AI Course Creation Prompt Templates

Sample prompts: 20 courses, one prompt each

The best way to learn what Ask Coursebox can do is to see what a complete prompt looks like. Below are 20 different courses that real users build, each written as a single prompt you can paste straight into the box and adapt. The first 10 are written the way a subject expert who is not a course designer would write them. The second 10 are written the way an experienced instructional designer would write them, with the kind of detail you might otherwise put in a storyboard.

Before you start

Ask Coursebox is the chat you use at course creation, up to the point you click Generate Course. From your prompt, the AI can place almost every block on your pages: Text, Content Block, Case Study, Table, Quote, Info Tabs, Carousel, Number List, Grid Cards, List Cards, Promo Cards, Quiz, Assignment, YouTube video, Image, Flip Cards, Accordion and Scenario. A few blocks are added afterwards at the page level: AI Video, Survey, Discussion, HTML Block, Hotspot Image, Slides, Embed PDF, Downloadable File and SCORM. Text-to-voice, the AI Tutor and AI grading are on by default, so every course is already an audiobook with a tutor and an assessor.

Replace anything in [square brackets]. Attach source files with the + button before you send.

Part 1: 10 courses written by non-designers

1. New employee onboarding (HR manager, small business)

Create a welcome course for new staff joining [company name], a [type of business] with about [number] people. Cover who we are and what we stand for, how the first two weeks work, the tools they will use every day, who to ask for help, and the must-know policies (leave, expenses, code of conduct). Keep it warm and practical, about 45 minutes. Use images and info tabs rather than long text. Finish with a short reflection assignment asking them what a great first 90 days looks like. One short quiz on where to find things. No YouTube videos.

2. Food safety and hygiene (café or restaurant owner)

Build a food safety course for kitchen and front-of-house staff at a [café / restaurant]. Cover handwashing, temperature control, cross-contamination, allergens, cleaning schedules and what to do when something goes wrong. Learners are busy and many speak English as a second language, so keep it simple, visual and about 30 minutes. Use scenarios like "a customer says they have a nut allergy, what do you do" with feedback. AI-graded short-answer assignments rather than long essays. Australian English. No YouTube.

3. Workplace health and safety induction (site manager, construction or manufacturing)

Create a site safety induction for new workers and contractors at [site type]. Cover PPE, hazard reporting, site rules, emergency procedures, working at heights, and manual handling. Everyone must complete it before they start, so it needs to be clear, about 40 minutes, and end with an assessment they must pass. Use number lists for procedures, tables for PPE by task, and scenarios for hazard spotting. Mix a pass-mark quiz with 2 assignments where they describe what they would do in a risky situation. No YouTube videos.

4. Sales product training (sales manager)

Build a product knowledge course for our sales team on [product or service]. They need to explain the top features, match them to customer problems, handle the 5 most common objections, and know pricing and what is included. Use grid cards for features, a table comparing our tiers, flip cards for objections and responses, and roleplay-style scenarios where they pick how to respond. Assignments should give them a customer profile and ask them to write their pitch. Confident, plain language. About 60 minutes. No YouTube.

5. Customer service basics (team leader, contact centre or retail)

Create a customer service course for new frontline staff. Cover greeting and tone, listening and asking questions, handling complaints, when to escalate, and closing the conversation well. Lots of realistic scenarios where they choose what to say next and get feedback. Assignments where they write their reply to an upset customer, graded on empathy, accuracy and next step. Keep quizzes short. About 45 minutes. Friendly tone. No YouTube videos.

6. Software how-to for internal staff (operations manager)

Build a course teaching our team how to use [software name] for [main tasks, e.g. logging jobs, updating customer records, running reports]. Assume they have never opened it. Go step by step with number lists, add a table of common mistakes and fixes, and finish each section with a scenario like "a customer calls with X, which screen do you go to and what do you do". Use short-answer assignments so they explain the steps in their own words. About 40 minutes. Where a screen recording would help, add a text block titled VIDEO with the script and I will add it later. No YouTube.

