Top 10 Online Course Creation Trends for 2024

Whether you are starting a brand new online course in 2024, or you want to grow your already established business, it is important to be aware of the major online learning trends for this year.

If the past years have taught us anything, it is that technological advancement happens fast and can completely shift the way we run our business.

Take artificial intelligence (AI), for example, that in 2023 became widely accessible to everyone, from individual creators, to small business owners, to big corporations, and completely revolutionized the way many of us operate.

So, what is in store for us in 2024? And more specifically, what will happen to online learning and the world of online courses?

In today's article, we will try our best to predict the major 2024 online course trends, so you can be prepared for your business and anticipate your customers' needs.

Top Online Course Trends for 2024

#1: Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence was definitely the theme of 2023, but it is not stopping here.

2024 will be an important year for the future of AI, as we will better understand how we can use this tool in our lives and businesses.

The arms race to be the first one using AI in business has already started last year, but it is not too late for you to join the trend.

Artificial intelligence (AI), or machine learning, is essentially the creation of machines that can think and learn similarly to humans. These systems are capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, including speech recognition, decision-making, and visual perception.

What does this mean for online course creators? Well, if you are a course creator, you can use AI in two main ways:

1. To help your students
2. To build and grow your business

Let's start with the first one: using AI to help your students.

AI can significantly enhance the quality and efficiency of learning. AI-powered chatbots or virtual assistants, for instance, can provide immediate support to learners by answering questions and offering information. This quick, automated assistance allows students to access help promptly.

Not long ago, OpenAI announced a new feature where everyone can create GPTs. You can use GPTs to offer personalized learning and support to your customers (among other things).

Learn all about this here: How to Create Custom GPTs and Use Them in Your Business

Now for the second way to use AI in your course business: AI can be a source of inspiration for course content, marketing ideas, data analysis and more.

You can use AI as your virtual assistant to build more content faster, track students' progress, or get feedback on new product ideas.

The best way for course creators to take advantage of the AI trend - even if you have zero technical skills - is to use an online course platform powered by AI, with ready-made AI tools that help creators grow.

Heights Platform is the all-in-one, AI-powered course creation software that helps you build your course and scale your business with artificial intelligence.

Here are the main AI tools that creators like you can access in Heights Platform, at a glance:

• Build an Online Course in Minutes: Simply provide a course title to the AI, and it generates a course outline and a course description, gives you recommendations on your title, and even sets up the whole online course within your Heights account, with a relevant cover image.
• The AI Becomes Your Personal VA: Through an AI chat, you can instruct the AI to perform tasks on your behalf, such as changing your course price or publishing a landing page, and the AI instantly implements these changes in your account.
• Personalized AI Business Coaching: The AI Coach, developed by Heights Platform, continuously analyzes your business situation. You can share your goals, challenges, and ideas with your coach, and it creates a personalized action plan with continuous, weekly tasks to help your business grow.
• AI Chat for Course Creation and Using Heights: Engage in real-time conversations with the AI to ask questions about course creation, marketing, and how to use Heights Platform.
• SEO Optimization: Let the AI review your website and optimize your pages for improved search engine visibility.

#2: Bite-Sized Learning

Ever noticed how videos on social media are becoming shorter and faster?

Today, our attention spans are becoming shorter, and studies show that people can only concentrate on one screen for about 47 seconds.

This doesn't stop at social media: online education is changing too.

Bite-sized learning, or microlearning, refers to a method of delivering educational materials in small, bite-sized chunks, typically no longer than five minutes if we talk about video content, for example.

The goal of microlearning is to make learning more accessible and convenient for busy students by breaking down elaborate topics into small, more digestible pieces that can be consumed quickly and easily.

It also allows online course students to focus only on the knowledge they are looking for, rather than being overwhelmed with large amounts of information.

This type of content delivery is particularly effective for learners who want to acquire new skills quickly or for those with short attention spans or limited time to devote to learning.

So, what does it mean for online course creators?

40-minute-long online course lessons will not work anymore in 2024. If you have an online course with too long videos or large chunks of text in your lessons, consider breaking those lessons down into smaller ones.

Your content doesn't necessarily need to change, just the way you deliver it to your students.

