AI-Assisted Storyboarding

How AI is transforming the structure and speed of online course design

From Blank Canvas to Structured Journey

In traditional online course development, one of the most time-consuming and cognitively demanding phases is storyboarding — the process of drafting all the on-screen content that will appear in the virtual learning environment (VLE), from micro-lectures to interactive activities.

At Learning Design Solutions, the storyboard is the central document that captures everything the student will encounter on screen — including instructional text, links to resources, multimedia plans, embedded questions, activity prompts, and accessibility notes. We create one storyboard per week or per course section, and it becomes the exact specification for course build.

But before storyboarding begins, we work with subject matter experts (SMEs) to produce a module planning document (sometimes called a blueprint) — a structured overview of how learning outcomes will be addressed, how topics are sequenced, and how learning will be assessed.

Over the past year, we've learned that AI can support both stages — helping to structure the module plan and accelerate the authoring of detailed storyboard content.

This blog outlines how we use AI to support both phases of design, and why it’s become a core part of our workflow.

Phase 1: AI-Assisted Module Planning

Before we can storyboard, we need a clear pedagogical design.

Here’s how we use AI to assist in building the module plan:

  • Outcome-to-Structure Mapping
    The designer prompts AI to break down the intended learning outcomes into a weekly or thematic structure, aligning tasks and knowledge-building in support of final assessment.

  • Learning Activity Suggestions
    Drawing on frameworks like Laurillard’s learning types and Bloom’s taxonomy, the AI suggests suitable activity formats (investigation, discussion, practice, etc.) for each topic.

  • Assessment Planning
    AI helps generate ideas for authentic assessments that match the level and purpose of the learning outcomes — often improving alignment from the start.

This module planning document is then collaboratively reviewed and adapted with the SME before any content is written.

Phase 2: AI-Assisted Storyboarding

Once the structure is agreed, we move into detailed storyboarding — the design of everything the student will see and do in the VLE.

Here, AI helps by:

  • Generating First Drafts
    AI can produce first-pass content for micro-lectures, introductory texts, case studies, and more — always reviewed and revised by a learning designer.

  • Formatting for Clarity and Consistency
    AI supports plain language, consistent tone, and accessibility considerations.

  • Suggesting Interactions
    From reflection prompts to branching scenarios, AI can help brainstorm appropriate ways to engage learners in active processing.

Collaboration Is Still Key

AI supports, but doesn’t replace, the professional judgement of the learning designer. Every AI output is reviewed, revised, and often rewritten. Key design decisions are always made in collaboration with:

  • Institutional leads and programme teams

  • Academic subject matter experts

  • Learning technologists and multimedia specialists

In this process, the AI helps reduce time-to-first-draft, enables more productive SME conversations, and supports scalable consistency across programmes — but always under human direction.

Our Two-Stage Workflow

Here’s how our workflow looks in practice:

1. Module Planning Document

  • Developed collaboratively between the learning designer and SME

  • AI is used to suggest structure, activity types, and assessment ideas

  • Output: a structured week-by-week/module section plan aligned to ILOs

2. Storyboard

  • Developed by the learning designer, with content input from the SME

  • AI is used to draft micro-lectures, prompts, case study scenarios, and interactions

  • Output: the full on-screen content, ready for build

What We’ve Gained

Faster start-up
We move from brief to working module plan in hours, not days.

Stronger SME engagement
SMEs respond more easily to a proposed structure than a blank page.

Improved alignment
We ensure that every activity and piece of content maps back to learning outcomes.

Scalability
With multiple learning designers, AI helps us maintain quality across dozens of modules.

More creative design space
With structure handled, designers can focus more on enhancing pedagogy and interactivity.

Final Thoughts

Storyboarding is where the pedagogical plan becomes a real student experience. With AI as a design partner, we’ve found that the thinking gets faster, the structure gets sharper, and the final product gets better.

By using AI to assist both in planning and in content development, we can build online modules that are coherent, aligned, and creative — and we can do it at a pace and scale that today’s institutions need.

Explore More or Get in Touch

Want to see how we storyboard with AI in practice?

Explore our demo course (guest access)

Considering AI for your next module or programme?


Steve Hogg