Creating Your First Course
Transform Your Expertise into Audio-First Learning
In the next 15-30 minutes, you'll create a complete audio-first course that your learners can consume on Topicz.app as a podcast OR an interactive LMS experience with AI chat support and multi-lingual transcripts.
Placeholder: "Complete Course Creation Walkthrough" (Guidde)
What You'll Learn
By the end of this guide, you'll know how to:
- ✅ Create a course from existing documents OR from scratch
- ✅ Work with the AI chat assistant to generate course outlines
- ✅ Review and customize your course structure
- ✅ Preview your course before publishing
- ✅ Understand what learners will experience on Topicz.app
Time Investment: 15-30 minutes
End Result: A publishable course ready for content generation
Part 1: Understanding What You're Building
Before you start creating, let's clarify what you're building and why it matters to your learners.
1.1 What Your Learners Will Get
Why this matters: Understanding the learner experience helps you make better decisions during course design.
When you publish your course to Topicz.app, learners can choose how they want to learn:
🎧 Podcast Mode: Learning on the Go
Perfect for learners who want to consume content while:
- Commuting to work
- Exercising at the gym
- Doing household chores
- Walking the dog
Features:
- Audio-only playback
- Background listening support
- Minimal battery drain
- Works offline (downloaded content)
- Mobile-optimized interface
Real-world use cases:
- 30-minute commute = 2-3 lessons completed
- 45-minute workout = Complete module finished
- Evening walk = Daily learning habit established
- Lunch break = Quick skill refresh
Offline capability:
- Download lessons to device
- Listen without internet connection
- Progress syncs when back online
- Perfect for flights, trains, or areas with poor connectivity
Your role: Ensure your audio content is engaging and self-contained (doesn't rely heavily on visuals).
💡 Creator Tip: Keep lessons under 15 minutes for podcast mode. Learners can complete one during a coffee break, making it easier to build a daily learning habit.
💻 LMS Mode: Deep Learning Experience
Perfect for learners who want a structured, interactive experience at their desk or on a tablet.
3-Panel Layout:
Left Panel - Navigation:
- Complete course outline with all modules
- Lesson list with completion checkmarks ✅
- Click any lesson to jump directly to it
- Collapsible modules to reduce clutter
- Progress indicator shows % complete
Center Panel - Content:
- Visual slides synchronized with audio playback
- Full transcript displayed below slides
- Transcript highlights current sentence being spoken (real-time sync)
- Click any sentence in transcript to jump to that point in audio
- Slides advance automatically as audio plays
- Pause/play controls, playback speed adjustment
Right Panel - AI Chat Assistant:
- Ask questions about current lesson content
- Get instant clarifications on concepts
- Request examples or deeper explanations
- Chat history saved per lesson
- AI has access to entire course content
Resizable Panels:
- Drag dividers between panels to customize your view
- Want bigger slides? Shrink the chat panel
- Reading transcript? Expand the center panel
- Preferences saved automatically
- Hide panels you don't need (minimize to focus)
Placeholder: Full LMS interface — Navigation, Content (slides + transcript), and AI Chat panels
Your role: Create slides that reinforce key concepts and ensure content is comprehensive for AI chat.
🤖 AI Chat Assistant (LMS Mode)
Your learners get a 24/7 teaching assistant that can:
- Answer questions about course content
- Provide clarifications and examples
- Explain concepts in different ways
- Help with comprehension and retention
How it works technically:
- AI has access to your entire course content (all lesson transcripts and slide text)
- Reads and understands the context of each lesson
- Provides contextual answers based on course material
- Cannot answer questions outside course scope (stays focused)
Example questions learners can ask:
- "Can you explain the difference between X and Y?"
- "Give me a real-world example of this concept"
- "Summarize the key points of this lesson in 3 bullets"
- "What are the practical applications of this in my daily work?"
- "I didn't understand the part about [topic]. Can you explain it differently?"