Another added benefit of microlearning is the gamification aspect associated with completing more lessons and achieving more smaller goals.

Instead of having a 40-minute long video in your lesson, if you break it down into 10 smaller videos, your students will feel more rewarded after completing 10 lessons, compared to only finishing one.

Learn more about bite-size learning in online education: How to Use Microlearning to Drive Engagement in Your Online Course or Membership Site

#3: Communities

Technological advancement and social media are enhancing the way we communicate online, but they are also reshaping real human connection and belonging.

This paradoxical feeling of isolation has contributed to the rise of online communities: virtual spaces where people can connect, interact and bond over a shared interest.

If you are an online course creator and you don't have a community for your students and audience yet, this is the time to build one.

Creating an online course community can significantly boost learner engagement and motivation by incorporating social learning into your program. Such a community offers a space for learners to exchange ideas, ask questions, and give each other feedback.

With Heights Platform, this community is seamlessly integrated within your program, allowing easy access for students as they progress through the course.

Overall, cultivating a community in your online course fosters a welcoming atmosphere and strengthens learner connections, leading to a more inclusive, engaging, and collaborative learning experience.

Learn more about building and growing an online community:

• Why You Should Build an Online Community of Engaged Customers and How to Do it
• How to Choose the Right Online Community Platform For Your Knowledge Business
• 7 Steps to Revive Your Online Community and Increase Engagement

#4: Interactive & Personalized Learning

Personalization is not a brand new trend, but it will keep being extremely relevant in 2024 (and over) as well.

As we have seen before, people are looking for more meaningful online interactions and tailored advice.

For course creators, this means personalizing the learning experience to meet the diverse needs of students. Here's a few ideas on how you can do this:

Customized & Adaptive Learning Paths

Allow students to select their learning journey by choosing lessons or modules that align with their interests and skill levels.

An idea can be to use pre-course evaluations to design individual learning plans. How can you do this?

With online learning platforms like Heights, you can either gradually unlock new lessons or give students the freedom to navigate the entire course content, and you have full flexibility on how to structure the courses in your training programs.

Personalized Feedback and 1:1 or Group Coaching

You can provide more value and enhance the learning process by offering personalized coaching.

This doesn't mean a complete shift to a coaching business, but incorporating some form of personal guidance, either individually or in groups, can go a long way.

Segmentation

Improve your course's relevance by segmenting your audience based on various factors like progress or background.

You can then tailor your communications, such as email newsletters, to the different groups of people you are targeting and suggest products or content based on their preferences.

Personalized Projects and Assessments

You can use assignments to monitor and guide learner progress and offer tailored feedback and suggestions for improvement.

On Heights Platform, you can add assignments to each lesson in your course for direct feedback or set up projects for peer and instructor reviews.

#5: Ethical and Sustainable Learning

Environmental and ethical concerns are increasingly important for consumers in any industry, and online learning and the education industry are not exempted from this trend.

Online learning is, by definition, a more sustainable practice compared to traditional education, and it helps reduce our carbon footprints by providing instant access to educational content to people from all over the world.

This means that potential customers might prefer online courses to traditional classroom learning simply because of the environmental impact. So, good news for creators!

Another way you can make your online course business more sustainable is to associate yourself with charitable organizations or promote sustainable products in your marketing.

The question of ethics is also a big one in 2024. Other than helping the environment, consumers are increasingly aware of online scams and "get-rich-quick" schemes that are promoted online.

So, in your marketing, make sure to communicate to your audience in an ethical, value-driven way, without making empty promises or using exaggerated click-bait techniques: your audience will know.

#6: Augmented and Virtual Reality

Virtual and augmented reality technologies, known as VR/AR, are another potential online learning trend to look out for in 2024.

These technologies offer immersive and interactive experiences that mimic real-life situations, allowing students to engage with virtual reality environments in a new way. Through the use of a VR headset, learners can enter simulations, look around, and interact as if they were truly there.

Virtual reality (VR) isn't just for fun; it has practical applications across entertainment, education, training, and therapy.

In educational settings, it allows instructors to observe and respond to students' non-verbal cues, just as they would in person, while students can get hands-on experience with virtual objects.

