Coastal Alabama Community College — Utilizing AI Tools for Efficiency in Course Development
Utilizing AI Tools for Efficiency in Course Development

A faster path from idea ➜ course

This page is your companion for the workshop. Open the deck, pick a sample course to build, and grab the resources.

Workshop Resources
Language:

Pick your live build

Option A

AI for Hospitality Operations (Micro-course)

Scheduling, cost control, and guest messaging with AI. Great fit for Hospitality & Culinary cohorts.

Option B

Digital Marketing Basics for Local Businesses

Fast content generation, social planning, and analytics literacy. Good continuing-education flavor.

Option C

Instructional Design Foundations (Sampler)

Backward design, authentic assessment, and quick rubric generation—starter module for ID skills.

Training presentation (embedded)

Live Build — AI for Hospitality Operations

Use ChatGPT (Study Mode recommended) or your preferred tool. Copy each prompt, paste, and iterate.

1) Outcomes
Prompt → Outcomes (Hospitality)
You are a college instructional designer at Coastal Alabama Community College. Draft 3–5 measurable learning outcomes for a 1-module micro-course titled “AI for Hospitality Operations.” Audience: adult learners in hospitality. Modalities: online, 8–10 hours total. LMS: Canvas. Include Bloom’s level for each outcome and the “evidence of learning” (what a student would produce or do). Ensure outcomes are specific to scheduling, cost control, and guest messaging.
2) Outline
Prompt → Outline (Hospitality)
Create a 1-module outline (8–10 hours online) for “AI for Hospitality Operations.” Provide a numbered list with: topic sequence, brief descriptions, estimated time per item, and suggested OER/credible links. Add one short “practice with AI” activity connected to scheduling, one to cost control (e.g., spreadsheet scenario), and one to guest messaging quality. End with a short “mini-project” that integrates all three.
3) Activities
Prompt → Activities (Hospitality)
Generate 3 detailed activity options aligned to the outcomes. For each activity include: student-facing instructions, deliverable, success criteria, estimated time, and one ELL/UDL variant. Activities should cover: (a) AI-assisted staff scheduling scenario, (b) cost-control analysis using a simple spreadsheet, (c) rewriting guest messages for clarity and tone using AI as an editor. Keep directions copy-paste ready for Canvas.
4) Assessment (Quiz)
Prompt → Quiz (Hospitality)
Create a 5-question practice quiz aligned to the outcomes: • 2 multiple-choice items (4 options, one correct, brief rationale) • 1 short-answer • 1 matching (term → definition or tool → use) • 1 short scenario with the “best next step.” Provide an answer key with brief explanations. Keep the wording hospitality-specific.
5) Analytic Rubric
Prompt → Rubric (Hospitality)
Build a concise analytic rubric (table) for the mini-project: Criteria (4): scheduling plan, cost analysis, guest messaging quality, professionalism/accessibility. Levels (4): Exemplary, Proficient, Developing, Beginning. Use short, observable descriptors. Output as a Markdown table that pastes cleanly to Canvas.
6) (Optional) Publish & Extensions
Prompt → Presentation Deck (Hospitality)
You are a college instructional designer. Create a slide-deck outline (10–12 slides) titled “AI for Hospitality Operations — Micro-course Design.” Audience: faculty & department chairs. Use the outcomes, outline, activities, quiz, and rubric we just built. Slides (H2 titles + ≤5 bullets each) with 2–3 speaker-note bullets: 1) Title & purpose (blank-page relief; “you approve, AI assists”) 2) Context & learner profile 3) Outcomes table (with Bloom levels & evidence of learning) 4) Module plan timeline (topics + time estimates) 5) Activity 1 — AI-assisted scheduling (student directions) 6) Activity 2 — Cost-control analysis (deliverable + criteria) 7) Activity 3 — Guest messaging edits (UDL/ELL note) 8) Assessment snapshot — 5-item practice quiz 9) Rubric summary — criteria & levels 10) Implementation in Canvas — copy/paste assets & workload 11) Accessibility & integrity notes (alt text, plain language, citations) 12) Next steps & evaluation plan. Output as Markdown with slide headings and bullets; include [visual placeholder notes] where appropriate.
Prompt → NotebookLM Video/Audio (Hospitality)
NotebookLM: After I upload the course outcomes, outline, activities, quiz, rubric, and any links used, produce: A) 5–6 minute narrated VIDEO WALKTHROUGH script (scene-by-scene) explaining the module, with on-screen callouts and suggested visuals. Include alt text for any screenshots and a plain-language reading level. B) Dual-narrator AUDIO OVERVIEW script (host + instructor) that summarizes the module for students. C) 60–90 second SAMPLE LESSON audio script focused on “AI-assisted scheduling,” with a brief practice prompt students can try. D) YouTube description + chapter markers + 5 keywords. Keep references grounded in the uploaded sources; cite inline with [source] tags where applicable.

