If Self-Paced Courses Aren’t Enough, What Actually Works Now?

Support, structure, and connection are shaping the next chapter of online learning.

In the conversation about whether online courses are “dead,” one thing has become clear: people aren’t walking away from learning — they’re walking away from experiences that feel isolating, overwhelming, or hard to follow through on. (If you missed the first part of this conversation, you can read it here: Are Online Courses Dead? Or Are We Just Seeing a Shift in How People Learn?)

Self-paced courses still have value. They always will. But on their own, they don’t meet the needs of today’s learners in the same way they once did.

And that doesn’t mean something is wrong with courses. It means expectations have changed.

The Challenge Isn’t the Content — It’s What Happens Around It

Most self-paced courses aren’t falling short because the content isn’t good.

In fact, many are:

• Thoughtfully created
• Well-organized
• Full of experience and insight

Where things tend to break down is after someone logs in.

Learners often find themselves:

• Unsure what to focus on first
• Stuck when questions come up
• Losing momentum when life gets busy
• Wondering whether they’re “doing it right”

Without any built-in structure or support, even the best content can end up sitting unfinished. And from the creator side, that gap can feel frustrating — especially when you know your material works.

What People Are Responding to Instead

What I’m seeing more and more is a desire for learning that feels:

• More connected
• More guided
• Easier to stay engaged with over time

Not necessarily high-touch or complicated — just intentional.

This is why we’re seeing growing interest in offers that pair course content with things like:

• Membership access
• Community spaces
• Cohort-style learning windows
• 1:1 or small-group coaching layers (where appropriate)

The content itself often stays the same. What changes is the experience of moving through it.

This Doesn’t Require a Complete Rebuild

If you already have a course, this isn’t a sign that you need to start over.

More often, it’s about asking:

• How can this content be delivered in a way that supports follow-through?
• Where could structure or connection make learning feel easier?
• What format fits both my audience and my capacity?

Sometimes that means:

• Turning a one-time course into a membership with ongoing access
• Adding a community space alongside existing lessons
• Running content in cohorts rather than leaving it fully open-ended
• Pairing self-paced material with optional coaching or check-ins

Small structural shifts can make a big difference — without reinventing the wheel.

Why Kajabi Works So Well for Supported Learning Models

This is where platform choice really matters.

Kajabi is particularly well-suited for creators who want to move beyond a standalone, self-paced course and build something more connected — without juggling multiple tools behind the scenes.

Within Kajabi, you can:

• Host course content and memberships in one place
• Create community spaces alongside learning materials
• Set up cohort-style access or timed releases
• Offer 1:1 or group coaching experiences tied directly to your content
• Manage payments, emails, and access seamlessly

Instead of stitching together multiple systems, everything lives under one roof — which makes the experience smoother for both you and your audience. When the structure is clear, it’s much easier for people to stay engaged with the learning itself.

Building the Structure That Supports Your Vision

This is where many business owners get stuck — not because they don’t know what they want, but because translating that vision into a functional setup can feel overwhelming.

Questions like:

“Should this be a course, a membership, or both?”
“How do I connect content, community, and access?”
“What’s the cleanest way to structure this in Kajabi?”

These aren’t coaching questions — they’re implementation questions. And getting the setup right from the start (or refining what you already have) can be the difference between an offer that feels heavy to maintain and one that feels supportive and sustainable.

Ready to Explore What This Could Look Like for You?

If this article has you thinking about how your course, membership, or learning experience could evolve, you don’t have to map that out on your own. I work with business owners who have a clear idea of what they want to offer and need help bringing that structure to life inside Kajabi — whether that’s a course, a membership, a community, a cohort-based program, or a combination of those pieces.

If it would be helpful to talk through what you’re building (or refining) and how Kajabi could support it, you’re welcome to book a discovery call.
👉 Book a discovery call

No pressure. No rush. Just a clear conversation about what makes sense for you and your business.

A Question Worth Sitting With

As you think about your current or future offers, here’s a gentle place to start:

What kind of learning experience do I actually want to create — and what structure would best support that?

You don’t need to decide everything today. But understanding that self-paced isn’t the only option — and that platforms like Kajabi are designed to support more connected learning models — opens up a lot of possibility.