Week 2 - Group 1 Discussion

Hello! I've been applying just about every single thing I've learned so far in my work over the past two weeks. I put most of my effort on the project into the "Team Happiness and Individual Motivators" section and then the end of course quiz, but I did play with a few of the other pieces as well. Here's my link: 

https://share.articulate.com/uzMzOfXvmMY8y0cTVtXFe

1. Share 3 changes you made to the Rise AI Course Draft to improve learner engagement. 
   1. I used the class technique to create a hook for the lesson, then moved that to a new text on image block to open the lesson in place of the banner placeholder. The image itself was AI generated to show a well-functioning team so that there's not only a hook at the top to engage the learner, but the message of a happy and productive team suggested along with that. 
   2. I used the AI instant convert feature on several blocks to add some variation and ensure the content had sufficient room to breathe (some of the initial flashcards were very crowded). I also added some manual line breaks and AI-generated + edited use of bold to highlight key words. I used quite a bit of the tone-changing and simplification prompts, all in an attempt to make the content easier to read and digest.
   3. When I added AI images to the first accordion, I did create a custom style and then used prompts to ensure I had at least one wheelchair user and one person in hijab, as the original images were all too similar. The goal of these changes was to help a more diverse audience (managing diverse groups) see themselves in the content.
2. Which AI feature or capability was most valuable in your workflow, and why? Did anything about it surprise you?
   • The top most valuable feature at work was generating the draft from content, but in this project itself it's hard to name one specific feature that was most valuable, as it was really the ability to combine features that made the big difference for me. The instant convert probably saved me the most time. 
3. What challenges did you face when trying to get AI to produce the results you wanted?
   1. At first, I spent too much time playing with prompts to try to get the perfect outcome. Eventually I switched to getting a really good outcome from AI and then doing manual edits for polish, and that seemed most efficient.
   2. A few things didn't work the way they were shown in the videos. In some cases, the prompt that wasn't supposed to work well at first turned out a great result, showing how quickly the tools are improving! I never could get the font color to change with a prompt but that seems easy to do manually for small batches.
   3. I found myself wishing I could apply some text revision prompts to blocks across lessons. I did take the advice of starting a list of valuable prompts that I can cut and paste.
   4. I think the weakest feature was the knowledge check / quiz generation. There was a real mix of results. Some were so easy you wouldn't need to read the content to guess correctly (partly a feature of the content being pretty basic, possibly). Some were more challenging and seemed to be integrating content, which is a higher order thinking skill - but I didn't take the time to go through and confirm that the answers suggested were 100% correct and incorrect answers 100% incorrect based on interpretation of the material. I've taken the assessment certification from ATD so I'm touchy about quizzes in particular, so I think for me I'd use the AI tools to generate an outline by still do quite a bit of manual work to get the right challenge level and details. I did really like the prompt from the course about customizing the feedback - that's one I saved and used liberally in the end of course quiz.

This was a really valuable course, and I wish I'd had time to keep up with all of the introductions and posts but the volume was overwhelming. I've connected with a couple of people on LinkedIn, so if I missed a personal message please feel free to reach out to me there!

Hello! Here is a link to my course: https://share.articulate.com/UECnhL_pbMZFQRQdlYidj

The 3 most significant changes I made to the project were:

1. AI generated images- I updated the images throughout the course since the default images did not have enough diversity in gender for our organization, so I was able to use the prompts to meet that criteria.
2. Tone/Length of text- I like the ability to make the text more informal, conversational and shorter. I think at times AI by default can get lengthy so it’s nice to be able to quickly shorten that for learners.
3. AI Audio/Avatar Video- I learned about the AI avatar (in beta) in another articulate webinar but I used it for the first time in this course edit. I also used the AI audio as well. I don’t think the voice matches the face perfectly but I’m sure with time this feature will improve.

