Create a course with CYPHER Agent using step by step generation

Create a course with CYPHER Agent using step by step generation

Overview

Creating a course with CYPHER Agent is like having an AI instructional designer and content creator working alongside you. One of the most collaborative ways to create a course with CYPHER Agent is by using Step by step generation.

Step by step generation allows you to review and refine your course at each stage of the creation process. As CYPHER Agent generates skills, topics, and learning content, you can make adjustments along the way to ensure the course aligns with your goals and vision.

By providing guidance at each step, you can create a course that reflects the skills, topics, structure, and learning experience you want to deliver.

Creating a course using step by step course generation

Creating a course using step by step generation begins in the same way as creating any course with CYPHER Agent:  
  1. Click the CYPHER Agent button.
  2. Click Add a course.
  3. Enter a Name for the course, select a course Style, and select an Organization.
  4. Click Save.
  5. In the General section, select the Step by step radio button for Generation mode.
  6. Continue through the prompts and settings to create your course.
    1. To learn more, visit the Creating with CYPHER Agent article.
CYPHER Agent menu, General tab with Generation mode highlighted and Step by step selected

After completing the initial CYPHER Agent prompts and clicking Create, you are redirected to the CYPHER Agent status page for step by step course generation. The CYPHER Agent status page displays each step in the course creation process, and allows you to review each step as it's created.

The first review step in the process is Choose course interpretation. The course interpretation establishes the initial direction of your course by defining its description and learning goals.

CYPHER Agent generates three possible course interpretations based on your input. At this point, the course creation process pauses so you can review the generated interpretations, make any necessary changes, and select the option that best aligns with your objectives.
  1. Click review to select from the course interpretation candidates CYPHER Agent has generated for the course.
CYPHER Agent status page with the review button highlighted in the Choose course interpretation section

Three course interpretation candidates are presented, with a proposed Title, Description, and Goals for each. At the end of the proposals, a recommended candidate is suggested, and the Selected candidate number is displayed.

The information is presented in a Markdown file. A Markdown file is a plain text file that uses simple formatting symbols to structure content.
  1. Review each course interpretation candidate and the Selected candidate.
  2. Click Edit if you would like to make changes to any of the course interpretation candidates, or change the Selected candidate.
  3. Click Continue if you agree with the selected course interpretation candidate as it is written.
  4. Click Return if you would like to return to the CYPHER Agent status page.
CYPHER Agent Choose course interpretation Markdown file, with the Edit, Continue, and Return buttons highlighted

If you click Edit, you can edit the Title, Description, or Goals of a candidate. You can also select a different candidate.
  1. When editing content, do not edit the field labels or candidate markers, as doing so may affect the integrity of the Markdown file.
Once you have edited and/or selected a course interpretation candidate:
  1. Ensure you have the Candidate number listed as the Selected candidate (shown in the screenshot below). 
  2. Click Save.
  3. Click Continue to continue the course generation process.
CYPHER Agent Choose course interpretation Markdown file in Edit mode, with the Selected candidate highlighted

The next step in the process is to Define course focus. This step allows you to identify the course's primary focus, secondary focus, and any topics that should be excluded from the course content. Once CYPHER Agent has generated a course focus, the process is paused and the review button displays.
  1. Click review to review the course focus.
CYPHER Agent status page with the review button highlighted in the Define course focus section

The Define course focus Markdown file displays.
  1. Review the Focus brief, Main focus, Keep secondary, and Exclude information generated by CYPHER agent.
  2. Click Edit if you would like to make changes to the course focus. 
    1. When editing, please do not change the hashtag headings or formatting, as doing so may affect the integrity of the Markdown file.
  3. Click Continue when you have approved the course focus and want to continue the course creation process.
  4. Click Return if you would like to return to the CYPHER Agent status page.
CYPHER Agent Define course focus Markdown file, with the Edit, Continue, and Return buttons highlighted

The next step in the process is Select skills. Once CYPHER Agent has generated skills for the course, the process is paused and the review button displays.
Info
Please note the business platform uses the term Skills, and the academia platform uses the term Competencies. The terms skills and competencies are interchangeable in this article. 
  1. Click review to review the skills CYPHER Agent has generated for the course.
CYPHER Agent status page with the review button highlighted in the Select skills section

The skills generated by CYPHER Agent display.
  1. Review the skills generated by CYPHER agent.
  2. Click Edit if you would like to make changes to the skills. 
    1. The top hashtag heading indicates the skill set title.
    2. The secondary hashtag heading indicates the individual skill title.
    3. When editing, do not change the hashtag headings or formatting, as doing so may affect the integrity of the Markdown file.
  3. Click Continue when you have approved the skills and want to continue the course creation process.
  4. Click Return if you would like to return to the CYPHER Agent status page.
CYPHER Agent Add skills Markdown file, with the Edit, Continue, and Return buttons highlighted

The next step in the process is the Story Arc, which plays a key role in shaping the course structure and learning journey. At this stage, CYPHER Agent generates three possible story arcs based on your course content. You can review each option, make edits as needed, and select the story arc that best fits your course objectives.