Response time: Instant (typically 1-3 seconds)
Limitations:
- AI only knows information from your course content
- Cannot provide information outside the course scope
- Best for clarification, not new topics
Your role: Create clear, comprehensive content that the AI can reference accurately.
💡 Creator Tip: The better your content, the better the AI's answers. Include clear definitions, examples, and explanations in your lessons.
🌍 Multi-lingual Transcripts
Accessibility for everyone:
- Automatic transcription of all audio
- Multiple language support
- Searchable text (find specific topics instantly)
- Helps non-native speakers follow along
- Supports hearing-impaired learners
- Great for visual learners who prefer reading
Supported languages:
- English
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Portuguese
- Italian
- Dutch
- And more (expanding regularly)
How learners use it:
- Open language selector in player settings
- Choose preferred language
- Transcript updates instantly
- Audio remains in original language (with translated text)
- Learners can read along in their native language
Accuracy:
- AI-generated transcripts: 95%+ accuracy
- Clear narration produces best results
- Technical terms may need review
- Punctuation and formatting included
Placeholder: Language selector dropdown showing available transcript languages with flags
Your role: Use clear narration (or AI-generated audio) for accurate transcription. Speak at a moderate pace and enunciate technical terms.
💡 Key Insight: You create the course once, but learners can experience it in multiple ways. Design for both audio-first (podcast) and visual (LMS) consumption. A well-designed course works beautifully in both modes.
1.2 Your Role: What You'll Do
Why this matters: Understanding your workflow helps you know what to expect and how much effort is required.
Time Investment Breakdown
Here's exactly how long each step takes:
| Your Action | Time Required | AI Processing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Describe course idea or upload document | 5-10 minutes | 10-30 seconds | Conversation with AI |
| Review generated outline | 5 minutes | - | Check structure, edit if needed |
| Generate content (bulk, all modules) | Click button | 2-5 minutes | AI writes lesson scripts |
| Generate audio (bulk, all modules) | Click button | 5-10 minutes | Gemini TTS creates narration |
| Generate slides (bulk, all modules) | Click button | 3-7 minutes | AI designs visual slides |
| Preview & adjust | 10-15 minutes | - | Test both Podcast and LMS modes |
| Publish to Topicz.app | 1 minute | Instant | Make course live |
Total active time: ~30-40 minutes (your hands-on work)
Total AI processing: ~15-25 minutes (you can walk away)
Complete course: ~1 hour from idea to published
💡 Reality Check: Your first course might take 2 hours as you learn the system. By your third course, you'll hit the 1-hour mark consistently.
You Provide:
- Ideas or documents - Your expertise or existing content
- Guidance - Answer AI's questions about focus and audience
- Review - Verify the generated outline matches your vision
- Quality check - Preview and adjust before publishing
AI Creates:
Here's what happens behind the scenes when AI generates your course:
Course Outline Generation:
- AI analyzes your description or uploaded document
- Identifies key topics and learning objectives
- Structures content into logical progression (beginner → advanced)
- Creates module and lesson hierarchy
- Estimates lesson durations based on content depth
- Saves course to your workspace as "Draft"
Lesson Script Generation:
- AI writes conversational, engaging content for each lesson
- Adapts tone to your audience (beginners vs experts)
- Includes examples, explanations, and real-world applications
- Structures content for audio-first consumption (no "as you can see" phrases)
- Typically generates 1,500-2,500 words per 10-15 minute lesson
- Uses your course prompt and conversation context for consistency
Audio Production:
- Text-to-speech using Gemini TTS (Google's advanced AI voice)
- Professional narration in your chosen tone (Professional, Friendly, Casual, Enthusiastic)
- Natural pacing and intonation (sounds human, not robotic)
- Studio-quality output with no background noise
- MP3 format, optimized for streaming and download
- Average: 10-15 minutes of audio per lesson
Slide Creation:
- AI extracts key points from lesson script
- Designs visual layouts automatically
- Adds relevant imagery when applicable
- Synchronizes slides with audio timestamps (auto-advance as audio plays)
- Creates 5-10 slides per lesson
- Ensures slides complement audio (not duplicate it)
💡 Technical Note: All processing happens in the cloud. You can close your browser and come back—progress is saved automatically.
