Here are some helpful answers to guide you when using our AI to transform a document or generate a course.

Here are some helpful answers to guide you when using our AI to transform a document or generate a course.

## What file types can I transform into a course?

When transforming a document into a course, the file type you start with can make a big difference to your experience—and your outcome.

Coassemble supports document transformation for the following file types:

* PDF
* Word documents (.doc, .docx)
* PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx)
* Text files (.txt)
* Rich Text Format (.rtf)

It's important to consider how your file is structured, as this can assist in the transformation process. Documents like Word or PowerPoint files often contain headings, bullet points, and visual formatting that help signal hierarchy and flow. These cues allow the AI to better interpret and translate your content into logical screens and learning moments.

If you’re working from a PDF, we recommend using well-formatted, text-based files (as opposed to scanned images) to ensure the AI can extract and understand the content accurately. We don't want the text to be within an image. 

Think of your original file as the first draft of your course. A well-structured, clear document gives you a head start in creating a learning experience that’s both meaningful and engaging. From there, Coassemble does the heavy lifting—transforming your content into an interactive, learner-friendly course.

 

## What level of familiarity should I select for my audience?

We provide three indications of prior knowledge:

* Beginners. Select this option if it’s your audience’s first time learning about the subject.
* Intermediate. Select this option if your audience has a basic understanding of the topic.
* Advanced. Select this option if your audience knows the subject well.

This selection will assist in determining the detail at which the course goes into. 


## How should I categorize my audience?

The AI assistant will suggest a phrase to categorize your audience. At this stage you can type your own, or select from one of the suggested options. This will help determine how the information should be pitched and made relevant to the audience.


## How should I determine what my audience should achieve from the course?

This step in the AI assistant flow is essentially around learning outcomes. In simple terms, think about what you would like your learners to be able to do after completing the course. For example, if it’s a course around handling upset customers, you might include something like “Resolve customer complaints effectively and efficiently”. Our AI assistant will suggest a few options but you can also type your own. 


## What tone should I select?

Choosing the right tone is a learning design decision; the tone of your course sets the emotional temperature for the entire learning experience. It signals to your audience how they should engage with the material and creates a more personalized experience.

Below are some of the reasons you might choose each tone to assist you in making the best selection:

### **Informal & Conversational**

Best for personal development, creative topics, or general interest courses. This tone creates psychological safety—it feels approachable and human. It’s great for reducing friction in learning, especially when your goal is to make complex ideas easier to grasp. If you are sharing lighter content in your workplace, you may choose this option. 

### **Academic & Research-Based**

This tone builds authority. Use it when your learners expect depth, rigour, or evidence-backed insight—such as in scientific, technical, or compliance-heavy topics. It supports cognitive load by structuring information in a clear, precise way. You might choose this tone when delivering cybersecurity training to IT staff, where accuracy, detail, and clear procedures are essential.

### **Motivational & Persuasive**

Perfect for self-improvement or leadership courses. This tone energises the learner and creates emotional momentum. It works especially well when your course’s goal is to inspire action or build confidence. You might choose this tone when creating a professional development course on stepping into management roles—helping new leaders believe in their potential and feel equipped to take the next step.

 

**Good practice tip:** Match your tone to both your content and your learners. Think about their goals, their context, and what will help them stay engaged.

 

## What length should I choose? What is a screen?

Our AI assistant will ask you your expectations for the length of the course. 

In Coassemble, a screen is a single unit of learning. Think of it as a page in a book—but interactive, purposeful, and designed with learning science in mind. When transforming a document into a course, your original paragraphs and bullet points are transformed into screens. Each screen should ideally contain one clear concept, idea or theme, making it easier for your learners to follow, digest, and apply what they’ve learned.

Each screen gives you an opportunity to present information in a way that optimizes engagement and retention. 

For example:

* **Text & Image**: Great for storytelling and explanation.
* **Accordion or Process**: Helps with layered information or step-by-step breakdowns.
* **Flashcards & Quizzes**: Activate retrieval practice and reinforce memory.

From a learning design perspective, chunking content into screens aligns with **Cognitive Load Theory**—reducing overwhelm by presenting bite-sized content that’s easier to absorb.

### Why we recommend keeping your course less than 20 screens

While it might be tempting to fit everything into a single course, more isn’t always better. Courses with too many screens can quickly lead to:

* **Learner fatigue** – Long courses can feel overwhelming and reduce motivation.
* **Lower completion rates** – Learners are less likely to finish lengthy experiences.
* **Missed opportunities for modular learning** – Breaking content into smaller courses gives learners more flexibility and improves knowledge retention.

As a best practice, aim to keep your course under **20 screens**. If your content naturally goes beyond that, consider splitting it into multiple courses and grouping them using a **collection**.

 

## What is a collection?

A collection allows you to group multiple related courses together into a single learning journey. It’s a great way to structure your content in a way that supports learner motivation, autonomy, and long-term knowledge retention.

 

Thinking about collections from the start helps you design smarter, more flexible learning experiences:

* A collection supports **modular learning**, making it easier for learners to jump in and out at their own pace.
* A collection helps you align with **scaffolded design** principles—where each course builds on the last, supporting deeper learning over time.
* Collections can make updating easier. You can improve one course in the collection without needing to rework the entire series.

 

### Consider collections when transforming your document into a course:

Let’s say you’ve got a long document with several chapters or topics. Instead of stuffing all that content into one course, you can break it up into focused smaller courses, and then organize those into a collection. This is important to consider when transforming your document into a course, because **it might be best to break your document into multiple smaller documents before transforming.** 

 

**Example:**

Imagine you have a 100-page onboarding document that covers everything from company values and policies to tools, workflows, and team introductions. Instead of transforming the entire document into one long course, you could split it into smaller documents like:

* **Welcome & Company Culture**
* **Tools & Tech Setup**
* **Policies & Compliance**
* **Your First Week**

Then, you can transform each of those into separate courses and group them into a single *Onboarding Collection*. This approach improves learner focus, makes tracking progress easier, and allows each topic to shine on its own.

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