The AI feature that is most valuable to my workflow is the generation of a full course quiz or knowledge checks. This is something I personally struggle with since it’s hard to know what is too easy/difficult for learnings. I found that this saves a ton of time and gives a great starting point that you can easily edit. I like the ability to vary feedback by answer for more personalization. I was surprised with how quickly you can update the options within the quiz using the prompts.

For me personally, the biggest challenge to getting AI to produce the result centered around images for me. I will have to work on my ability to write a good prompt. I found myself adding, deleting and re-working my image prompts multiple times to get what I envisioned. Of course, this is much easier than seeking out a stock image so it’s hard to complain about this feature in general.

Hello, I found this cohort very informative and a lot of fun.  This is the first one I have joined and I hope there are more.

Here is a link to my course:  

Click to view my course

Share 3 changes you made:  

1. I used a hook to modify the introduction to the training as I think it's a nice way to grab the learners attention instead of the standard ole welcome.
2. I created several of the AI photos and updated to match the lesson.
3. I converted long bouts of text into an interactive block to make it less tedious.

Which AI feature or capability was most valuable:

I found the most value in converting blocks into something else.  It makes it so easy to take long, standard text and turn it into something creative.

What challenges:

The biggest challenge I had, and from reading it looks like most of us found, creating AI images to match my intent.  It took several updates to prompts to get what I wanted.  I do wish there was the option to modify one of the generated images, as it would almost be there but needed a few tweaks.

There were a few times when I used the edit text with AI where when I clicked on replace block, it did not work.  Once I closed out the block restarted the course and it would then replace the block.

Hello everyone!

I am fairly new to using Articulate products. Most of the training I deliver is technical and hands-on, so this cohort gave me a great opportunity to explore how AI can support more self-paced and visual learning experiences. 

You can check out my course here: Leading Happy and Fulfilled Teams: Essential Strategies for New Managers

1. Changes made to improve engagement

One of the biggest changes I made was refining the AI-generated imagery to feel more authentic and inclusive. I used AI prompting to create more realistic workplace visuals with diverse body types, styles, ages, and personalities because I wanted learners to feel represented rather than looking at generic corporate imagery.

I also reworked portions of the AI-generated text to improve flow and readability. Some sections felt repetitive or too broad, so I made the content more conversational and learner-focused.

Lastly, I focused heavily on accessibility and emotional engagement by using supportive workplace scenarios, cleaner visuals, and more intentional design choices throughout the course.

2. Most valuable AI feature

The AI image and content generation tools were the most valuable for me because they sped up the ideation process significantly. Instead of starting from scratch, I could quickly build a strong foundation and spend more time refining the learner experience.

What surprised me most was how sensitive the outputs were to small prompt changes. Minor wording adjustments completely changed the tone, realism, and quality of the results.

3. Challenges faced

The biggest challenge was getting the AI to move away from generic “stock photo” style outputs. Even when I requested diversity, the results often defaulted to very similar-looking people, body types, clothing styles, and overall aesthetics. I spent a significant amount of time reiterating and refining prompts to achieve visuals that felt genuinely inclusive and representative of real workplaces.

I found that I had to become extremely specific in my prompting by intentionally calling out differences in body size, age, hairstyles, tattoos, piercings, cultural representation, and personality to avoid repetitive or overly polished results. Finding the right balance between concise prompts and detailed direction definitely took some trial and error, but it also helped me better understand how intentional prompting impacts AI-generated learning content.

Thank you for this opportunity!

Hi, 
Here is my course: 

https://share.articulate.com/ft1FAZANhoU_wO5VM5B6e

I added in custom prompts for my AI images and I loved them but it was hard to get a consistent look to the images. 
I really like the custom block I made in the first lesson with the AI audio. I will definitely make something like that again for a course. I would probably add more audio to the course if I was spending more time on it too. 
Being able to get AI to edit and change text right in the course is so nice! Way less copy and pasting compared to using an AI outside of Rise. 

