing sales page copy for my course titled ‘[Digital Marketing Mastery]’. The course description is ‘[An in-depth online course that covers SEO, content marketing, and social media strategies. Perfect for small business owners looking to enhance their online presence.]’ Highlight [12-week duration, live Q&A sessions, practical projects, and certification] on the sales page.
Sales page optimization
Have you ever heard of conversion rate optimization (CRO)? Effective marketers will constantly be optimizing sales pages to try and increase the number of buyers. This work involves testing and improving page elements like the headline, course description, testimonials, and call-to-action. If you’re not an expert in this area, ChatGPT can provide a cheap alternative to expensive consultants while you’re just getting started.
Example prompt:
Content hub and spoke creation
Transforming your course content into a series of interlinked blog posts, often referred to as content hubs and spokes, can help increase the visibility of your course. The hub (main piece) will provide an overview of the course, and the spokes (individual blog posts) will delve deeper into specific lessons or topics.
Example prompt:
| From a lesson | Generate a content hub and spoke plan with blog post ideas from the course lesson titled [input lesson name], using its description [input description] and its key points and learning objectives [input key points and learning objectives]. Please use a table with page title, meta description, suggested url, and key topics |
| From a course outline | Generate a content hub and spoke plan with blog post ideas from the course titled [course title], using its description [course description], its key points and learning objectives [input key points and learning objectives], and it’s outline: [course outline] Please include a table with page title, meta description, suggested url, and key topics. |
SEO-friendly blog post outlines
A search engine optimized (SEO) blog is a gift that keeps on giving. It can grow your online presence, drive traffic to your website, and improve your overall business performance. But there are many things that go into creating a blog post that will perform highly in search results.
Here’s how to generate an outline for your blog post based on your [working title] and [keywords].
Example prompt:
| Main Prompt | You are SEOGPT, an expert at creating SEO content briefs that outrank the top competition on google. Please generate a detailed SEO content brief using the following working title: [working title]. Please suggest the primary keyword based on the working title. Here are the main keywords this page is targeting: [keyword 1, keyword 2, keyword 3, keyword 4] |
| Modifier | Please continue writing, using the following course content to guide your blog post: Course title: [course title] Lesson plan: [lesson plan] |
Social media promotion
Social media is the main marketing channel for many course creators. These platforms allow you to reach a wide audience at no cost (unless you leverage paid ads) and can help foster a community around your learning products. To do so, you need to create engaging social media posts that resonate with the target audience and encourage them to explore the course. Even for social media pros, it can be hard to come up with engaging posts on a daily basis. Enter ChatGPT.
Example prompt:
You can use these to help you:
Course description: [description]
Course outline: [outline]
Course learning objectives: [learning objectives]
Course marketplace listing creation
Some content creators choose to market their courses on marketplaces like Udemy, Coursera, or Skillshare. You’re fairly limited in how much you can customize your course presence on these platforms. To stand out from the crowd you need to be able to present your course details in an appealing and concise way. This includes the course title, description, learning objectives, and a summary of key points.
Example prompt:
Affiliate marketing strategy
An affiliate marketing strategy can help you reach a wider audience and sell more by leveraging your existing customers or external affiliates. These people will essentially sell on your behalf, in exchange for some pre-determined benefit. To build an affiliate program, you need to find suitable affiliates, set up your program, and provide affiliates with marketing materials — all of which ChatGPT can help with.
Example prompt:
Email marketing campaigns
An engaged email list is a powerful thing. Email marketing campaigns can help you convert leads into buyers, or existing learners into repeat students. Crafting effective email subject lines and copy is an art form that isn’t easy to master. But ChatGPT has the luxury of having been trained on potentially hundreds of thousands or even millions of emails and can share some of those learnings with you.
