The Repurposing Problem
You built a 2-hour ILT workshop on conflict resolution. Now you need:
- An eLearning version for remote workers
- A 10-minute microlearning module for managers
- A simplified version for front-line staff
- An advanced version for HR professionals
- A quick reference job aid
Traditional approach: Start from scratch five times. Each version takes days.
Result: You pick one format. Everyone else gets nothing.
💡 The shift
AI adapts content in 15-30 minutes per version. Same core content, optimized for each format and audience.
Why Content Stays in One Format
🚧 Four barriers to content adaptation
| Barrier | Reality |
|---|---|
| Time | Adaptation takes nearly as long as creating from scratch |
| Effort | Rewriting for different audiences is mentally exhausting |
| Complexity | Each format has different constraints |
| Resources | No budget to rebuild the same thing five ways |
Result: One-size-fits-all content that fits nobody well.
What AI Can Adapt
✓ Format Changes
- ILT → eLearning
- Long-form course → microlearning
- Text-heavy → scenario-based
- Lecture → interactive activity
✓ Audience Shifts
- Expert → beginner
- General → role-specific
- Formal → conversational
- Full course → job aid
The Basic Prompt
📋 Content adaptation prompt
Adapt this content for [new format/audience].
Original format: [ILT, eLearning, etc.]
Original audience: [who it was for]
New format: [what it needs to become]
New audience: [who it's for now]
Key constraints: [time limit, complexity level, delivery mode]
Preserve: [core concepts that must stay]
Change: [what can be adjusted]
Example:
Adapt this 90-minute ILT workshop on giving feedback for eLearning.
Original: 90-minute instructor-led workshop with group discussions
New format: Self-paced eLearning, 30-40 minutes
Audience: Same (managers)
Constraints:
- No live instructor
- No peer discussion
- Must maintain interactivity
Preserve:
- Core feedback model (SBI framework)
- Practice scenarios
- Key principles
Change:
- Replace group discussions with individual reflection
- Add interactive examples instead of live demos
- Include built-in job aid download
Adaptation Types
🔄 Five common adaptations with time saved
| Original → New | What changes | AI prompt focus | Time saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILT → eLearning | Live demos → video; group work → individual activities | "Replace synchronous with asynchronous equivalents" | ~6 hrs |
| Long → Micro | Pick ONE concept; cut background; one example | "Extract single most critical skill. Minimum viable version." | ~4 hrs |
| Expert → Beginner | Define every term; more examples; slower pace | "Explain as if learner has zero background." | ~5 hrs |
| General → Role | Generic examples → role-specific scenarios | "Apply to [specific role] context. Use their language." | ~3 hrs |
| Lecture → Scenario | Passive content → practice situations | "Convert information to decision-based practice." | ~7 hrs |
What You Get
AI-generated adapted version includes:
✓ AI Delivers
- Restructured outline matching new format
- Rewritten content at appropriate level
- Timing adjusted for new constraints
- Activities redesigned for new delivery
- Transitions and flow updated
✗ What Still Needs Your Work
- Verify technical accuracy
- Check that adaptations serve the audience
- Ensure interactivity works in new format
- Test that complexity level is right
What AI Does Well vs. What It Gets Wrong
✓ AI Strengths
- Restructure content for new format
- Adjust complexity level up or down
- Rewrite for different audience language
- Suggest equivalent activities for new delivery
- Condense or expand timing
- Identify what to cut vs. keep
✗ AI Limitations
- May oversimplify technical content
- Generic examples need role-specific polish
- Pacing sometimes off for new format
- May miss critical details when condensing
- Interaction designs need feasibility check
💡 The Division of Labor
AI handles structure and language changes. You verify accuracy and audience fit.
The Workflow
🔄 Seven-step adaptation workflow (45-60 minutes total)
- Identify what's changing — format, audience, length, delivery (2 min)
- Write adaptation prompt with clear constraints (5 min)
- AI generates adapted version (3 min)
- Review for accuracy and audience fit (15 min)
- Refine with follow-up prompts (10 min)
- Test with sample audience member (varies)
- Polish language and examples (15 min)
Total: 45-60 minutes vs. 8+ hours rebuilding from scratch.
The Time Math
❌ Traditional adaptation
- Review original content (2 hrs)
- Manually rewrite for new format (4 hrs)
- Redesign activities (3 hrs)
- Test and revise (2 hrs)
- Total: 8-11 hours per version
Five versions = 40-55 hours
✅ AI-assisted adaptation
- Write adaptation prompt (5 min)
- AI generates adapted version (3 min)
- Review and refine (25 min)
- Polish and test (15 min)
- Total: 45-60 minutes per version
Five versions = 4-5 hours
Key Takeaways
- Build once, adapt many times. AI makes multiple versions feasible—45 minutes each instead of 8+ hours.
- Preserve core, change delivery. Same concepts, optimized for each audience and format.
- Specify what stays vs. goes. Clear constraints produce better adaptations.
- Verify accuracy and fit. AI handles structure; you ensure it serves the new audience.
Try It Now
🎯 Your task:
Pick existing content you've built. Identify one adaptation you've been putting off. Generate the adapted version with AI. Test with someone from the new target audience.
The test: Does the adapted version actually fit the new audience better than the original?
📥 Download: Adaptation prompts and audience analysis guide (PDF)
Ready-to-use templates for format changes, audience shifts, and complexity adjustments.
Download PDF