How to design digital learning materials using AI
Discover how educators and trainers can design high-quality digital learning materials using AI. This guide covers practical workflows, top AI tools, multimedia creation, personalization techniques, and accessibility strategies to help you build engaging and effective learning experiences across K–12, higher education, and professional training.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming education by helping educators create engaging digital learning materials faster and more efficiently. UNESCO notes that "AI has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today, innovate teaching and learning practices". In practice, AI acts as a creative partner to instructional designers – automating tedious tasks like formatting, suggesting images or examples, and generating quizzes – so teachers can focus on pedagogy and creativity.
This guide explains how to design digital learning materials with AI, covering key steps, best practices, and tools. We cite education and industry experts to provide practical, up-to-date advice for anyone developing online courses, lessons, or training modules.
- 1. Start with Clear Learning Objectives
- 2. Generate and Expand Course Content
- 3. Create Engaging Visuals and Multimedia
- 4. Add Interactivity and Personalization
- 5. Ensure Accessibility and Inclusion
- 6. Use AI-Enhanced Authoring Platforms
- 7. Review, Adapt, and Evaluate
- 8. Popular AI Tools and Platforms
- 9. Best Practices and Considerations
- 10. Conclusion
Start with Clear Learning Objectives
Effective digital materials begin with well-defined learning objectives. Use backward design: first specify what students should learn, then plan materials to meet those goals. AI can help refine these objectives by improving clarity and aligning them with Bloom's Taxonomy.
Draft Objectives
Write initial learning goals
Refine with AI
Use ChatGPT or Gemini to improve clarity
Map Course Structure
Create modules and lesson plans
Once objectives are set, map out a course structure. AI tools can generate outlines or module lists from a prompt. Instructors using an LMS with AI support (such as Blackboard with AI features) found that asking AI for "suggested modules" helped create an initial course plan. Similarly, educators can prompt ChatGPT or Google's Gemini to outline a unit or lesson plan based on learning goals. These AI-generated outlines provide a useful starting point, which the teacher then edits and customizes.
Generate and Expand Course Content
With objectives and structure in place, use AI to write and expand content. Large language models can draft explanations, examples, and supporting text from simple inputs. Providing a text outline or key points to ChatGPT can yield a full lesson script, article, or slide text.
Content Drafting
Transform basic outlines into comprehensive lesson materials
- Generate paragraphs and slide text
- Create summaries and overviews
- Develop detailed explanations
Content Enhancement
Expand ideas with examples and contextual details
- Add real-world examples
- Include relevant data and statistics
- Create analogies and illustrations
AI-powered authoring platforms (like Articulate 360 or others with AI assistants) can automatically generate draft content, saving hours of writing. Many AI tools can also automatically create quizzes and assignments from content. Prompting ChatGPT with a lesson topic can produce multiple-choice questions, discussion prompts, or short quizzes aligned to objectives. AI can generate assessments and feedback instantly – even grading them – identifying learner gaps and recommending follow-up activities.
Create Engaging Visuals and Multimedia
Modern learners expect rich multimedia. AI can help produce or suggest images, videos, and interactive media that align with your content.
Slide Decks & Presentations
Images & Illustrations
Video & Audio
Infographics & Charts
Add Interactivity and Personalization
Digital learning shines when it adapts to each learner. AI can turn static content into interactive, personalized experiences that engage students and respond to their individual needs.
Quizzes & Activities
Use AI to turn content into student activities. Brisk's Boost feature not only makes slides but also "turns materials into engaging activities with built-in comprehension checks," such as short-answer prompts or mini-quizzes. The SchoolAI platform offers tools to auto-generate worksheets and quizzes on any subject. You simply provide a topic and the tool creates structured activities, saving you prep time.
Adaptive Learning Paths
Advanced AI systems can adjust the sequence or difficulty of materials based on learner performance. AI can enable "branching, adaptive learning experiences" – for instance, offering extra practice on weak topics or letting a fast learner skip ahead. Commercial platforms (like Knewton or Domoscio) use this concept: if a student struggles with a concept, the system directs them to remedial content; if they excel, it accelerates to the next topic. Even simple branching (e.g., "If answered incorrectly, show additional explanation") can be automated with AI-powered LMS tools.
AI Tutoring & Study Spaces
Some tools create AI-driven study environments. SchoolAI's "Spaces" let students chat with AI tutors on specific topics (e.g. Shakespeare or algebra). A teacher sets the context, and students interact with the AI one-on-one – brainstorming ideas, working through problems, or getting hints. This gives students personalized help outside of class time, and teachers gain insight from AI transcripts into where learners struggle.
Personalized Recommendations
Even outside full adaptive courses, AI can recommend extra resources. A course site might use an AI suggestion engine: if data shows a cohort is confused by a topic, AI might highlight supplementary videos or readings. This leverages "personalized learning at scale" – the idea that AI can tailor a learning journey by analyzing user data and identifying knowledge gaps.
Ensure Accessibility and Inclusion
Designing for all learners is crucial. AI can automate many accessibility features, making your materials available to a broader audience.