You Review & Adjust:
- Preview - Test the course as learners will see it (both Podcast and LMS modes)
- Customize - Adjust voice tone, regenerate specific lessons, edit content
- Refine - Add or remove lessons, reorder modules
- Publish - Make it live on Topicz.app when satisfied
Learners Access:
- Topicz.app - Your polished, professional course
- Two modes - Podcast or LMS, their choice
- AI support - Chat assistant for questions (24/7)
- Progress tracking - See their completion status and achievements
- Multi-device - Desktop, tablet, mobile (synced progress)
💡 Bottom Line: You focus on expertise and guidance (~40 minutes). AI handles the heavy lifting of content creation, audio production, and slide design (~20 minutes). Total: 1 hour to launch a complete course.
What's Next?
Now that you understand what you're building and what learners will get, let's start creating your course!
Part 2: Starting Your Course
2.1 Opening the AI Chat Assistant
What you'll achieve: Start creating your course in seconds—no complex setup required.
Where to Start
After logging in to VybeLearn, you land on the Developer Dashboard. This is your command center for creating and managing courses.
If you're not there:
Option 1: During Login
- When logging in, you'll see a role selection screen (if you have multiple roles)
- Choose "Developer" → Description: "Create and edit courses"
- Check "Remember my choice" to skip this step next time
- You'll be redirected to the Developer Dashboard
Option 2: After Login (Switch Mode)
- Look for the mode selector in the top-right corner of the screen
- Click the dropdown (shows your current mode with an icon, e.g., "Learner" or "Player")
- Select "Developer" from the menu
- You'll be redirected to the Developer Dashboard
Then:
- Navigate to the "Courses" tab (should be selected by default)
- You'll see the "Create New Course" button
Step 1: Click "Create New Course"
Location: Top right of the Courses tab, prominently displayed as a blue button
Placeholder: Developer Dashboard — Courses tab with "Create New Course" button highlighted
What happens when you click:
- The chat panel slides open from the right side of your screen
- AI assistant initializes and prepares to help you
- Welcome message appears automatically
- You're ready to start creating
Step 2: Chat Panel Opens
Panel location: Right side of your screen (overlays or pushes content left depending on screen size)
What you'll see:
Chat Interface Elements:
- Message area: Displays conversation with AI (scrollable)
- Input field: Text box at bottom where you type your messages
- Send button: Blue arrow icon (→) to submit your message
- 📎 Paperclip icon: Click to upload documents (PDF, Word)
- Message bubbles:
- AI messages: Light gray background, left-aligned
- Your messages: Blue background, right-aligned
Placeholder: Chat panel open — input field, send button, paperclip icon, and message area labeled
Visual cue: The panel has a subtle animation when opening—smooth slide-in from the right.
Step 3: AI Greets You
The AI's welcome message:
AI: Hello! I'm here to help you create an engaging audio course.
I can help you in two ways:
1. Upload a document (PDF or Word) → I'll analyze it and create a course outline
2. Describe your course idea → I'll ask questions and help you structure it
What would you like to create today?
What this means:
Option 1: Upload a Document
- Best if you have existing content (handbooks, presentations, training materials)
- AI uses RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) to analyze your document
- Creates course outline based on document structure and content
- Click the 📎 paperclip icon to start
Option 2: Describe Your Idea
- Best for new course ideas or brainstorming
- AI asks clarifying questions about your audience, goals, and topics
- Collaborative conversation to build course outline
- Just start typing your course idea
Placeholder: Chat panel showing AI welcome message with both creation options visible
💡 Tip: You're not locked into one path. You can start conversationally and upload a document later, or vice versa.
