Getting Started with the Editor

Who this is for

Anyone opening the Lex Editor for the first time, including students who are allowed to author self-study lessons.

What this page answers

• How do I open the editor?
• What is the difference between Structure and Content?
• Which controls matter first?
• How do I create a workable lesson draft quickly?

Prerequisites

• an existing lesson or a course where you can create one

1. Choose an authoring mode

The editor has two modes:

• Structure shows the Lesson Plan rail and Step cards. Use it to create or reorder Steps, edit Stage labels and Step settings, and start generation.
• Content shows the lesson document without the planning surfaces. Use it to write, format, and review the material students will read.

Use the Structure / Content switch in the editor dock. Its tooltips describe whether the plan panel and Step cards or the content view will move into place. The Lesson Plan rail also has Hide the structure, which switches to Content; choose Structure again to restore it.

A planned-but-empty lesson stays in Structure until a Step has content, so its plan cannot be hidden before it is finished. A lesson with no plan shows a Structure-mode offer to Create a lesson plan. Self-study authoring uses the same switch and the same controls.

2. Learn the three controls that matter first

Lesson blocks

Lesson blocks is where the content you can add to a lesson lives: text, exercises, media, tables, widgets, and AI tools. It is separate from the Lesson Plan rail, which controls the order and settings of Steps.

Look for the narrow Lesson blocks rail at the edge of the page and click it to open the panel. It stays beside the lesson rather than covering it. Inside:

• Blocks and Generate with AI are two segments of the same content panel.
• Recent keeps recently used blocks within reach.
• The search field filters the catalog.
• Click a block to insert it at the cursor, or drag it to the place you want it.

The panel opens on the left by default and can move to the other side. It opens automatically when you edit a course lesson and remains on its rail during a live lesson.

Slash commands

Type / at the start of a line to insert the same content blocks without leaving the keyboard. The slash menu and Lesson blocks panel use one catalog.

Toolbar

The toolbar is for formatting, not for adding lesson content: text styles, fonts, alignment, emoji, and saving. Content additions live in Lesson blocks, the slash menu, or the Step controls in Structure mode.

• Save button: The save button includes a split menu. When creating a new lesson, you can choose Save & Open. When editing an existing lesson, this option is hidden.
• During a live lesson, the toolbar collapses into a floating pill so it takes up less of the shared view. Students always see the pill.

Content area

The center area is where you type, rearrange content, and build the lesson body.

3. Build a first draft

1. In Structure, create or adjust the ordered Steps and their Stage labels.
2. Set Step briefs and choose Write this step or Write the whole lesson when AI should draft the content.
3. In Content, write explanations and insert blocks, exercises, images, audio, or video.
4. Review widgets, clear any test answers, and save.
5. Publish or assign only after the lesson is ready. For a published lesson, review the Working Copy before publishing it.

For the full planning and recovery workflow, read Lesson Builder & Lesson Blocks and AI Lesson Generation.

4. Know the shortcuts worth memorizing

5. Go deeper only when you need to

• Blocks & Layout for document content and layout
• Media for image, audio, and video workflows
• Interactive Widgets for exercises and games
• AI Features for Lesson Plan generation and Ask AI