I’m building a course using ChatGPT and want to show us how.  I plan on creating a four-hour video course within a year.  And that’s while working full time and taking three back-to-back two-month classes.  And then I’ll sell the course to a college or post it on Udemy.  We all can make courses that capture our passions, knowledge, or interests.

Tall order?  Not with ChatGPT, Grammarly, Canva, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams or Zoom, and Camtasia or ActivePresenter.  I will focus this article on ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Canva.  Free versions of Grammarly, Zoom, and Canva exist.  Still, I don’t know if free Canva comes with watermarks, free Zoom comes with downloadable video recordings, or free Grammarly has editing restrictions.

First, as background on ChatGPT: I heard that students use the ChatGPT phone app to cheat during exams.  ChatGPT will answer even the most complex academic questions and let you drill deeper with any clarifying questions.  Can ChatGPT do math?  Yes!  Can ChatGPT write essays?  Yes!  Can ChatGPT write a resume?  Yes, again!  Can ChatGPT pass the MCAT?  I’m not sure, but I’d bet all my assets it can!  ChatGPT can answer any question.  And the ChatGPT phone app I use costs $7 every week.  Should ChatGPT be allowed in schools?  This is a burning question, indeed!

But how I’m using ChatGPT to create an “original” course is as follows:

1. I queried ChatGPT for an outline of 50 headings for a course on sales.  (I’m not disclosing my specific sales topic because I hope to have the first mover’s advantage.)
2. I ask ChatGPT to generate a 500-word article on the topic of each heading.  Each heading will end up as a five- to ten-minute video lesson.
3. I also asked ChatGPT ten ways to make a ChatGTP article original.
4. I then copy ChatGPT’s article for one heading and paste it into Grammarly, an editing tool.
5. I then edit the voice from the third person to the second person (“you”).  I then edit the article according to Grammarly’s suggestions.  I also shorten the sentences, change the wording, delete sections, and add my ideas.  So, I heavily modify the article.
6. I then add a title to every paragraph in the article, which helps me ensure that each paragraph captures a new idea.
7. I then put each paragraph on its own slide in PowerPoint.
8. I design the PowerPoint master slide using the easy-to-use design software called Canva, which has a free version.
9. I add Canva videos and photos to the PowerPoint. Fortunately, Canva has some generous commercial use terms and few copyright restrictions that will let me use this for my course.

At this stage, we need to learn and purchase Camtasia or ActivePresenter to animate the PowerPoint, add audio or video, and convert the PowerPoint into a video lesson.  Although free versions might exist, these software programs cost about $250 to $400.  We could also create the video lessons with PowerPoint, although I’ve never tried this.

We also want Zoom or Microsoft Teams video recording of us speaking the script.  These serve as miniature talking heads.  I am not certain, but Zoom might offer free video recordings, and Teams is very inexpensive.  After editing these video recordings in Adobe Premiere Pro, I place them in ActivePresenter.  But we can instead opt for audio with a Blue Yeti microphone if we want a simpler alternative.  A free audio editing software called Audacity is available for this purpose.

Building courses is fun once we get the knack!  But are ChatGPT responses unique? Because ChatGPT draws from the web, books, and other sources, we must double-check to ensure we haven’t infringed on someone’s intellectual property.  And I’ve noticed that some ChatGPT queries can produce overly predictable and repetitious results.  But, if we ask more detailed questions in different ways, using multiple sentences, we might generate something novel.  And if we associate two or more completely unrelated ideas, like weightlifting and skydiving, ChatGPT might shock us with something completely original.  And if you need a resource on how to learn Camtasia, ask ChatGPT for a link to a free course.  Our dear app will give us as many links as we request that it can locate on the Web.

So, let’s make a course using ChatGPT and the above tools.  It’s the perfect time to generate more revenue!  And what better way to earn extra income than with ChatGPT?  We’ve got all the stuff needed for unbelievable success!  So, let’s use ChatGPT to help us launch our passions into the world!