Example prompt:
| Write an email copy to promote the course ‘[input course name]’ to the following target audience: [input target audience]. |
| Example prompt: Write an email copy to promote the course ‘[input course name]’ to the following target audience: [input target audience]. Here are the learning outcomes: [learning outcomes] Here is the course outline: [course outline] Description: [Course Description 1] Write an email copy to promote the course ‘[input course name]’ to the following target audience: [input target audience]. Here are the lesson titles and their brief descriptions: Lesson Title: [Lesson Title 1], Lesson Description: [Lesson Description 1] Lesson Title: [Lesson Title 2], Lesson Description: [Lesson Description 2] |
Course announcement email
When launching a new course or updating an existing one, an announcement email is a great way to inform your audience and get your first cohort into the course. This email should be exciting, informative, and encourage learners to sign up.
Example prompt:
ChatGPT, I am about to launch a new course on [Course Topic] and I need to send an announcement email to potential learners. Could you help me write an email that outlines the course, highlights its unique selling points, and encourages recipients to sign up?Here are a few more inputs to consider with this email:
Course name: [name]
Course Description: [description]
Learning objectives: [learning objectives]
Course Outline: [course outline]
Course URL: [course URL]
4. Course content enhancement
Your course is not one-and-done. You want to continuously improve it over time to improve the learner experience and drive more impact. Here are a few prompts you can use to support these efforts:
Multimodal content creation
Some learners may prefer text, while others prefer video or audio. This is also relevant for course accessibility. Thankfully, ChatGPT can assist in converting course content into different formats.
Example prompt:
Content format diversification
Similarly, diversifying content formats can help you accommodate different learning styles and increase engagement. Formats might include podcasts, infographics, or interactive activities.
Example prompt:
These learning objectives: [learning objectives]
This is the course outline: [course outline]
This is the lesson plan: [lesson plan]
These are the modules: [modules]
Bonus material creation
Including bonus materials like workbooks, cheat sheets, or exclusive videos can add a ton of value to a course. These resources provide more learning opportunities and help with application of learnings.
Example prompt:
Content localization
Localizing course content means adapting the course to suit different regions, cultures, or languages. It can help you reach a more diverse learner base and sell more, while improving learner comprehension and engagement. This used to be a long, often expensive process but ChatGPT can help with a minimum viable product.
Example prompts:
- Provide suggestions for localizing the following course content for the [input target region/culture/language]: [input course content].
- Please translate this course lesson transcript into [language]. Here is the course lesson transcript: [transcript or text]
Accessibility optimization
Ensuring course content is accessible to all learners, including those with disabilities, is an impactful way to enhance your course content. This might involve adding alt text to images, captions to videos, or structuring content for screen readers.
Example prompts:
| Main Prompt | Provide suggestions for making the following course content more accessible: [input course content] |
| Optional Modifiers | I would like to make it more accessible to the following learning barrier: [learning barrier] |
| I would like to make it more accessible to the following learning style: [learning style] |
Updating course content
Keeping your course content current is crucial to its relevance and value. ChatGPT can help you sift through your content and identify areas that might need updating.
Example prompt:
5. Course evaluation and feedback
Not sure what content to enhance? Ask your students! To properly evaluate the effectiveness of a course and make necessary improvements, you need to regularly collect and action feedback.
Here are a few prompts that can help you in this process:
Learner feedback collection
Designing feedback forms or surveys that ask relevant questions about the learner’s experience is a great way to gather insights that will help you improve your course.
Example prompts:
- Design a feedback form for the course ‘[input course name]’ to gauge learner satisfaction and identify areas of improvement. Please include [10] questions, and the following fields: [name, email, general, other comments] and the following question types: [Multiple Choice, Rating Scale, Dropdown, likert scale]
- Design a feedback form for the course ‘[input course name]’ to assess the following aspects: [input aspects to be assessed, such as course content, delivery, resources, etc.]. Please include [10] questions, and the following fields: [name, email, general, other comments] and the following question types: [Multiple Choice, Rating Scale, Dropdown, likert scale]
Related: 130 Pre & Post Training Survey Questions (+ Template)
Course performance analysis
Analyzing course performance metrics can also help you understand whether the course is accomplishing what you set out to do and where improvements might be made. This involves reviewing learner completion rates, assessment scores, individual lesson drop-off rates, and other key metrics.
