Learn how to use Cognito to create complete course structures and lesson content from scratch. Whether you're starting with just an idea or expanding existing outlines, Cognito can accelerate your content creation.
What You'll Learn
- How to generate complete course structures
- How to create lessons from scratch or outlines
- Best practices for AI prompts
- How to refine AI-generated content
Generate Complete Course Structure
Create an entire course outline in minutes.
Step-by-Step
- Open your course or create a new one
- Click the "Cognito" button in the top toolbar
- In the Cognito panel, describe your course:
- Topic and subject matter
- Target audience and skill level
- Desired length (number of modules/lessons)
- Key learning objectives
- Review the generated structure
- Make any adjustments (add, remove, or reorder modules/lessons)
- Click "Accept" to apply the structure to your course
Example Prompt
Here's an effective prompt for generating course structure:
"Create a beginner-level course teaching Python web development with Flask. Target audience is programmers new to Python who know HTML/CSS. Course should be 10-12 hours total, covering Flask basics, databases with SQLAlchemy, user authentication, and deployment."
- Why This Works*: It specifies the topic, audience, skill level, duration, and main topics to cover.
Tips for Better Results
- Specify Duration: "8 modules" or "20 hours of content" helps AI scope appropriately
- List Key Topics: Mention must-have subjects so they're not overlooked
- Define Audience: "Complete beginners" vs. "experienced developers" changes everything
- Set Prerequisites: "Students should know JavaScript basics"
Generate Lesson Content
Create full lessons from scratch or expand existing outlines.
Option A: From Scratch
To generate a complete lesson:
- Navigate to your module and click "Add Lesson" 1. Give the lesson a title
- Open the Cognito panel
- Describe what you want the lesson to cover:
- Main topic and subtopics
- Learning objectives
- Desired length
- Any specific examples or exercises
- Review the generated content
- Accept, edit, or regenerate as needed
- Example Prompt*:
"Create a lesson explaining Python list comprehensions. Include what they are, why they're useful, 3 simple examples, and 1 practice exercise. Target: beginner Python developers. Keep it under 1500 words."
Option B: From Outline
If you have bullet points or a rough outline:
- Paste or type your outline in the lesson
- Select the outline text
- Right-click → "Expand with AI" 1. Cognito will flesh out each point with full explanations
- Example Outline*:
- What are Python decorators?
- Basic syntax with @ symbol
- Example: timing decorator
- Example: logging decorator
- Common use cases
- Practice exercise
Cognito will expand each bullet into complete paragraphs with explanations and code examples.
Iterative Refinement
You can continue the conversation with Cognito to refine outputs:
-
You*: "Generate an introduction to Python variables"
-
AI*: [Generates content]
-
You*: "Make this simpler for complete beginners"
-
AI*: [Generates simplified version]
-
You*: "Add a real-world analogy"
-
AI*: [Adds analogy and updates content]
Working with AI Responses
For each AI suggestion, you have four options:
- Accept: Insert directly into your lesson
- Edit First: Modify the content before inserting
- Regenerate: Get a different version
- Reject: Discard and keep original
- 💡 Tip*: Don't accept the first result if it's not quite right. AI improves with feedback!
Writing Effective Prompts
Great prompts get great results. Follow this template:
Basic Template
Create [content type] about [topic]. Target audience: [who they are and what they know] Should include: [specific elements] Length: [approximate length] Tone: [formal/casual/technical/etc.]
Examples
- Good Prompt*:
"Create a lesson about JavaScript promises for developers familiar with callbacks. Include why promises exist, basic syntax, .then() and .catch(), 2 examples, and common mistakes to avoid. Conversational tone, 1000-1500 words."
- Weak Prompt*:
"Explain promises"
- Why It Matters*: Specific prompts save time by reducing back-and-forth revisions.
Common Use Cases
Rapid Prototyping
Generate a full course outline in minutes to validate your idea before investing time in full content creation. Share with stakeholders to get feedback early.
Overcoming Writer's Block
When stuck on how to explain a concept, ask Cognito for multiple approaches. Use one as-is or combine ideas from several versions.
Content Refresh
Update old courses by asking Cognito to modernize examples, add recent developments, or adjust tone for current audiences.
Multilingual Content
Generate course content in one language, then use Cognito to translate and localize for other markets while maintaining your teaching style.
Next Steps
- Improve and Enhance Content - Make existing content better with AI
- Advanced AI Features - Explore Agent Mode and Knowledge Library
- Content Blocks Overview - Learn about different content types
- Last updated: October 19, 2025*