You can create a new Canvas course with AI Course Outline for Canvas by describing your course in a prompt, previewing the AI-generated chapter-and-lesson outline, and accepting it to have Thinkific scaffold the course for you automatically.
Applies to:
- Platform: Web
- Products: New course builder
How the AI Course Outline Generator Works
When you start a new course in the new course builder, you can describe what it's about in a prompt instead of building the structure by hand. As soon as you click Build curriculum, a live preview of your course's chapters and lessons appears right beside your prompt. If the preview isn't quite right, edit your prompt and click Build curriculum again to regenerate it - you can repeat this as many times as you like.
Once you accept a preview, your course is created and scaffolds the accepted chapters and lessons into it in one step, then takes you straight into the real course builder to add content and make any final adjustments using the same curriculum tree and editing tools you'd use for any other course.
How to Create a Course with AI Course Outline Generator
- From your Admin Dashboard, go to Products
- Select Courses
- Click + New course builder
- Enter a name for your course
- In the prompt field, describe your course: what it's about, who it's for, and what learners will be able to do by the end
- Click Build curriculum
- Review the preview of your course's chapters and lessons, shown beside your prompt
- If the outline isn't quite right, edit your prompt and click Build curriculum again to regenerate the preview
- Once you're happy with the outline, click Create course to create your course
Your course will be created with the accepted chapters and lessons already in place and takes you into the course builder, where you can add content to each lesson and make any final adjustments.
Learn more about adding content to your course: How to Add Content and Configure Your Course in the New Course Builder
Important Considerations
- This creates chapter and lesson titles only - you'll still need to add your own content (such as text and video) to each lesson.
- Nothing is created in your account until you click Create course - you can regenerate the preview as many times as you like before then.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I don't like the generated outline?
Edit your prompt with more detail - such as topics to cover or the number of chapters you want - and click Build curriculum again to regenerate the preview before accepting it.
Do I have to use AI to create a Canvas course?
No, you don’t have to use the AI Course Outline Generator to create your course. While the AI Course Outline Generator offers numerous benefits such as time-saving, personalized outlines, and efficient content organization, the choice to use it or not is yours. If you would prefer not to use AI, simply click the Start from scratch button in the bottom-left corner of the prompt screen.
Can I change the outline after my course is created?
Yes. Once your course is created, you can add, remove, or rearrange chapters and lessons from inside the new course builder just like any other course.
Related Articles
- Learn more: Introducing Thinkific's New Course Builder
- Alternative: AI Course Outline Generator (Classic course builder)