Insights
Five Checks Before Publishing an AI-Assisted Course
Before publishing an AI-assisted course, check that it teaches a defined outcome, supports its factual claims, assesses the intended skill, works for its audience, and handles information appropriately. A polished draft is not release evidence. Someone responsible for the course must decide whether those checks are sufficient.
1. Check the learning outcome
State what learners should be able to do after the course. Match the explanation, examples, and practice to that outcome. Remove attractive material that does not help learners reach it. If the goal is to perform a procedure, a list of definitions alone is not enough.
UNESCO's guidance advocates human-centred use of generative AI and attention to pedagogical suitability. The five checks here are our practical editorial recommendations, not a UNESCO approval process. UNESCO: Guidance for generative AI in education and research.
2. Check claims against the original material
Open every cited source and verify the claim it is supposed to support. Check dates, terminology, and whether a recommendation has been mistaken for a requirement. Clearly label fictional examples. Where subject-matter review is necessary, obtain it before release; do not describe an automated check as expert review.
3. Test the assessment, not just the answer key
Attempt each question as a learner. Look for multiple defensible answers, clues that reveal the answer, and feedback that contradicts the lesson. Use practice that resembles the stated outcome. A learner should understand why an answer is appropriate, not merely which option was marked correct.
4. Walk through access and usability
Check meaningful headings, descriptive links, text alternatives for useful images, captions where needed, and keyboard access. Test at a small viewport and with the actual delivery format. W3C's WCAG quick reference helps identify relevant accessibility requirements; this short walkthrough is not a complete conformance audit. W3C: How to Meet WCAG 2.2 - Quick Reference.
5. Check information handling and release ownership
Remove real personal or confidential information from examples unless its use is specifically authorized. Check that included images and extracts may be used. Record the course version, unresolved limitations, release owner, and route for learners to report an error.
A small release record is better than an unexplained tick
For each check, record the evidence, the person responsible, and any remaining issue. Hypothetical example: a course passes factual checks but its interactive activity cannot be completed by keyboard. Record the defect and hold that activity until corrected; do not mark the whole course accessible because the text is readable.
Publish only the version that was actually checked, and revisit the record after substantive changes. AI assistance can speed drafting, but responsibility for the learning experience remains with the people releasing it.
References & further reading
Company editorial prepared with AI assistance. Sources and technical checks do not constitute independent expert review.