Transcripts & Captions
Generate transcripts of audio and video content quickly
- Auto-transcribe lecture videos
- Create accurate captions
- Save hours of manual work
Alt Text & Descriptions
Improve accessibility for screen reader users
- Auto-generate alt-text for images
- Create detailed descriptions
- Ensure compliance with standards
Language Translation
Reach multilingual and international learners
- Instant translation to multiple languages
- Localize cultural references
- Adapt date and number formats
Inclusive Content Review
Detect and eliminate biased language
- Flag potentially insensitive phrasing
- Suggest more inclusive examples
- Catch unconscious bias
Tools like otter.ai, Rev.com, and Google Live Transcribe provide automatic transcription. For translation, AI tools like DeepL, Google Translate, and Microsoft Translator can convert materials into other languages almost instantly. Use AI-translated drafts as a base, then have a human translator refine them. Advanced tools can detect insensitive phrasing or suggest more inclusive examples. After generating content, run it through an AI editor or a tool like Textio to catch any unconscious bias.
Use AI-Enhanced Authoring Platforms
Specialized platforms for building e-learning now include AI features that can significantly speed up design and production.
Authoring Tools with AI
AI Writing Assistants
Plug-ins & Extensions
By leveraging these platforms, even educators with limited technical skill can harness AI. Tools designed "with teachers in mind" (requiring no coding or prompt expertise) can produce classroom-ready results quickly.
Review, Adapt, and Evaluate
AI-generated content is a draft that requires human oversight. Your expertise ensures quality, accuracy, and pedagogical effectiveness.
Quality Control
Always review AI outputs for accuracy, bias, and relevance. AI can sometimes hallucinate or use outdated information. Check facts, figures, and ensure examples fit your curriculum.
Pedagogical Adjustment
Use your instructional design expertise. AI doesn't know your students. Modify AI-suggested content to suit learners' backgrounds and interests. You might shorten complex AI-generated paragraphs into bullet lists, or rephrase language to match reading levels.
Ethical Use
Be transparent about AI use if appropriate. Don't represent AI-generated content as purely human-authored if students will read it. Follow copyright rules: use images or text from AI only if they comply with licenses. Tool rights vary for generated content.
Feedback & Iteration
After deploying materials, collect learner feedback and data (quiz results, drop-off rates). Use AI analytics features or simple surveys. If learners struggle in a module, revisit it: perhaps an AI-generated example was unclear, or a quiz was too easy. Refining based on real outcomes ensures AI-enhanced materials truly help students.
Popular AI Tools and Platforms
While new tools appear constantly, here are prominent AI applications used to design digital learning content:
Large Language Models
ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot – for writing text, brainstorming ideas, drafting questions, and summarizing. These versatile tools work across any device with a web browser and are ideal for rapid content generation and refinement.
Slide & Presentation Generators
Curipod, Brisk Teaching, Decktopus – to auto-build slides with activities from topics or links. These tools are specifically designed for educators and integrate interactive elements automatically.
Image Generators
DALL·E 3, Adobe Firefly, Midjourney – to create custom illustrations and diagrams. These tools excel at generating unique visuals tailored to your specific content needs.
Video Creators
Synthesia, HeyGen, Pictory – to generate short video lessons with virtual presenters or animations. These platforms are excellent for creating engaging video content without filming or complex editing.
Quiz & Worksheet Generators
Quizlet GPT, Quillionz, SchoolAI – to generate practice quizzes, flashcards, and worksheets on demand. These tools save significant time on assessment creation and can adapt to various difficulty levels.
Authoring Suites with AI
Articulate 360 (Storyline/Rise), Canva, Adobe Express – building blocks for e-learning content with AI-enhanced templates. These comprehensive platforms support the full lifecycle of course development.
Accessibility Tools
Otter.ai, Rev.com, Google Live Transcribe – for automatic transcription; Microsoft Translate, DeepL – for multilingual content. These tools ensure your materials are accessible to diverse learners.
Adaptive Learning Platforms
Knewton Alta, Domoscio, Smart Sparrow – integrate AI to personalize learning paths (these require institutional adoption). These advanced platforms use data analytics to tailor learning experiences to individual students.
Best Practices and Considerations
Balance AI and Human Insight
AI should assist instructional design, not replace educator judgment. Use it to handle repetitive tasks, but apply your creativity and empathy to make learning meaningful.
Focus on Pedagogy
Always tie AI-generated content back to learning objectives and sound instructional strategies. An engaging graphic is useless if it doesn't support the goal. Keep instructional design principles at the forefront.
Mind Data Privacy
If using student data for personalization, ensure compliance with privacy laws (COPPA, FERPA, GDPR, etc.). Only use AI platforms that secure student information.
Stay Up-to-Date
AI tools evolve rapidly. What's cutting-edge today may be outdated next year. Regularly explore new platforms and features. Engage with educator communities to learn about emerging tools.
Conclusion
By thoughtfully integrating AI, educators can create high-quality digital learning materials more efficiently and tailor them more closely to student needs. When instructional designers embrace AI as a partner, "the future [of learning design] remains bright" – AI accelerates workflows and insights, but human creativity and purpose keep learning impactful.
With clear objectives, the right tools, and careful oversight, AI can help you design engaging, inclusive digital learning experiences that resonate with 21st-century learners. The key is to view AI not as a replacement for your expertise, but as a powerful collaborator that frees you to focus on what matters most: creating meaningful learning experiences.
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