The Editor is the heart of Mindsmith. It’s where lessons take shape into polished, interactive experiences that learners can easily absorb and apply.
If you’ve used AI to generate your lesson through the Storyboard, by importing a document or media file, or by prompting AI directly, this is the place where your first draft appears. You’ll see pre-built pages with text, visuals, and interactive tiles that you can refine and customize.
If you choose not to use AI, the Editor opens as a blank canvas. From there, you can add pages, drop in content, and design interactives manually.
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How the Editor Fits into the Workflow
Layout of the Editor
Collaboration in the Editor
Publishing from the Editor
FAQ's
How the Editor Fits into the Workflow
Storyboard → Think of this as the blueprint. It sets the lesson’s parameters (style, tone, objectives, page outlines, AI generation settings). When you generate from the Storyboard, the AI creates a full draft lesson with text, images, and interactivity.
Editor → This is the workshop. If you’ve used AI to generate your lesson — whether through the Storyboard, importing a document or media, or prompting AI directly — this is where your first draft appears. You’ll see pre-populated pages with text, images, and interactive tiles ready for refinement.
If you skipped AI generation, the Editor gives you a blank canvas to build from scratch using pages and tiles.
👉 For more on generating lessons, see Getting Started: Generating a Lesson in Mindsmith.
Layout of the Editor
When working in the Editor, there are four main spaces to know:
Left Sidebar – Pages & Sections
Organize and navigate your lesson structure.Main Canvas – Page & Tile Editing
Where you build out each page with text, media, and interactivity.Bottom Toolbar – Quick Tools
Access AI assistance, add tiles, insert scenarios or videos, and open the Theme Builder.Top Menu – Global Controls
Manage undo/redo, analytics, lesson settings, preview, publishing, and more.
Let's look at each in detail:
1. Left Sidebar: Pages & Sections
The left panel is your lesson’s navigation.
Here you can:
Scroll through all lesson pages.
Add a new page with the “+ New Page” button.
Insert Section Divider slides to separate chapters or topics.
Drag and drop pages to reorder them.
Create page templates to speedup your workflow
📌 Tip: Use Section Dividers to break longer lessons into clear learning segments. Learners engage better when content is chunked.
2. Main Canvas: Page and Tile Editing
The center canvas is where you build. Each page is made of tiles — modular content blocks.
To add a tile:
Click the + button at the bottom of the page or in the bottom toolbar.
Choose from categories:
Text → Title, header, paragraph.
Media → Image, video (uploaded or AI generated), embedded media, links.
Scenario Builder→ Build branching conversations or decision-making simulations.
Interactive → Multiple choice, matching, flashcards, accordion, hot spot buttons, sorting, and more.
To edit a tile:
Click directly into it to change text or replace media.
Use the Options menu (…) located on the tile to duplicate, delete, or move it.
📌 Tip: Keep pages focused. Two or three tiles per page works best for readability, especially on mobile.
3. Bottom Toolbar: Quick Tools
The toolbar at the bottom of the Editor gives you shortcuts for faster building:
Undo/Redo → Step backward or forward through edits.
Comments → (INSERT DESCRIPTION HERE)
Narration → (INSERT DESCRIPTION HERE)
Theme → Toggle the Theme Builder to adjust fonts, colors, and logos.
Assistant → Use AI to rewrite text, draft quizzes, or suggest interactives.
Scenario → Insert branching scenarios for decision-making practice.
Video → Upload or embed videos.
Aa → Add a text tile quickly.
+ → Access the full menu of tile types.
📌 Pro Tips:
Open the Theme Builder early. Setting your logo, fonts, and colors upfront ensures a consistent look across every page.
Use the AI assistant to seamlessly translate content format. Instead of writing every quiz by hand, you can highlight a paragraph and ask the Assistant to convert it into a multiple-choice question set.
4. Top Menu: Global Controls
At the top-right of the Editor, you’ll find lesson-level controls:
Analytics (📊) → View learner performance data (see [Analytics Guide]).
Lesson Settings (⚙️) → Control preview, learning, and grading options.
Preview (▶) → Open the lesson as learners will see it.
Kebab Menu (⋮) → Extra actions:
Translate a lesson into another language
Add narration
Move or duplicate a lesson
Return to Generator
Delete a lesson
📌 Pro Tip:
These controls help you manage a lesson’s full lifecycle. Translating a course for global teams or duplicating a lesson for a new cohort takes a few clicks instead of weeks of rework.
Preview frequently. A page that looks balanced in the Editor might feel crowded in learner mode. Previewing helps catch formatting issues early.
Collaboration in the Editor
The Editor supports real-time teamwork:
Add inline comments on a page, a tile, or the whole lesson.
Attach files or links in comments for context.
See live cursors when teammates edit alongside you.
💡 Why it matters: Collaboration inside the Editor eliminates version control headaches. SMEs, IDs, and reviewers can work together without passing files back and forth.
Publishing from the Editor
When your lesson is ready, click Share in the top-right corner. From here you can:
Publish a public link for learners.
Send a review link for feedback.
Export as SCORM, xAPI, PDF, website, or embed code.
👉 For more detail on each method, see Sharing Your Lesson.
FAQs
Does the Editor autosave my work?
Yes. Every change saves automatically.
Can I duplicate a page or tile?
Yes. Use the … menu directly on the tile to duplicate individual elements.
Can I undo edits?
Yes. Use Undo/Redo at the bottom of the Editor. (Or Ctrl + Z on Windows, and Command + Z on Mac)
Do I have to use the Storyboard before editing?
No. You can start directly in the Editor or use AI through Storyboard, imports, or prompts.
Can I save and reuse a theme?
Yes. Themes can be saved in workspace settings and applied to future lessons.
What's Next? Suggested Reading
Now that you know your way around the Editor, try:
Tiles 101: Types of Lesson Content
Getting the Most from AI Features
Guide to the AI Assistant: Faster, Smarter Lesson Building
Tiles to Know: Flashcards
Tiles to Know: Scenarios