Week 1 Discussion

Hey all, I do not see the reply I posted yesterday - apologies for any duplications....

Here are my 2 Q &A’s:

1. What challenges did you face when trying to get AI to produce the results you wanted?

Instant Convert: I really like the “instant convert” functionality. However, I do not like that the content within the block is changed as well. For example, I’ve seen simple lists rewritten into detailed sentences when that level of revision isn’t necessary. It would be helpful to have a “change content toggle” that allows users to have a choice - retain the original text while only converting the block,  or convert both. 

A significant part of my content development workflow involves transitioning PowerPoints (faculty or publisher) into Rise presentations. In courses such as dental hygiene or pharmaceuticals, lists of medications or vocabulary terms must remain exactly as written. It becomes counterproductive to convert a block and then have to paste the original content back in. For instance, I might convert a list into an accordion because faculty requested illustrations to accompany the text. In those cases, the format should change, but the written content should remain intact.

Images: With all due respect, there are image generators that more closely mirror prompts and handle embedded text with greater accuracy. For this exercise, I selected “vector blues” as the style for the website security flashcards. Even after refining my prompt, the tool continued to introduce additional colors beyond that palette. I was impressed with the watercolor style and will definitely continue experimenting with it.

Which editing tools (rewrite, shorten, change tone, etc.) did you find most valuable, and why?

Text-to-Voice: The text-to-voice feature is very impressive. The voices are far more realistic than they were even a couple of years ago, and several of the female voices I tested demonstrated “natural” inflection and pacing. There is a good variety of male and female voices across different “ages,” which is helpful from an instructional design perspective. For example, if I were developing a narrated presentation for FSW students, I could select a more youthful voice to better align with that demographic.

Love the rewrite, shorten, and change tone text features!  This will be useful immediately as I'm currently working refining narration for a complex training guide development.