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AI to Support Course Design

Written by fgomezur

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Design Effective Learning Experiences

Last Reviewed
March 9, 2026

First Published:
March 9, 2026

 

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools are increasingly being used in higher education to support teaching and course development. These tools can assist educators with tasks such as brainstorming course ideas, drafting learning activities, generating case scenarios, and developing formative assessments. In health sciences education, where faculty often balance teaching with clinical and professional responsibilities, AI tools may help streamline aspects of course planning by generating initial drafts of materials, suggesting instructional strategies, or creating case-based examples that can be refined for teaching. Used thoughtfully, AI can function as a design assistant that supports alignment between learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessments. However, AI-generated content requires careful review. Faculty expertise remains essential to ensure accuracy, clinical relevance, and alignment with program outcomes and professional standards. When leveraged intentionally, AI tools can support reflective course design and continuous improvement while maintaining the central role of the instructor in shaping meaningful learning experiences.

  
Use the comments section below to let us know your ideas about the use of AI to support course design.

  • Enhances interactive clinical learning and provides detailed assessment feedback: Research examining large language models in medical education demonstrates that generative AI tools can accurately answer medical licensing examination questions and provide logical justifications for their selections. These tools may assist as interactive medical education aids by facilitating on-demand learning environments, acting as virtual tutors or brainstorming tools, and providing personalized feedback to help students structure their clinical knowledge.

    • Gilson, A., Safranek, C., Huang, T., et al. (2023). How well does ChatGPT do on the medical licensing exams? The implications of large language models for medical education and knowledge assessment. JMIR Medical Education, 9, e45312. https://doi.org/10.2196/45312 

  • Supports instructional design and teaching strategy development: Early research in health professions education suggests that generative AI can assist educators with reviewing lesson plans, identifying evidence-based instructional strategies, and refining course materials. Studies examining prompt engineering with health professions educators show that AI tools may support reflective instructional design and help faculty apply established teaching principles when developing learning activities.

    • Tan, T., Fischer, K. (2025). Innovating instructional design through generative AI prompt engineering for health professions educators. Academic Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/acamed/wvaf082 

  • Supports faculty development and AI literacy in health professions education: As AI technologies become more integrated into healthcare and education, scholars emphasize the importance of developing AI literacy among health professions educators. Faculty development initiatives focused on evaluating and using AI tools can help educators integrate these technologies thoughtfully while maintaining professional standards in curriculum design and assessment.

    • Khamis, N., Ungaretti, T., Tackett, S. et al. (2025). From AI Literacy to Leadership: Milestones for Faculty Development in Health Professions Education. Med.Sci.Educ. 35, 2681-2686. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-025-02438-0 

  1. Use AI as a Design Assistant, Not a Replacement: AI tools work best when used as collaborative partners during course development.

  2. Start with Pedagogical Context in Your Prompts: Get more relevant responses by providing clear context about the course, learner level, and learning objectives. Including details such as discipline, course level, and expected competencies helps the AI generate materials that align with instructional goals.

  3. Use AI for Early Drafting and Idea Generation: AI tools can be helpful for generating initial drafts of materials such as course outlines, learning outcomes, discussion prompts, case scenarios, practice quizzes, rubric criteria.

  4. Incorporate AI into Iterative Course Design: AI tools can help instructors revise and refine courses by: aligning activities and assessments with learning outcomes, suggesting alternative teaching strategies to support active learning, identifying gaps between objectives and assessments, generating additional examples or practice questions, or rewriting materials for clarity and accessibility. These iterative uses support continuous course improvement.

  5. Review AI Outputs for Clinical Accuracy and Professional Standards: AI-generated materials may contain errors, outdated information, or unintended bias. Always verify content before using it in teaching materials. Faculty oversight ensures that AI-generated materials meet the standards expected in health sciences education.

  6. Protect Privacy and Intellectual Property: Avoid entering sensitive information such as student data, proprietary course materials, or protected clinical information. Follow institutional policies related to data security and responsible AI use.