Hi! Here is my course link: 

https://share.articulate.com/mgyInAeagW8vgO5rNx77J

This has been a great experience!

Three changes: 

Broke up some longer text into shorter chunks and added in interactions and more photos. As someone new to Rise, this helped me lean into how the platform is meant to be used

Added a custom key concept block with AI voice over. Really cool!

I adjusted the tone here and there to try it out. Also very cool.

AI feature:

I was impressed by the image quality and how fast it processed my prompt.

I didn't really have any challenges, just took the time to try different things.

Thank you,

Joanne Caton-Frank

I really like your custom block with AI voice as well.  Very creative

Hello! Here is the course I built. 

https://share.articulate.com/ZxjzPBgsNBSUqeCidilYX 

3 changes I made to my course to improve learner engagement were:

• I used AI instant convert on several of the blocks to change lengthy paragraphs into interactive blocks. Or I converted blocks if I felt like the information would flow better in a different style block for example converting a tabs interaction block to an accordion block. It's important to break up the content of reading vs. interactivity to help keep the learner engaged. 
• I used AI to shorten the amount of content/writing in a lot of sections throughout the course. This helps the learner to digest the information easier. I found several instances where the word count could be shortened while the important information remained in tact and it was easier to connect back to the learning objective. 
• I mixed up the knowledge checks with interactions like the matching knowledge check to give learners variety vs. a traditional multiple choice/response question. 

The AI feature that was most helpful was learning how to generate custom image prompts. I will be using this feature daily to help generate a variety of images that relate to the content we create in our day rather than using the same bank of images we currently have. 

A challenge I struggle with is prompt writing and refining what I am asking AI to achieve better results. This cohort helped with that :) 

Hi! 

Here is the course I modified. 

https://share.articulate.com/wmwn-8oAIZ4PAKkPUJ3dS

I work mostly in Storyline and had a brainfart while adding my knowledge check, I forgot that it could be added as a separate block and just added it to the end of the last lesson :( 

3 Changes I made: Added hook style/scenarios to the start of the lessons, added AI images to flashcards and throughout the lessons, added an AI image that went along with scenario and added AI audio instead of text. The followed it up with and interactive block that pulled out some of the key points to reflect on. 

Which AI feature or capability was most valuable: The AI audio and the sync to text in Storyline will be game changes for the content I develop.  

What challenges: I still struggle with AI prompts, I am never creative enough to tell it what I want. But I am getting better, this cohort has given me some good ideas! 

Hi everyone! 

Really excited to be part of this cohort! This challenge was a great way for me to take time to test all AI features! Here is my course and my answers:

Quick Share Course Link

https://share.articulate.com/1e01Yz6ELk5haYjOvGBfk

1. Three changes made to improve learner engagement (and why)

• I used several types of interaction (drag and drop, knowledge check, labeled graphic, etc.) to keep the learners engaged and active. I tried to avoid using longer chunks of text as I realised some learners get easily bored when reading too much.
• I added audio to replace some written text, to give learners more ways to explore the course. For example, I added custom blocks with testimonials, written and audio, which gives a more ‘human’ approach to the subject.
• AI image generation with the custom style prompt was a game changer. I was able to create my color palette, style of images and use the same prompt throughout the course for consistency and better user experience. In another project, I was able to use my organisation’s color palette and graphic style to generate images that fit our visual identity, thanks to a custom prompt.

2. Most valuable AI features and why

• AI block convert is an amazing feature as I was able to see very quickly what a block would look like and decide to keep or change it if I didn’t like it.
• AI voices are great! I was using them before but from another website, so I had to download them and upload them to my course. The fact that they are integrated now is a real time saver! I build courses in French and English and I was able to find voices with accents that fit my organization’s needs so I’ll definitely keep using these for a long time.

3. Challenges using AI

• I felt that the generated course was a bit long and repetitive. I made a lot of changes to make it shorter and more relevant. But overall it gave me a lot of good ideas to start.