Live Build — Digital Marketing Basics for Local Businesses

We’ll scaffold a practical micro-course for small-business contexts in Coastal Alabama.

1) Outcomes
Prompt → Outcomes (Marketing)
You are an instructional designer. Draft 3–5 measurable outcomes for “Digital Marketing Basics for Local Businesses.” Audience: adult learners/new marketers. Modality: online, 8–10 hours. Include Bloom levels + evidence of learning. Focus areas: fast content generation, social posting plan, and reading basic analytics to inform decisions.
2) Outline
Prompt → Outline (Marketing)
Create a 1-module outline (8–10 hours) with topic flow, time estimates, and OER/credible links. Include hands-on practice: drafting a week of posts with AI, building a simple content calendar, and interpreting starter analytics. End with a mini-campaign plan as the capstone.
3) Activities
Prompt → Activities (Marketing)
Design 3 student-facing activities aligned to outcomes: (a) AI-drafted post variants for different platforms with brand voice control, (b) build a one-week content calendar with timing and call-to-action, (c) analyze sample metrics (reach, CTR) and write a brief improvement note. Provide deliverables, criteria, time, and an ELL/UDL option for each.
4) Assessment (Quiz)
Prompt → Quiz (Marketing)
Create a 5-question quiz aligned to outcomes: • 2 MCQs on platform/content fit and CTAs • 1 short-answer on ethics/source attribution • 1 matching (metric → meaning) • 1 scenario: pick best next step based on basic analytics. Provide an answer key with one-sentence rationales.
5) Analytic Rubric
Prompt → Rubric (Marketing)
Create a 4-criterion analytic rubric for the mini-campaign plan: criteria = content quality/voice, calendar completeness, use of data for iteration, professionalism/accessibility. Levels = Exemplary, Proficient, Developing, Beginning. Short, observable descriptors in a Markdown table.
6) (Optional) Publish & Extensions
Prompt → Presentation Deck (Marketing)
Create a slide-deck outline (10–12 slides) titled “Digital Marketing Basics — Micro-course Design.” Audience: CE faculty & small-business partners. Use our built outcomes, outline, activities, quiz, and rubric. Slides (H2 + ≤5 bullets; 2–3 speaker-note bullets): 1) Title & who it serves (local small businesses) 2) Pain points & goals 3) Outcomes table (Bloom + evidence) 4) One-module plan (topics/time) 5) Activity 1 — Post variants with brand voice 6) Activity 2 — One-week content calendar 7) Activity 3 — Read basic analytics & iterate 8) Assessment snapshot — 5-item quiz 9) Rubric summary — what “Proficient” looks like 10) Implementation & sample Canvas pages 11) Accessibility/UDL + integrity notes 12) Next steps (pilot & feedback). Output in Markdown with slide headings, bullets, and [visual placeholder notes].
Prompt → NotebookLM Video/Audio (Marketing)
NotebookLM: With the uploaded sources (course outcomes, outline, activities, quiz, rubric, and any linked references), produce: A) 5–6 minute VIDEO WALKTHROUGH script (scene-by-scene) showing how the mini-course works, with on-screen callouts and suggested visuals; include alt text. B) Dual-narrator AUDIO OVERVIEW script summarizing the course for busy small-business owners. C) 60–90 second SAMPLE LESSON audio script focusing on “Draft a one-week content calendar,” including a 30-second practice. D) YouTube description, chapter markers, and 5 SEO keywords. Ground all claims in uploaded sources; mark citations with [source].