7. Volunteer training (charity, sports club or community group)

Create a training course for new volunteers at [organisation]. Cover our purpose, what volunteers do, safeguarding and code of conduct, how to handle a difficult situation, and who to contact. Volunteers are all ages and mostly non-technical, so keep it simple, encouraging and about 30 minutes. Use images and info tabs, one scenario per section, and a reflection assignment at the end. One short quiz on safeguarding rules. No YouTube videos.

8. Course for sale to the public (coach, consultant or creator)

Build a paid online course called [course title] for [target audience, e.g. first-time managers, new parents, small business owners] that teaches them how to [outcome]. Structure it as 6 short modules they can finish in a week. Make it feel like working with a coach: use quotes, case studies, flip cards, and reflection assignments with AI feedback so they feel supported. Add a short recap and action step at the end of each module. Warm and encouraging tone. AI images throughout. No YouTube videos.

9. Compliance refresher (compliance or HR officer)

Create an annual refresher on [topic, e.g. anti-bribery, privacy, harassment prevention] for all staff. They have done this before, so do not lecture. Lead with realistic grey-area scenarios, then the rule, then what to do. Use accordion for policy wording so pages stay short. Assessment: assignments where they explain what they would do and why, plus one pass-mark quiz at the end for records. About 30 minutes. Respectful, adult tone. Attach our policy as the source. No YouTube.

10. Teacher lesson series (school teacher)

Turn the attached unit plan into an interactive course for [year level] students on [topic]. Keep it faithful to the plan and curriculum outcomes. Use age-appropriate language, plenty of images, flip cards for vocabulary, and short scenarios or thought experiments to make them think. Mix quick quizzes with short written tasks graded with encouraging feedback. About [number] lessons of 30 minutes each. No YouTube videos.

Part 2: 10 courses written by experienced instructional designers

11. Regulated compliance module for enterprise LMS export

Design a [45]-minute compliance module on [topic] for [audience]. Terminal objectives: [list 3 to 4 measurable objectives]. Structure: 4 sections of 3 to 4 pages. Strategy: problem-first. Each section opens with a scenario built around a real misconception, then teaches through worked examples, then applies. Block conventions: concept pages use content block with AI image plus accordion for policy text; procedure pages use number list and table; application pages use case study then assignment. Assessment: one AI-graded assignment per section aligned to the section objective, graded on identification, correct action and justification; a summative pass-mark quiz with distractors built from real errors. Reading level year 9. Attached policy is the only source. No YouTube. Will be exported as SCORM.

12. Branching scenario-led soft skills course

Build a [60]-minute course on [difficult conversations / feedback / negotiation] for [audience]. Objectives: [list]. Centre every section on a scenario with at least 3 plausible options and consequence-based feedback that explains why each option is stronger or weaker without simply saying right or wrong. Options should reflect these known mistakes: [list]. Use flip cards for the model or framework, quotes sparingly, and case studies for exemplar conversations. Assessment: no multiple choice. Assignments ask the learner to script a conversation from a prompt, graded on structure, specificity and tone. Warm, adult-to-adult voice.

13. Migration of an existing storyboard or slide deck (attach it)

The attached file is an existing course storyboard. Preserve sequence, objectives and all assessment content. Map each screen to a page. Where the original used click-to-reveal, use accordion or flip cards; tabs become info tabs; branching becomes scenario blocks; embedded video becomes a text block titled VIDEO with the original script so I can generate an AI video on that page. Do not add topics or generic content. Flag any screen you could not map with a text block titled REVIEW.

14. Technical product certification with tiered pathway

Create the Foundation tier of a three-tier certification (Foundation, Advanced, Expert) on [product or system] for [audience]. Terminal objectives for this tier: [list]. Structure: 6 sections, roughly 2 hours. Concept pages: content block, AI diagram-style image, info tabs. Procedure pages: number list, table of parameters or settings, scenario for troubleshooting practice. Assessment: assignments where the learner diagnoses a described fault and writes the fix, graded on correct diagnosis, correct procedure and safety considerations. Short recall quizzes only for specifications. At the end of each section, note what the Advanced tier will assume. Attached documentation is the source of truth.

