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Christine Quinn

“AI won’t replace you, but an instructional designer who uses it wisely just might.” That’s the mindset e-learning professionals are adopting in 2025.To explore where AI fits into modern course development and how experienced IDs are using it to support their daily workflows, we spoke with Anna Poli, a senior instructional designer at iSpring. 5 Practical Ways to Use AI With Instructional DesignAI in learning and development has generated considerable hype, but it has not fulfilled every promise to instructional designers. It didn’t turn SMEs into content geniuses, fully automate course creation, or replace the need for instructional judgment and the human touch.Still, when used strategically, it’s a powerful assistant, saving time, reducing repetitive tasks, and creating space for deeper design work. Here are five areas where it can make a real difference:1. Early-Stage Course PrototypingInstead of starting with a blank slide, AI helps generate a rough outline or suggest slide content based on a topic, script, or meeting notes.“I enjoy using Copilot in PowerPoint paired with iSpring Suite Max as an add-on. It lets me build a course flow from scratch and enhance it with interactivity: quizzes, branching scenarios, or video narration,” says Anna Poli.AI-supported prototyping helps instructional designers test ideas, share early drafts with stakeholders, and refine structure and flow before investing time in full-scale production.2. Training Content RepurposingFor senior instructional designers managing large content ecosystems, AI course creators offer a practical way to develop and adapt courses without starting from scratch. Long-form assets, such as webinars, manuals, or SME recordings, can be transcribed, summarized, and restructured into self-paced modules, interactive microlearning, or quizzes within minutes. With AI, it’s also easier to maintain consistency across formats, identify gaps or redundancies, and adapt content to different roles or learner levels.3. Localizing Content for Global TeamsWhen rolling out training across multiple regions, AI-powered translation tools like DeepL or built-in features in authoring platforms can translate course scripts, assessments, and UI elements with a few clicks, providing IDs with a strong draft before human review.“I usually start with AI-generated translations to get the base version out quickly,” says Anna Poli. “Then, I loop in regional reviewers for cultural nuance and terminology. It saves hours of back-and-forth.”4. Enhancing AccessibilityAccessibility is about giving every learner a fair opportunity to engage, absorb, and apply what they’re learning. But in large-scale learning projects, this is often treated as an afterthought, when time and resources are running low. AI helps shift that work to an earlier point in the process. Instructional designers can:Generate voiceovers using text-to-speech tools while content is being finalized.Add auto-captioning to training videos, making them easier to follow for learners watching without sound.Draft alt text for visuals, diagrams, and screenshots, which can then be quickly refined for context.Adapt reading-level complexity, making content clearer for diverse learner groups.5. Generating Knowledge ChecksGood assessment questions take time to develop, especially when you need to challenge learners at different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. AI helps by generating draft questions from raw content, such as course modules, transcripts, or SME notes.“Instead of staring at a blank page, I use AI to get five or six rough questions, then fine-tune them based on the learning goals and audience,” says Anna Poli. “These drafts often need refinement, but they provide a starting point that speeds up the process greatly.”Where to Draw the Line: What AI Can’t (and Shouldn’t) DoWhile AI can support many aspects of course development, there are still areas where AI should not be trusted to work solo, even if it seems tempting. To make your teamwork more meaningful, don’t dump these (still very human!) tasks on your AI friend:Define learning objectives without stakeholder input or performance context.Generate culturally sensitive examples or scenarios without review.Replace SME conversations, especially in high-risk or regulated fields.Design ethical decision-making scenarios without nuanced judgment.Catch subtle tone issues in language that could alienate learners.Using AI as a collaborator, rather than a competitor, will definitely give you an advantage. While some teams are still cautious about adopting AI, those who use it thoughtfully are already gaining a strategic edge—and more time for big-picture thinking.

Smarter Course Design With AI – 5 Proven Use Cases 

Accessibility is often treated as an extra—something only needed by people who use screen readers, navigate with a keyboard, or rely on high-contrast visuals. However, the truth is that clear, flexible, and easy-to-use content benefits everyone. Real learners are often studying on the go: on their phones, in the subway, in low light, or without the option to play audio. If you use PowerPoint to create accessible e-learning content, this article will walk you through how to make it more inclusive—and way more usable for today’s learners.What Makes a Course Accessible?If you’ve ever looked into accessibility, you’ve probably come across the acronym POUR. It comes from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the global accessibility standard that helps make digital content work for everyone. The POUR framework breaks accessibility down into four core principles:Perceivable. Your content should be easy to see, hear, or read. If a learner can’t perceive your content in at least one way, it’s simply not accessible.Operable. Learners should be able to navigate your course and interact with it, whether they’re using a mouse, keyboard, or assistive technology. Understandable. The content needs to be clear, predictable, and easy to follow. That applies to both the language you use and how your slides are structured. Robust. Your course should hold up across platforms, devices, browsers, and assistive tools.In the US, accessibility is also guided by Section 508, a federal requirement for making digital content usable by people with disabilities.5 Expert Tips on Inclusive E-Learning DesignAnna Poli, a senior instructional designer at iSpring and an advocate for learning inclusivity, shared seven strategies for designing accessible e-learning that she actually uses in her courses and promotes to her students:#1. Use clear, consistent layouts and headings.When your layout follows a predictable structure, learners spend less mental energy figuring out how to engage and more on what they’re learning. Stick to one or two master layouts throughout your deck, and use heading fonts, sizes, and spacing consistently. With clear headings, you’ll organize information both visually and logically, making it easier to scan, remember, and revisit key points. They’re also helpful for navigation, especially if your course will be published online or in an LMS.#2. Use captions or transcripts for audio/video content.Multimedia can make a course more engaging, but only if learners can access the content. When recording audio in PowerPoint, provide a short transcript in the notes section or as on-screen text.For videos, you can add open captions directly on the slide or provide a downloadable transcript nearby.Captions also have an unexpected benefit—they can help improve retention. Seeing and hearing content simultaneously reinforces the message and supports different learning preferences.#3. Strike the balance with animations.In PowerPoint, stick to purposeful, consistent effects like “Fade” or “Appear,” and avoid complex motion paths or timed builds unless they’re truly adding value. A good rule of thumb is this: If the animation doesn't support understanding, it probably doesn't need to be there.#4. Use color and contrast with intention.Avoid using color alone to indicate correct answers, progress, or categories. Pair it with text, icons, or patterns so the message is always clear. Be sure to test contrast on the actual devices your learners use. That perfect gray-on-blue combo might pass in your office but disappear completely on a projector or mobile screen.Use tools like PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker, but also trust your eye, especially for small text, light backgrounds, or overlays on photos. #5. Ensure course accessibility after publishing.When converting PowerPoint to e-learning, make sure your publishing tool carries that accessibility setup across the finish line. Some platforms strip out things like reading order, alt text, or keyboard navigation during export. Look for PowerPoint add-on authoring tools that support SCORM export, preserve accessibility features, and offer a responsive course player that adapts to different screens and input types. It’s even better if it includes an accessibility mode that improves navigation for assistive technologies. That way, your efforts aren’t lost in the final version that learners actually interact with.

PowerPoint for Inclusive Learning — 5 Expert Tips

We’ve compiled three best practices that will help you make compliance training in manufacturing more meaningful.

Christine Quinn

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