Understanding the Chat Interface
How to interact:
Typing and Sending:
- Click in the input field at the bottom
- Type your message or question
- Press Enter or click the Send button (→ icon)
- AI responds in 1-3 seconds
Document Upload:
- Click the 📎 Paperclip icon next to the input field
- Upload modal opens
- Drag-and-drop or select PDF/Word file
- Document name appears in chat with ✅ checkmark
Message History:
- Scroll up to see previous messages
- All conversations are saved automatically
- For new courses: Saved to your browser (localStorage)
- For existing courses: Saved to database
Auto-scroll:
- Chat automatically scrolls to latest message
- New messages appear with smooth animation
- You can scroll up to review without interruption
What to Expect
Response Time:
- AI typically responds in 1-3 seconds
- Longer responses (like course outline generation) may take 10-30 seconds
- You'll see a typing indicator while AI is thinking
Conversation Persistence:
- Your conversation is saved automatically
- Close the browser? No problem—come back and continue
- Switch to another tab? Chat history is preserved
- Create a course? Chat is linked to that course forever
Context Awareness:
- AI remembers everything you've said in this conversation
- No need to repeat yourself
- Can reference earlier messages ("as I mentioned before...")
- Builds on your previous answers
Placeholder: "Opening the AI Chat" — 30-second walkthrough (Guidde)
2.2 Two Creation Paths: Choose Your Starting Point
What you'll achieve: Select the best approach for your content and start building your course outline.
Which Path Should You Choose?
Quick Decision Guide:
| You Have... | Choose This Path | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Existing PDF, Word doc, presentation | Path A: Upload Document | AI extracts structure and content automatically |
| Training manual, handbook, guide | Path A: Upload Document | Ensures accuracy based on established docs |
| Course idea in your head | Path B: Describe Your Idea | AI helps you structure and refine |
| Want to brainstorm | Path B: Describe Your Idea | Collaborative exploration of topics |
| Hybrid: Doc + new topics | Start with Path A, then switch | Upload doc first, add topics later |
💡 Bottom Line: Have content? Upload it. Starting fresh? Describe it. Not sure? Start conversational—you can always upload later.
Path A: Upload a Document (RAG-Based)
Best for: Existing training materials, handbooks, presentations, or any written content you want to convert into an audio course.
Supported formats:
- PDF (.pdf)
- Microsoft Word (.docx)
File size limit: 10MB
How to Upload:
Step 1: Click the Paperclip Icon
- Located in the chat input field (bottom of chat panel)
- Icon: 📎
Placeholder: Chat input field with paperclip icon highlighted
Step 2: Select Your File
- Drag-and-drop into the upload modal
- OR click "Browse" to select from your computer
Placeholder: Upload modal with drag-and-drop area and file browser button
Step 3: Wait for Upload
- Progress bar shows upload status
- Typically takes 5-15 seconds depending on file size
Step 4: Document Ready
- Green checkmark appears: "Ready for AI"
- Document name displayed
- X button to remove if needed
Placeholder: Document uploaded — green checkmark, filename, and remove (X) button
What Happens Next?
AI Analysis (Behind the Scenes):
- Document Parsing: Extracts text, headings, structure
- Content Analysis: Identifies key concepts, topics, learning objectives
- RAG Processing: Creates searchable knowledge base from your document
- Ready for Questions: AI can now answer questions about your document
Your Next Step:
- AI will prompt: "I've analyzed your document. What would you like me to create?"
- You can:
- Ask AI to generate a course outline
- Ask questions about the document
- Request specific topics to focus on
Example Interaction:
You: [Uploads "Employee_Onboarding_Guide.pdf"]
AI: ✅ I've analyzed your Employee Onboarding Guide (24 pages).
I can see sections on:
- Company culture and values
- HR policies and procedures
- IT setup and tools
- Team introductions
Would you like me to create a course outline based on this content?
You: Yes, create an outline focusing on the first 2 weeks of onboarding
AI: Perfect! I'll create a 2-week onboarding course outline...