Live Build — Instructional Design Foundations (Sampler)

Starter module focused on backward design, authentic assessment, and rubrics.

1) Outcomes
Prompt → Outcomes (ID Foundations)
Draft 3–5 measurable outcomes for a 1-module sampler “Instructional Design Foundations.” Audience: faculty new to ID. Modality: online, 8–10 hours. Include Bloom level + evidence of learning. Emphasize: backward design, authentic assessment, and rubric fundamentals.
2) Outline
Prompt → Outline (ID Foundations)
Create a 1-module outline (8–10 hours) with topics, times, and OER/credible links. Include short practices: aligning outcomes to assessments, writing one authentic task, and drafting rubric criteria. Finish with a mini-design plan (outcomes → assessment → activities).
3) Activities
Prompt → Activities (ID Foundations)
Produce 3 student-facing activities: (1) critique two example outcomes and revise to be measurable; (2) draft an authentic assessment aligned to one outcome, with student directions; (3) generate rubric criteria and levels for the assessment. Include deliverables, time, criteria, and an ELL/UDL variant for each.
4) Assessment (Quiz)
Prompt → Quiz (ID Foundations)
Create a 5-item check-for-understanding quiz: • 2 MCQs on alignment/backward design • 1 short-answer on authentic assessment • 1 matching (term → definition) • 1 scenario: evaluate alignment among outcome/assessment/activity. Provide an answer key with brief rationales.
5) Analytic Rubric
Prompt → Rubric (ID Foundations)
Create a compact analytic rubric for the mini-design plan: Criteria (4) = clarity of outcomes, assessment authenticity, alignment strength, clarity/professionalism. Levels (4) = Exemplary, Proficient, Developing, Beginning. Provide as a Markdown table suitable for Canvas.
6) (Optional) Publish & Extensions
Prompt → Presentation Deck (ID Foundations)
Create a slide-deck outline (10–12 slides) titled “Instructional Design Foundations — Micro-module.” Audience: faculty peers & program leads. Use the built outcomes, outline, activities, quiz, and rubric. Slides (H2 + ≤5 bullets; 2–3 speaker-note bullets): 1) Title & why backward design matters 2) Learner/context & constraints 3) Outcomes table (Bloom + evidence) 4) Alignment map (outcomes → assessment → activities) 5) Activity 1 — Revise outcomes to be measurable 6) Activity 2 — Draft an authentic assessment 7) Activity 3 — Build a rubric (criteria/levels) 8) Quiz snapshot — check for understanding 9) Rubric summary & use 10) Canvas implementation & workload 11) Accessibility/UDL & integrity 12) Next steps & faculty support. Output in Markdown with slide headings and bullets; include [visual placeholder notes].
Prompt → NotebookLM Video/Audio (ID Foundations)
NotebookLM: After I upload the module documents (outcomes, outline, activities, quiz, rubric) and any linked sources, generate: A) 5–6 minute VIDEO WALKTHROUGH script (scene-by-scene) teaching the alignment workflow; include on-screen labels and alt text. B) Dual-narrator AUDIO OVERVIEW script summarizing backward design and authentic assessment. C) 60–90 second SAMPLE LESSON audio script guiding faculty to rewrite one weak outcome into a measurable one (with a quick practice). D) YouTube description, chapters, and 5 keywords. Ground content in uploaded sources; add [source] tags where relevant.

Best Practices

  • Set the role; state the task in one line.
  • Add context: audience, modality, time, constraints.
  • Specify output format; align to outcomes & Bloom.
  • Ask for sources when researching; note assumptions.
  • Guardrails: “ask 2 clarifying questions if unsure.”
  • Iterate with targeted revisions.

AI curriculum tools & quick links

ChatGPT — Study Mode

Interactive learning inside ChatGPT that guides you step-by-step with Socratic questions—first asking your goals and skill level, then working with you toward the answer instead of just giving it.

Perplexity (Research)

Rapid, source-backed research and outlines.

Gamma (Presentations)

Create lightweight decks quickly; our workshop deck is hosted here.

NotebookLM

Upload your readings, slides, or links and ground AI in those sources to draft cited summaries, outlines, and quiz ideas—then auto-generate a dual-narrator podcast and a narrated video overview for students.