Make the most of generative AI for better eLearning
AI in course creation is gaining traction. Still, most people don’t see great results right away. Technology is certainly smart. However, you need to control the process, set the context, and adjust the output.
With the help of a few simple principles, AI can become more like your real life partner than a random text generator. And with tools like iSpring Suite AI, you can go from a rough idea to a structured, editable course in minutes.
Let’s break down how AI prompts work and take a look at five ready-made prompts that you can copy directly into your advanced course creation workflows.
Key principles for leveraging AI
If you only remember part of this article, put it in this section. These three principles are the difference between generic output and usable content that can be quickly tailored for your final course.
1. Give AI context
AI course authors and tools perform better when they understand the environment they are creating for. Be sure to mention the following points:
Who are the learners? What skills do they need? their professional goals. How the course is delivered. Any constraints (time, format, tools, etc.).
The more details you specify upfront, the less you’ll have to rewrite later.
2. Make your requirements specific
When prompting the AI for content, be as clear as possible to avoid cookie-cutter responses that have little value. For example, don’t prompt “Create a course about onboarding.”
Instead, it prompts, “Create a beginner-friendly 15-minute onboarding module for new customer support reps that focuses on communication standards and escalation rules.”
Bottom line: Specific inputs = clean outputs.
3. Collaborate and improve
As a rule of thumb, the first answer is rarely the final answer. AI in learning and development works best in the loop. Try implementing the following cycle.
Generate Review Adjust Regenerate Complete
iSpring Suite AI makes this loop easy. Generate, edit, extend, shorten, replace visuals, add narration, translate, and create quizzes, all in one place. This flexibility is perfect for quickly adjusting course production time and saving significant amounts of time.
Example course creation prompts for effective eLearning
Skip requests for summaries or course chapters. These things are easy to do with relatively common prompts. However, if you want your AI to generate content that matches your actual instructional design logic (structure, relevance, practice), you’ll need more targeted prompts. These examples do just that.
1. Learning objective prompts
Learning objectives are often too vague or complex. However, it is essential to do them correctly. They anchor content, guide assessment, and prevent courses from straying from the subject matter.
This sample prompt provides clear, actionable goals written in easy-to-understand language.
Create 3-5 concise, measurable learning objectives for your purpose-designed course module. [course topic]. Make sure each one follows the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Keep each goal to 20 words or less.
2. Microlearning Strategy Prompts
Short courses are most effective when they are structured around one idea per screen. AI helps you stay focused and segment your content correctly. Use the following prompts:
Act as an instructional designer and develop microlearning strategies to enhance employee skills. [skill area]. include:
• Recommended microlearning formats (videos, infographics, mini-quizzes, etc.).
• Recommended platform or tool for delivery.
• Reinforcement and spaced repetition plans.
By the way, creating scrollable microcourses within iSpring Suite AI is a great way to provide segmented learning. It is well constructed, easy to adjust, and looks attractive.
3. Simple multiple choice question prompt
Even with extensive instructional design experience, quizzes are where many IDs stumble. These are time consuming and prone to overcomplication. Try this prompt to take the pressure off and get a collection of useful questions that you can tweak later.
Create 10 multiple choice questions with [course topic]. Each question must:
• Covers important concepts and essential knowledge.
• Include one correct answer and three reliable distractors.
• Different difficulty levels.
• Avoid trick questions and ambiguity.
• Randomize the placement of correct answers.
Pro tip: Generate relevant quiz questions directly within iSpring Suite AI’s browser-based course creator. Simply highlight text and select a chapter, part of it, or even an entire page, and iSpring AI will suggest single-choice and multiple-answer questions.
If you need more questions, click Generate More and the new questions will be added to the existing questions.
4. Course Engagement Plan Prompts
The content is only half the story. Engagement is where learning starts to have the impact you’re aiming for.
This prompt allows you to design lightweight interactions without turning your course into a large project.
Design engagement strategies to keep learners motivated throughout the course [course topic] course. Include techniques such as gamification, social learning, progress tracking, and continuous feedback. Make it realistic for busy learners.
You can also ask the AI to:
Ideas for opening activities and short reflections. Interactive check-in mid-course. A short scenario or story that shows your topic in action. Final reflection or self-evaluation questions.
5. Course Marketing Description Prompts
We built the course. Especially if you want to monetize your expertise, you need to get people to sign up. This is where short, clear explanations come in handy.
Try the following prompt.
Write a compelling course description [course topic] something that appeals to [target audience]. Use a professional yet engaging tone and include the following:
• The problem the course solves.
• Key outcomes that the learner will achieve.
• What makes this course unique?
Use this in your LMS catalog, email announcements, or internal portal.
If you need a different tone for different audiences, you can ask iSpring Suite AI to rewrite the same description to be “more formal,” “more energetic,” “more concise,” etc.
summary
Of course, AI won’t magically generate great instructional designs. However, the right prompts can take care of the heavy lifting so you can focus on:
Practical learner problems. Smart structure. Meaningful practice. Human voice in content.
The most important advice here is simple. That means starting small. Select one of your upcoming courses and test out some prompts. Check the responsiveness of your chosen AI tool, adjust the inputs depending on what it produces, and keep refining the output until you feel it’s truly useful.
Your work will be even faster and smoother if your AI assistant is built directly into your authoring tool, like iSpring Suite AI, but you can always try out multiple tools and platforms to see which one works best for you.
i spring suite
All-in-one software solution for creating versatile learning content and teamwork for e-learning projects. It’s very easy to use. No coding or design skills required.
