# AI Course Creator

> **Portal:** `/lms` · **Desk:** Learning workspace

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## Overview

The **AI Course Creator** wizard in Smooth LMS turns a topic description into a structured course—outline, chapters, lessons, and chapter quizzes—in minutes. Access it from `/lms` when creating a new course (**AI Generate** / **AICourseModal.vue**) or invoke backend APIs from desk workflows.

Designed for L&D teams building employee training quickly while keeping human review in the loop before publication.

## Prerequisites

- **Course Creator**, **Moderator**, or **System Manager** role
- **LMS Settings** → **Enable AI Course Creation** = checked
- Valid **OpenAI API Key** configured
- OpenAI enabled by your administrator

Without these, the modal displays configuration errors from `get_ai_client()`.

## Wizard step 1: Define the course

Fields in the AI modal form:

| Field | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| **What should this course teach?** | Core topic (required) |
| **Who is this course for?** | Target audience context |
| **Difficulty Level** | Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced |
| **Number of Chapters** | 2–12 chapters in outline |

Click **Generate Outline** → calls `generate_course_outline` with JSON-structured prompt returning title, short introduction, HTML description, and chapter list.

## Wizard step 2: Review outline

Review screen allows:

- Edit **Course Title** and **Short Introduction**
- Rich-text edit **Description**
- Rename, reorder (drag), add, or remove chapters

When satisfied, click **Generate Course** to invoke sequential API calls:

1. `create_course_from_outline` — creates **LMS Course** and **Course Chapter** stubs, assigns you as instructor
2. Per chapter: `generate_chapter_lessons` → `save_generated_lessons`
3. Optional: `generate_quiz` → `save_chapter_quiz` for checkpoint quizzes

Progress indicators show chapter-by-chapter status. Large courses may take several minutes—do not close browser tab.

## What gets created

For each generated course:

- **LMS Course** unpublished by default—review before setting **Published**
- **Course Chapter** records with titles/descriptions
- **Course Lesson** records with EditorJS-compatible HTML bodies (3–5 lessons per chapter typical)
- **LMS Quiz** per chapter when quiz generation enabled—linked via lesson **quiz_id**
- **LMS Question** records for each quiz question (4 options, single correct)

Defaults on AI quizzes: 60% passing, 3 max attempts, show answers enabled.

## Manual refinement after generation

AI output is a draft. Before mandatory HR deployment:

1. Open course in **Edit Course** mode.
2. Fact-check policy references with legal/HR.
3. Replace generic examples with company-specific procedures.
4. Adjust quiz **Passing Percentage** to match [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) standards.
5. Add attachments (PDF policy docs) to lessons.
6. Mark **Mandatory** if all employees must complete.
7. Publish and create **LMS Training Assignment** rows or rely on onboarding auto-enroll.

Attach final quiz PDFs to [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) after employee completion—not the draft AI source files.

## API reference for custom workflows

Key whitelisted methods in `lms.lms.ai`:

- `generate_course_outline(topic, target_audience, difficulty_level, num_chapters)`
- `generate_chapter_lessons(course_name, chapter_name)`
- `generate_quiz(course_name, chapter_name, num_questions, topic)`
- `create_course_from_outline(outline_json)`
- `save_generated_lessons(course_name, chapter_name, lessons_json)`
- `save_generated_quiz(course_name, quiz_data, chapter_name)`
- `save_chapter_quiz(course_name, chapter_name, quiz_data)`
- `generate_lesson_content(course_name, chapter_title, lesson_title, topic_hint)`

Contact Smooth support for bulk certificate generation.

## Lesson-level AI generation

Outside the full wizard, **Lesson Form** supports **Generate with AI** for individual lessons via `generate_lesson_content`—returns EditorJS blocks plus **instructor_notes** for trainers.

Use when extending AI-generated courses or adding one-off modules to existing libraries.

## Cost and performance tips

- Lower **Number of Chapters** for pilots; expand manually later.
- Generate lessons in off-peak hours for long courses.
- Cache OpenAI organization limits; split 12-chapter courses into two generation sessions if timeouts occur.
- Prefer `gpt-4o-mini` for drafts if quality sufficient—set in LMS Settings.

## Troubleshooting

| Issue | What to do |
|-------|------------|
| JSON parse errors | Retry generation; reduce chapters |
| Partial course created | Delete orphan chapters; re-run on missing sections |
| Empty lesson bodies | Regenerate chapter lessons individually |
| Permission error | Verify Course Creator role |
| Quiz not linked | Run save_chapter_quiz manually from desk console |

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## Frequently asked questions

### Does LMS training completion automatically update Employee Compliance?

No. Smooth LMS tracks learning progress, quiz scores, and certificates. Smooth HR **Employee Compliance** is updated separately by HR when a regulatory or policy requirement is satisfied. Download LMS PDFs and attach them to [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents), then mark the matching compliance row **Complete** with the correct renewal date.

### Where should quiz PDFs be stored for audits?

Use [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) on the employee record with an appropriate **Employee Document Type** (for example Training Record or Policy Acknowledgment). Include the **Quiz Submission Report** PDF exported from LMS. For organization-wide retention policies, align document type expiry settings with [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) renewal periods.