Tips for Best Results:
- Clear structure: Documents with headings and sections work best
- Text-based: Scanned PDFs (images) won't work—text must be selectable
- Focused content: One topic per document works better than multiple unrelated topics
- File naming: Use descriptive names (e.g., "Sales_Training_Q1_2024.pdf")
Path B: Describe Your Idea (Conversational)
Best for: New course ideas, brainstorming, or when you want AI to help you structure your thoughts.
How It Works:
Step 1: Type Your Course Idea
- In the chat input, describe what you want to create
- Can be as simple as "I want to teach leadership skills"
- Or more detailed: "Create a course on agile project management for software teams"
Step 2: AI Asks Clarifying Questions
The AI will ask 3-5 questions to understand your vision:
Typical Questions:
- Target Audience: Who is this course for? (e.g., beginners, managers, technical teams)
- Learning Goal: What should learners achieve? (e.g., certification, practical skills, overview)
- Experience Level: Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced?
- Course Scope: How comprehensive? (e.g., quick intro, deep dive, complete training)
- Time Investment: How long should the course be? (e.g., 30 minutes, 2 hours, full day)
You can:
- Answer all questions in one message
- Answer one at a time
- Skip questions by saying "not sure" or "you decide"
Step 3: AI Generates Outline
Based on your answers, AI creates a tailored course outline.
Example Conversation:
You: I want to create a course on effective communication for remote teams
AI: Great topic! Let me ask a few questions to tailor this course:
1. Who is your target audience? (e.g., team leads, individual contributors, executives)
2. What's the primary goal? (e.g., improve meeting effectiveness, async communication, conflict resolution)
3. What experience level? (e.g., new to remote work, experienced remote workers)
You: Team leads who are new to managing remote teams. Focus on practical skills for daily communication and meeting management.
AI: Perfect! I'll create a practical course outline for new remote team leads, focusing on:
- Daily communication best practices
- Running effective virtual meetings
- Async communication strategies
- Building team connection remotely
Estimated course length: 2-3 hours
Should I proceed with generating the full outline?
You: Yes, go ahead
AI: [Generates course outline]
Tips for Best Results:
- Be specific: "Leadership for new managers in tech" is better than "leadership"
- Mention context: Industry, audience, or specific challenges help AI tailor content
- Don't overthink: AI will ask follow-up questions if it needs more info
- Iterate: You can refine the outline after it's generated
Switching Between Paths
You're not locked in! Here's how to switch:
From Document → Conversational:
How to switch:
- Remove the document: Click the X button next to the document name
- Continue chatting: AI will switch to conversational mode
- Add new topics: Describe what you want to add
Use case: You uploaded a handbook but want to add topics not covered in the document.
Example:
You: [Removes "Employee_Handbook.pdf"]
You: Add a module on remote work best practices
AI: Great! Let me ask a few questions about the remote work module...
From Conversational → Document:
How to switch:
- Click the paperclip icon anytime during the conversation
- Upload your document
- AI switches to RAG mode: Future responses will reference the document
Use case: You started brainstorming but realized you have a document that could help.
Example:
You: [After discussing course ideas]
You: [Uploads "Training_Materials.pdf"]
AI: ✅ I've analyzed your Training Materials. I can see you've already covered some of the topics we discussed. Would you like me to integrate this content into the outline?
Limitation:
⚠️ The AI uses either your document OR conversational input for each generation—not both simultaneously.
If you want to combine document content with new topics:
- Upload document first
- Generate initial outline
- Remove document
- Ask AI to add new topics conversationally
💡 Best Practice: If you have a document, upload it first. You can always remove it later if needed.
💡 Tip: If you're unsure, start with Path B (conversational). You can always upload a document later if needed.
Placeholder: "Choosing and Switching Between Creation Paths" — 60-second walkthrough (Guidde)
What's Next?
Now that you understand both creation paths, you're ready to start building your course outline!