Educates Course Design Skill

This skill guides the design of Educates courses, which are structured collections of workshops, from initial requirements through to detailed per-workshop implementation plans. The output is a set of planning documents that serve as blueprints for workshop creation using the educates-workshop-authoring skill.

The workflow progresses through six steps, from establishing requirements down to per-workshop implementation plans. Each step produces a planning document in the planning/ directory. A centralized task tracking file (planning/tasks.md) captures outstanding work across workshops and is updated throughout the workflow. Steps are typically done in order for a new course, but you can enter at any step when extending an existing course (e.g., jump to Step 3 to plan new workshops, or Step 4 to create a plan for a single workshop). When applying this skill to a project with existing workshops, see Retrofitting Existing Courses for guidance on auditing existing work and bootstrapping planning documents. For smaller courses, some steps are simplified or skipped entirely — the workflow adapts based on the course scope established in Step 1.

Step 1: Establish Course Requirements

Determine Course Scope

Before gathering detailed requirements, understand the scale and structure the user has in mind. Listen to how they describe what they want — they might say "I want to build a comprehensive course on X" or "I have an idea for a workshop or two on Y" or anything in between.

Gauge the scope from the conversation and propose one of these classifications:

• Focused (1–3 workshops): A small set of workshops, possibly just an idea the user wants to flesh out. A single module. Core/elective model is optional. The user may not have the full picture yet — help them plan what they have now and suggest what they could add later.
• Standard (4–10 workshops): A coherent course with several workshops. One or more modules. Core/elective model is optional. A simple linear sequence is the default; core/elective is available if the user wants flexible ordering.
• Comprehensive (10+ workshops across multiple modules): A large structured course. Multiple modules. Core/elective model recommended to help learners navigate the material.

Confirm the scope with the user before proceeding. The scope is not rigid — it can be revised later — but it shapes how much structure the workflow introduces. Record the scope in the course brief.