Creating Courses

---
name: creating-courses
description: Use this skill when creating educational content, online courses, tutorials, or training materials for AI Academy or client training. Helps structure curriculum, write lesson content, and build learning paths. Invoke for course creation, tutorial writing, or educational content development.
---

# Course Creation System

Create educational content for Support Forge AI Academy and client training.

## AI Academy Overview

**Platform**: support-forge.com/academy
**Focus**: AI tools for business productivity
**Audience**: Small business owners, professionals, entrepreneurs
**Style**: Practical, hands-on, results-focused

## Course Structure Framework

### Standard Course Structure
```
COURSE: [Course Title]
======================

TARGET AUDIENCE
- Who is this for?
- What should they already know?
- What will they be able to do after?

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. [Outcome 1 - action verb + specific skill]
2. [Outcome 2]
3. [Outcome 3]

MODULES
-------
Module 1: [Foundation/Introduction]
  - Lesson 1.1: [Topic]
  - Lesson 1.2: [Topic]
  - Lesson 1.3: [Topic]
  - Quiz/Exercise

Module 2: [Core Concept]
  - Lesson 2.1: [Topic]
  - Lesson 2.2: [Topic]
  - Lesson 2.3: [Topic]
  - Quiz/Exercise

Module 3: [Advanced/Applied]
  - Lesson 3.1: [Topic]
  - Lesson 3.2: [Topic]
  - Lesson 3.3: [Topic]
  - Final Project

DURATION: X hours total
```

### Lesson Structure
```
LESSON [X.X]: [Title]
=====================

OBJECTIVES
- By the end of this lesson, you will...

CONTENT
-------
[Main teaching content - text, diagrams, examples]

KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Point 1
- Point 2
- Point 3

HANDS-ON EXERCISE
[Practical exercise with step-by-step instructions]

RESOURCES
- [Link to tool]
- [Download/template]
- [Further reading]

NEXT STEPS
→ [What comes next in the learning path]
```

## AI Academy Course Ideas

### Flagship Courses

**1. Claude Code Fundamentals**
```
Duration: 4-6 hours
Level: Beginner
Price: Free / $49

Modules:
1. Getting Started with Claude Code
   - What is Claude Code?
   - Installation and setup
   - Your first conversation
   - Understanding the interface

2. Essential Commands and Workflows
   - File operations
   - Code editing
   - Project navigation
   - Common tasks

3. Working with MCP Servers
   - What are MCP servers?
   - Installing your first MCP server
   - Popular integrations (GitHub, Gmail, etc.)
   - Troubleshooting connections

4. Customization and Productivity
   - CLAUDE.md configuration
   - Custom skills basics
   - Keyboard shortcuts
   - Tips and tricks

5. Real-World Projects
   - Project: Automate a daily task
   - Project: Code review workflow
   - Project: Documentation generator
```

**2. AI-Powered Business Automation**
```
Duration: 6-8 hours
Level: Intermediate
Price: $99-149

Modules:
1. Automation Mindset
   - Identifying automation opportunities
   - ROI of automation
   - Building vs. buying

2. Email and Communication Automation
   - Gmail integration
   - Auto-responses and templates
   - Email triage workflows

3. Document and Data Processing
   - PDF handling
   - Spreadsheet automation
   - Report generation

4. Calendar and Scheduling
   - Calendar management
   - Meeting prep automation
   - Follow-up systems

5. Custom Workflows
   - Building your own automations
   - Connecting multiple tools
   - Maintenance and updates
```

**3. AI for Small Business Owners**
```
Duration: 3-4 hours
Level: Beginner
Price: Free / $29

Modules:
1. AI Tools Landscape
   - What AI can (and can't) do
   - Choosing the right tools
   - Cost considerations

2. Quick Wins with AI
   - Content creation
   - Email writing
   - Research and summaries

3. Customer Service with AI
   - Responding to inquiries
   - FAQ automation
   - Review management

4. Marketing with AI
   - Social media content
   - Ad copy
   - SEO basics
```

### Mini-Courses / Tutorials

**Quick Start Guides (30-60 min)**
- Setting Up Claude Code in 30 Minutes
- Your First MCP Integration
- Gmail Automation Basics
- GitHub + Claude Code Workflow

**Deep Dives (1-2 hours)**
- Advanced MCP Server Configuration
- Building Custom Skills
- Claude Code for Web Developers
- Claude Code for Data Analysis

## Content Creation Templates

### Video Script Template
```
VIDEO: [Title]
Duration: [X minutes]

HOOK (0:00-0:15)
----------------
[Attention-grabbing opening]
"Have you ever struggled with [problem]? In this video,
I'll show you exactly how to [solution]."

INTRO (0:15-0:30)
-----------------
[Brief context]
"I'm Perry from Support Forge, and I help businesses
leverage AI tools to work smarter."

MAIN CONTENT (0:30-[X:XX])
--------------------------
Section 1: [Topic]
- Key point
- Demo/example
- Transition

Section 2: [Topic]
- Key point
- Demo/example
- Transition

Section 3: [Topic]
- Key point
- Demo/example

RECAP ([X:XX]-[X:XX])
---------------------
"Let's quickly recap what we covered:
1. [Point 1]
2. [Point 2]
3. [Point 3]"

CTA ([X:XX]-end)
----------------
"If you found this helpful, [subscribe/like/etc.].
For more AI tutorials, check out [link].
Drop any questions in the comments!"
```