15. Vocational unit of competency (RTO trainer)

Build a course for the attached unit of competency [code and title]. Map every element and performance criterion to at least one page and one assessment task. Structure by element. Use case studies from realistic workplace contexts for [industry], number lists for procedures, tables for standards and tolerances. Assessment: written assignments per element with rubric criteria that mirror the performance criteria wording, plus knowledge questions covering the knowledge evidence. Flag any performance evidence that needs practical observation with a text block titled OBSERVATION REQUIRED. Australian English. No YouTube.

16. Clinical or healthcare protocol training

Design a [40]-minute course on [protocol or procedure] for [clinical audience]. Objectives: [list]. Use only the attached protocol as source; where it is silent, insert a text block titled SME REVIEW rather than generating content. Structure: recognise, decide, act, document. Use tables for decision criteria and thresholds, number lists for the procedure, and case studies with patient presentations for practice. Assessment: assignments presenting a case and asking for the decision, action and documentation, graded on protocol adherence, correct sequencing and completeness of the record. Formal, precise language. No YouTube.

17. Localised multi-language rollout

Create a [30]-minute course on [topic] for [audience] in [language and variant]. Objectives: [list]. Keep sentence length under 20 words on average, avoid idioms and culturally specific references, and use this glossary consistently: [paste terms]. Every image must carry instructional load with clear on-image labels rather than decorative photos. Structure: 3 sections, scenario-led. Assessment: short-answer assignments graded on [criteria], one recall quiz. This will be rebuilt in [other languages] so keep structure and terminology stable.

18. Leadership development programme (cohort-based, spaced over weeks)

Design a 4-week leadership programme for [audience], one section per week, about 45 minutes each. Terminal objectives: [list]. Strategy: spaced practice and reflection. Each week: a short concept page, one case study, one scenario, one reflection assignment graded on depth of reflection and a concrete commitment, and a recap. Use quotes from [thinkers or internal leaders] sparingly, list cards for frameworks, flip cards for common leadership traps and their fixes. At the end of each week insert a text block titled ADD AT PAGE LEVEL: DISCUSSION with the discussion question, so I can add the discussion board in the editor. No quizzes.

19. Systems or process change briefing (built from a source document)

Using the attached document as source of truth, build a [40]-minute course for [audience] on what has changed in [process or regulation], why, and how to apply it. Learners know the old way well; do not re-teach it. Structure: what changed, why it matters, applying it, what to do now. Use a table for old versus new, case studies for worked applications, accordion for full clause text. Assessment: 2 assignments applying the new rule to a described case, graded on correct application and clarity, plus one quiz on effective dates and thresholds. Keep wording faithful to the source. Flag gaps with SME REVIEW.

20. Custom interaction-heavy course with page-level build plan

Design a [60]-minute course on [topic] for [audience]. Objectives: [list]. Structure: 5 sections. As you build, mark where I will add page-level elements after generation by inserting a short text block titled ADD AT PAGE LEVEL followed by one of: AI VIDEO (include the script), HOTSPOT IMAGE (what to label), SURVEY (the questions), HTML BLOCK (what the custom interaction should do), PDF or DOWNLOAD (the file to attach). Elsewhere use scenarios, case studies, flip cards and tables. Assessment: assignments graded on [criteria], one short quiz per section. Then audit the structure against my objectives and flag any objective that is taught but not assessed.

One habit that pays off most: put "graded on X, Y and Z" in every assignment brief. The AI Assessor uses that line as its rubric, so it directly shapes the feedback your learners receive. Once you have a prompt you like, it is saved in your prompt history: start a new course, select it, change the audience and attach the new source material.