### Which desk workspace manages LMS content?

Open the **Learning** workspace from the app switcher. Desk paths use `/app/list name` slugs—for example `/app/lms-quiz` and `/app/lms-enrollment`. Learners consume training at `/lms` on the same site.

### How do new hires get enrolled in mandatory training?

When **Employee Onboarding** is created in HRMS, the LMS integration enrolls the employee user in every published **Mandatory** course and creates **LMS Training Assignment** rows with default due dates. Ensure the **Employee** record has a linked **User** with the **LMS Student** role.

### What is the difference between an LMS Certificate and HR compliance?

An **LMS Certificate** proves course completion inside Smooth LMS. **Employee Compliance** in Smooth HR tracks regulatory obligations (training renewals, I-9, background checks) with scheduled expiry alerts. Course certificates do not automatically appear on the HR compliance ledger—HR attaches LMS PDFs to [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) and updates [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) when policy requires.

### Can managers view their team's quiz scores?

Managers with **Moderator** or **Course Creator** roles can open **LMS Quiz Submission** list views filtered by course and member. The **Statistics** dashboard summarizes average assessment scores by course. For official personnel files, export PDFs and store under the employee's HR documents rather than sharing desk login credentials.

## Glossary

| Term | Definition |
|------|------------|
| **LMS Course** | Training container with chapters, lessons, and assessments |
| **LMS Enrollment** | Links a User (employee) to a course with progress tracking |
| **LMS Quiz** | Assessment document composed of linked questions |
| **LMS Quiz Submission** | Record of one learner attempt with scored results |
| **LMS Training Assignment** | Due-date tracker for assigned mandatory training |
| **LMS Certificate** | Issued credential after course or evaluation completion |
| **Mandatory course** | Published course flagged for auto-enrollment on onboarding |
| **Cohort (LMS Batch)** | Scheduled group of learners with shared live sessions and assessments |
| **Employee Document** | HR file-cabinet record for attachments on the employee profile |
| **Employee Compliance** | HR ledger for regulatory and policy compliance status with renewals |
## Smooth LMS + Smooth HR capability map

Use **Smooth LMS** for training delivery and assessments, and **Smooth HR** for employee files and compliance records — both on the same account.

| Business need | Primary app | How |
|---------------|-------------|-----|
| Online training library | **Smooth LMS** | **LMS Course** with chapters, lessons, video/PDF/SCORM, quizzes, assignments |
| Assign training + track progress | **Smooth LMS** | **LMS Enrollment**, **LMS Training Assignment**, cohort batches, progress dashboards |
| Print completed tests as PDF | **Smooth LMS** | **LMS Quiz Submission** → **Quiz Submission Report** print format |
| Course completion certificates | **Smooth LMS** | **LMS Certificate** with customizable print templates |
| Employee file storage | **Smooth HR** | [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) with document types and expiry |
| Regulatory compliance tracking | **Smooth HR** | [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) with **Compliance Type** renewals |
| New hire document collection | **Smooth HR** | **Employee Onboarding** portal + e-signatures |

Course completion certificates from LMS are separate from HR compliance records until HR explicitly files them. Attach LMS PDFs to **Employee Document** or update **Employee Compliance** when a training record must appear on the official employee file for audits.
## LMS roles reference

| Role | Capabilities |
|------|----------------|
| **System Manager** | Full desk access; configure LMS Settings, print formats, AI keys |
| **Moderator** | Manage all courses, quizzes, enrollments, certificates, statistics |
| **Course Creator** | Author courses, quizzes, assignments; view learner submissions for own content |
| **Batch Evaluator** | Grade submissions, conduct certificate evaluations, manage cohort assessments |
| **LMS Student** | Access `/lms` portal; take quizzes; view own certificates and assignments |

HR users without LMS roles can still manage [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) and [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) records when L&D provides exported PDFs.
## Connecting training records to Smooth HR

Smooth LMS and Smooth HR share one account. Completing a course does not automatically update HR compliance—you connect the two when your policy requires it.

| LMS artifact | HR destination | When to use |
|--------------|----------------|-------------|
| **LMS Certificate** PDF | [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) | Store course completion certificate on the employee file |
| **Quiz Submission Report** PDF | [Employee Document](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-documents) | Retain scored test results (safety quizzes, policy acknowledgments) |
| Mandatory training status | [Employee Compliance](https://smoothhiring.com/help/hrms/documents-compliance/employee-compliance) | Track renewal dates, expiry alerts, and audit-ready compliance status |

**Recommended workflow:** When an employee completes mandatory training and passes required assessments, download the LMS certificate or quiz PDF from the Learning portal or desk, then attach it to an **Employee Document** or update the corresponding **Employee Compliance** record. HR Managers can configure **Compliance Type** with renewal periods so expiring certifications trigger scheduled reminders—complementing LMS **Training Assignment** due dates.

New hires enrolled via **Employee Onboarding** may receive automatic LMS enrollments for courses marked **Mandatory**; HR still uses **Employee Compliance** for regulatory items (I-9, background checks) that live outside LMS.
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## Related guides

- [AI Overview](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/ai/overview)
- [Create and Manage Quizzes](https://smoothhiring.com/help/lms/assessments/quizzes/create-and-manage)

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_Last updated: May 2026_