### Tutorial Article Template
```
# [How to Do X with Y]

**Reading time**: X minutes
**Difficulty**: Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced
**Prerequisites**: [What they need first]

## What You'll Learn

By the end of this tutorial, you'll be able to:
- [Outcome 1]
- [Outcome 2]
- [Outcome 3]

## Why This Matters

[1-2 paragraphs on the problem this solves and benefits]

## Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
- [ ] [Requirement 1]
- [ ] [Requirement 2]

## Step-by-Step Guide

### Step 1: [Action]

[Explanation]

```code or command```

[Screenshot if applicable]

### Step 2: [Action]

[Explanation]

```code or command```

### Step 3: [Action]

[Continue pattern...]

## Common Issues and Solutions

**Problem**: [Issue]
**Solution**: [Fix]

**Problem**: [Issue]
**Solution**: [Fix]

## Next Steps

Now that you've learned [skill], you might want to:
- [Related tutorial link]
- [Advanced topic]
- [Practical application]

## Resources

- [Official documentation]
- [Related tools]
- [Community/support]
```

### Exercise Template
```
EXERCISE: [Title]
=================

OBJECTIVE
---------
[What students will accomplish]

ESTIMATED TIME
--------------
[X minutes]

INSTRUCTIONS
------------
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]
4. [Continue...]

DELIVERABLE
-----------
[What they should have at the end]

SUCCESS CRITERIA
----------------
□ [Checkpoint 1]
□ [Checkpoint 2]
□ [Checkpoint 3]

HINTS (if stuck)
----------------
- Hint 1: [Guidance without giving answer]
- Hint 2: [More specific guidance]

SOLUTION
--------
[Collapsed/hidden solution with explanation]
```

## Client Training Materials

### Training Session Outline
```
TRAINING SESSION: [Topic]
=========================
Client: [Client Name]
Duration: [X hours]
Date: [Date]

OBJECTIVES
----------
After this session, [Client] will be able to:
1. [Objective]
2. [Objective]
3. [Objective]

AGENDA
------
[Time] - Introduction and setup check
[Time] - [Topic 1]
[Time] - Hands-on practice
[Time] - [Topic 2]
[Time] - Hands-on practice
[Time] - Q&A and next steps

MATERIALS PROVIDED
------------------
□ [Handout/guide]
□ [Cheat sheet]
□ [Recording link]
□ [Resource links]

FOLLOW-UP
---------
- Support available until [date]
- Follow-up session on [date]
```

### Quick Reference Card Template
```
╔════════════════════════════════════════╗
║     [TOOL NAME] QUICK REFERENCE        ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                                        ║
║  COMMON COMMANDS                       ║
║  ───────────────                       ║
║  [command] - [what it does]            ║
║  [command] - [what it does]            ║
║  [command] - [what it does]            ║
║                                        ║
║  KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS                    ║
║  ──────────────────                    ║
║  [shortcut] - [action]                 ║
║  [shortcut] - [action]                 ║
║                                        ║
║  TIPS                                  ║
║  ────                                  ║
║  • [Tip 1]                             ║
║  • [Tip 2]                             ║
║                                        ║
║  HELP                                  ║
║  ────                                  ║
║  [Support contact/resource]            ║
║                                        ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════╝
```

## Recording Best Practices

### Video Recording
- Use clear, simple language
- Show, don't just tell
- Pause for complex steps
- Keep videos under 10 minutes (series for longer)
- Include chapter markers

### Screen Recording Tips
- Clean desktop, hide bookmarks bar
- Use zoom for important elements
- Highlight cursor when clicking
- 1080p minimum resolution
- Good audio is more important than video

### Tools
- **Loom**: Quick recordings, easy sharing
- **OBS**: Free, professional quality
- **ScreenFlow** (Mac): Full-featured editor
- **Camtasia**: Windows screen recording

## Course Delivery

### Platform Options
- **support-forge.com**: Custom pages
- **Notion**: Simple course delivery
- **Teachable/Thinkific**: Full LMS features
- **YouTube (unlisted)**: Video hosting

### Pricing Models
- **Free**: Lead generation, brand building
- **Paid one-time**: $29-299 depending on depth
- **Subscription**: Monthly access to all content
- **Included with service**: Training as part of packages

## Quick Commands

**"Create course outline for [topic]"**
→ Generate course structure

**"Write lesson on [topic]"**
→ Create lesson content

**"Tutorial for [how to do X]"**
→ Step-by-step tutorial

**"Training materials for [client] on [topic]"**
→ Client-specific training docs

**"Quick reference card for [tool]"**
→ Cheat sheet/reference