This is especially valuable for training in scenarios that are too dangerous or impractical in real life, such as medical surgery or bomb defusal, for example.

While virtual reality hasn't yet become the standard in online learning, its potential is vast. So far, the problem with VR is that it requires expensive equipment for both the creator and the students.

However, it's worth keeping an eye on this emerging trend as it becomes more mainstream and accessible.

#7: Quality Over Quantity

In the digital age, people's attention is more fragmented than ever. Consequently, the mantra for 2024 in the realm of online education is 'Quality Over Quantity.'

Learners are increasingly seeking out courses that promise tangible, efficient results rather than lengthy content that takes hours to sift through. It's not just about having the most hours of content, but about having the best hours of content.

What students want is to gain specific skills or knowledge that can be immediately applied or understood rather than enduring long-winded lectures or sifting through voluminous course materials.

For course creators, this means a shift towards more impactful, concise, and well-designed courses. It's about ensuring every minute your student spends is valuable and leads them closer to their goals.

This might mean investing in higher-quality production, more engaging materials, or more interactive and practical elements within the course.

#8: Lack of Trust Online

In a world increasingly saturated with misinformation, AI deep fakes, and fleeting viral trends, trust has become a precious commodity, especially online.

This skepticism extends into the world of online learning, where potential students are bombarded with countless ads for courses, each promising success, knowledge, and transformation.

So, what do you need to do to stand out in 2024? Being transparent, honest, and ethical with your audience and followers can go a long way and help you build the trust you need.

This means being clear about what your course can and cannot do, showcasing real testimonials from past students, and being upfront about the journey and work involved.

It's also about ethical marketing (as we mentioned already) and avoiding using get-rich-quick schemes or unfounded promises.

Plus, you might also need to show your students more proof of your achievements.

Certificates, credentials, and personal success stories matter. They want assurance that their investment will lead to actual skills and knowledge, making accreditations or visible endorsements more important than ever.

#9: Inclusion in Online Learning

Inclusivity is also a big trend this year, and it matters in digital learning as well.

So, what can you do to make your course more inclusive?

Aim for simplicity and consistency in your lessons to ensure all learners can follow along. Translate your content in different languages. Incorporate alt text for images and use high-contrast colors to assist those with visual impairments. Choose platforms that are navigable by screen readers.

It's also important to recognize that different students have different learning styles. Including a mix of content types (videos, text, audio, images, interactive activities) makes your course more engaging and accessible.

Mobile learning is also important, so make sure to choose an online course platform that is optimized for mobile use and facilitates mobile learning.

#10: Gamification

Gamification involves integrating elements of game playing into non-gaming environments, such as educational courses, to enhance student engagement and enjoyment.

Here are various strategies course creators can employ to gamify their content:

• Integrate Game-like Features: Introduce points, badges, or other competitive components to foster a sense of achievement and progress.
• Implement Real-world Projects: Utilize platforms like the Heights Platform to enable students to exhibit their work, fostering motivation and a clear end goal.
• Design Challenges and Quests: Create time-bound challenges that engage learners as a group, promoting real-world application and collaborative learning.
• Incorporate Storytelling: Enhance the educational experience by weaving content into compelling narratives, making learning more relatable and memorable.
• Offer Immediate Feedback: Provide learners with prompt responses to their actions, helping maintain their motivation and engagement.

By adding these game-like elements into courses, educators can make learning more immersive and enjoyable, leading to better engagement, knowledge retention, and practical application for students.

Grow Your Online Course in 2024 With Heights Platform

2024 is a year full of opportunities for online course creators, with AI and other emerging trends shaping the landscape of online learning.

Artificial Intelligence, particularly, is revolutionizing both student learning experiences and business growth strategies of creators.

If you want to leverage AI in your online course business this year, you need an online course platform powered by AI, that offers creators the AI tools they need to scale their business.

Heights Platform has AI-powered features that simplify course creation, enhance student engagement, and provide personalized business coaching.

With tools like AI chat for course creation, SEO optimization, and personalized AI business coaching, Heights Platform is the go-to solution for creators seeking to leverage AI for success.

Start growing your online courses with AI by signing up for Heights Platform's free trial today.