Example prompts:
Analyze the performance of the course ‘[input course name]’ based on the following data and suggest tactics to improve those metrics. Use OKRs. [Data Type]: [input course performance data].
Here are some data points that I’m interested in understanding:
Course Completion Rates: [completion rates]
Assessment scores: [assessment scores]
Learner Engagement Metrics: [engagement rate]
Course Progression and Drop-off Points, using – Lesson plan: [lesson plan], and Progression/Dropoff Points: [Progression/dropoff points]
Course revision planning
Course creators should really build in recurring time blocks for course revision. This will help you ensure you’re actioning the data and feedback you’ve collected, keeping your content relevant, accurate, and engaging. ChatGPT can help you map out the actions you want to take, making it easier to jump into that work.
Example prompt:
Based on the following learner feedback and course performance data, suggest a revision plan for the course using the following information.
Course name: [input course name]
Course description: [description]
Course learning objectives: [learning objectives]
Feedback from learners: [input feedback and data].
6. Learner support and communication
Maintaining open lines of communication with learners will heighten their experience and help you really build a community around your course.
These prompts will help you foster discussion and better support your students.
Creating discussion topics for each lesson
For any course creator, fostering learner engagement is crucial. One effective way to do this is to create discussion topics related to each lesson in your course. These topics encourage learners to think more deeply about the material, ask questions, and interact with each other — enhancing their understanding and content retention in the process.
Example prompt:
Lesson Title: [Lesson Title 1], Lesson Description: [Lesson Description 1],
Lesson Title: [Lesson Title 2], Lesson Description: [Lesson Description 2],
Can you help generate two engaging discussion topics for each lesson?
Related: 1,000+ Easy Topics for Group Discussion With Your Students
Crafting interactive quiz questions
Quizzes are an effective tool for reinforcing learning and adding an interactive element to your course. ChatGPT can easily help you create quiz questions that align with your course content. Their responses can be used to evaluate learners’ understanding, allowing you to adjust your content where comprehension is lower and increase the effectiveness of the course.
Example prompt:
Key Points Covered: [Key Points Covered in Lesson]
Key learning outcomes needed: [key learning outcomes]
Could you generate five multiple-choice questions to test learners’ understanding of the key points?
Related: 10 Best Online Quiz Makers (And What Features To Look For)
Formulating reflective journal prompts
Reflective journals are an underused tool for course creators. Basically they involve asking your students to think back on some course content and how it applies to their own experiences or what they’re taking away from it. This practice helps deepen their understanding of the material and promotes self-directed learning. But these journals shouldn’t be completely open-ended. You want to feed them specific prompts to spark their reflection.
Example prompt:
Learner progress report design
Every student wants to see their own progression. Designing learner progress reports provides an opportunity for personalized feedback. It should highlight the learner’s achievements as well as areas that may need additional study.
Example prompt:
Course emails
Course inactivity reminder email
If a learner hasn’t been active in the course for a while, a friendly reminder email can prompt them to re-engage with the course materials. This email should be encouraging, not pushy, and offer help if they’re facing any difficulties.
Example prompt
Course completion email
Upon completion of a course, send your students a congratulatory email to recognize their achievement, provide them with next steps or additional resources, and encourage them to continue their learning journey.
Example prompt
ChatGPT, I need a motivating course completion email for my course on [Course Topic]. Could you help me write an email that congratulates the learner on their accomplishment, offers them additional resources or next steps, and encourages them to stay in touch and explore other courses? Here are the learning objectives: [learning objectives]
This is the benefit of completing the course: [benefit of completion]
Learner milestone recognition email
Completing the course might not be the only milestone worth highlighting. Recognizing learners when they reach certain milestones in the course can help to motivate and engage them. This email should be celebratory and encouraging, acknowledging the hard work the learner has put in.
Example prompt
Put these prompts to work
AI tools won’t be replacing course creators anytime soon. Hopefully these prompts illustrate that a tool like ChatGPT is only as powerful as the inputs you feed it. When used correctly, AI can eliminate busywork, help you increase the effectiveness of your course, and drive more business.
Ready to begin your course journey with AI’s help? Sign up for Thinkific today, absolutely free.