Once CYPHER Agent has generated the three story arcs for the course, the process is paused and the review button displays.
  1. Click review to review the story arcs CYPHER Agent has generated for the course.
CYPHER Agent status page with the review button highlighted in the Choose story arc section

Three Story arc candidates are presented, with a proposed Title, Description, Learner promise, Main journey, Starting point, Landmarks, Guidance, and Progression for each candidate. This information is what will guide the creation of the module and section structure.
  1. Review each Story arc candidate.
    1. Note that at the the end of the candidates, a recommended story arc candidate is suggested, and the Selected candidate number is displayed.
  2. Click Edit if you would like to make changes to any of the story arc candidates, or change the Selected candidate.
  3. Click Continue if you agree with the selected story arc candidate as it is written.
  4. Click Return if you would like to return to the CYPHER Agent status page.
CYPHER Agent Choose story arc Markdown file, with the Edit, Continue, and Return buttons highlighted

If you click Edit, you can edit the story arc of a candidate, or select a different story arc.
  1. When editing, do not edit the field labels or candidate markers, as doing so may affect the integrity of the Markdown file.
Once you have edited and/or selected a story arc candidate:
  1. Ensure you have the Candidate number listed as the Selected candidate (shown in the screenshot below).
  2. Click Save.
  3. Click Continue to continue the course generation process.
CYPHER Agent Choose story arc Markdown file in Edit mode, with the Selected candidate highlighted

CYPHER Agent will then generate the Module structure for the course. After completing the Module structure, the process is paused and the review button is displayed. 
  1. Click review to review the Module structure.
Info
Note that you can also click output to review the markdown files for previous steps.
CYPHER Agent status page with the review button highlighted in the Create module structure section

The markdown file for the Module structure displays the title of each module (indicated with a hashtag), the module Description, Rationale, Module goal, Section guidance, Keywords, and a description of the module Tile graphic. 
  1. Review the module details generated by CYPHER agent.
  2. Click Edit if you would like to make changes to the module structure. 
    1. When editing, do not change the hashtag headings or formatting, as doing so may affect the integrity of the Markdown file.
  3. Click Continue when you have approved the module structure and want to continue the course creation process.
  4. Click Return if you would like to return to the CYPHER Agent status page.
CYPHER Agent Add one or more modules Markdown file, with the Edit, Continue, and Return buttons highlighted

CYPHER Agent then generates the Section structure for each module.  The process is paused and the review button displays.
  1. Click review to review the Section structure for your course.
CYPHER Agent status page with the review button highlighted in the Create section structure section

Each module now displays section topics. Each section topic Title is indicated by the double hashtag heading, and includes a section Description, Section goal, Teaching guidance, Keywords, and Concepts.
  1. Review the section structure and details generated by CYPHER agent.
  2. Click Edit if you would like to make changes to the sections. 
    1. When editing, do not change the hashtag headings or formatting, as doing so may affect the integrity of the Markdown file.
  3. Click Continue when you have approved the section structure and want to continue the course creation process.
  4. Click Return if you would like to return to the CYPHER Agent status page.
CYPHER Agent Add sections Markdown file, with the Edit, Continue, and Return buttons highlighted

CYPHER Agent then generates the Section content. Section content is generated within the final course, and can be reviewed and edited at the end of the course creation process.

As the final step in the process, the Write catalog description step occurs. 
  1. Click review to review the catalog description for your course.
CYPHER Agent status page with the review button highlighted in the Write catalog description section

The Markdown file for the proposed Short description, Long description, and Keywords display. The short and long description are used in the course catalog for the course when the course is published.
  1. Review the descriptions and keywords generated by CYPHER agent.
  2. Click Edit if you would like to make changes to the descriptions or keywords.
    1. When editing, do not change the formatting, as this will impact the Markdown file.
  3. Click Continue when you have approved the descriptions and want to continue the course creation process.
  4. Click Return if you would like to return to the CYPHER Agent status page.
CYPHER Agent Generate catalog description Markdown file, with the Edit, Continue, and Return buttons highlighted

You have completed the step by step generation process, and the course has been created! Note that in the Details table, the course is now 100% complete.
  1. Click the Course title in the Item column to review the completed course.
    1. You will also receive a notification when the course is complete.
CYPHER Agent status page with the course title highlighted in the Details table

You can now review the completed course. Reviewing a course completed by CYPHER Agent is a necessary step in the workflow. It is important to review the information CYPHER Agent created in each section, as well as the images used throughout the course.

To learn more about reviewing a CYPHER Agent created course, visit the Reviewing a completed course section of the Creating with CYPHER Agent knowledge base article.

Completed course generated by CYPHER Agent Modules page


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