Why Most Online Courses Fail (And What to Do Instead)

Online courses promised to revolutionize learning - and in many ways, they have by providing access to education for millions. Yet talk to people who have purchased online courses, and you’ll find a common story: they sign up with great enthusiasm, but somewhere along the way, they lose steam. In fact, completion rates for many online courses are dismally low (some studies show less than 10% of people actually finish the courses they start). So, why do most online courses fail to deliver the expected results, and what should you do instead to truly learn and benefit from the content?

The Problem: Why Online Courses Often Don’t Work

Lack of Accountability: In a traditional classroom, you have a teacher checking your work and a grade to earn. With most online courses, especially self-paced ones, there’s no one to notice if you fall behind. You’re responsible for motivating yourself to log in and do the work. When life gets busy or the initial excitement fades, many learners simply stop showing up. No due dates or personal check-ins mean it’s easy to procrastinate indefinitely. Essentially, there’s a lack of external accountability pushing you to complete the course.

Passive Learning Model: Many online courses still follow a lecture format - you watch videos or read text, maybe take a quiz, and move on. If you just passively watch videos without engaging actively, it’s easy to zone out or not retain much. Learning isn’t a spectator sport; we learn best by doing. Unfortunately, a lot of courses don’t incorporate enough interactivity or practical application. Without hands-on practice or real-world assignments, the course material doesn’t stick, and learners don’t see real skill improvement, leading to frustration or boredom.

One-Size-Fits-All Content: A course has to be designed for a broad audience, which means it might not align perfectly with what you need or already know. Some parts might be too easy, others too hard or irrelevant. This mismatch can make learners lose interest (“I already know this stuff” or “This is too advanced, I’m lost.”). In a live class, you could ask a question or get clarification, but in a static online course, the content marches on regardless of your needs. That can lead to people feeling disconnected and dropping out.

Isolation and No Sense of Community: Learning can be a lonely process when you’re just sitting at your computer alone. In-person classes or well-facilitated online cohorts provide a sense of community - you can discuss topics with peers, share struggles, celebrate progress. Most self-paced online courses don’t offer that. When you hit a tough module or just feel unmotivated, having peers can make a huge difference. Without that community, it’s easier to quit because no one else will notice or care. You’re on your own, which can be demotivating.

Overestimation of Willpower: Many of us sign up for courses with the best intentions but underestimate how much consistent effort and discipline it requires to finish them on our own. Especially if a course is self-paced with lifetime access, there’s no urgency. It’s like joining a gym in January - having the membership (or course access) is not the same as regularly working out. People might put off lessons thinking “I’ll get to it next week,” and before they know it, weeks turn into never. The freedom to learn “whenever” often turns into “maybe someday”.

Information Overload and Poor Design: Some courses dump a huge amount of information on learners without proper pacing or instructional design. If a course floods you with theory and jargon upfront, you might feel overwhelmed and give up. Conversely, if it’s too slow or filled with fluff, you might get impatient and wander off. Good course design is hard, and not all course creators are skilled educators. Many courses fail learners by not engaging them or by not breaking content into digestible, well-structured pieces.

Given these common issues, it’s no surprise that many online courses end up half-finished or forgotten. But does that mean online learning isn’t worth it? Not at all. It just means we need to approach online learning differently. Let’s look at what to do instead to make your learning successful.

What to Do Instead: Strategies for Successful Learning

Be an Active Learner, Not Just a Consumer: If you enroll in an online course, don’t treat it like a Netflix series to binge-watch. Treat it like a workshop. This means taking notes, pausing to reflect or solve problems, and applying what you learn as you go. For example, if it’s a coding course, write your own code alongside the instructor’s examples. If it’s a language course, pause and speak out loud or write sentences using new words. Many courses fail to engage you actively, so you have to engage yourself. Make a habit of doing whatever exercise or assignment is given (even if it’s optional), and if the course doesn’t have any, create your own. After a video lesson, ask yourself: “How would I explain this concept to someone else?” or “How can I use this in a real scenario?” By doing so, you transform passive content into active learning.

Set Your Own Structure and Deadlines: Without built-in accountability, you need to create some. Before starting the course, plan a schedule as if you were in a real class. For instance, decide that every Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 7-8 PM you’ll work on the course. Set target dates: “Finish Module 1 by end of this week, Module 2 by next week,” and so on. Mark these in your calendar. Some people even set up little “deadlines” for themselves like mini-tests or projects due on certain dates. If you struggle with sticking to self-imposed deadlines, try to involve someone else: tell a friend or family member about your plan or find a study buddy taking the same course (or any course) and agree to check in with each other weekly. Just knowing that someone will ask “Hey, did you finish that chapter?” can push you to avoid procrastinating.

Seek Out or Create a Learning Community: One of the best things you can do is not to learn in isolation. If the course has a discussion forum or a Facebook/Discord group, join it and actually participate. Ask questions, answer someone else’s query (teaching others is a great way to reinforce your knowledge), share your progress or struggles. If no community exists, consider starting one: maybe post on Reddit or another platform to find others taking the same course or learning the same skill. You could also join a more general community related to the subject (like a programming forum if you’re learning to code, or an art community if you’re learning painting). The idea is to surround yourself (virtually) with people on a similar journey. This provides moral support, answers when you’re stuck, and a sense of camaraderie that can carry you through the tough parts of the course.

Favor Project-Based Learning: If pure online courses have failed you in the past, try flipping the script: start with a project or a goal, and learn as needed to accomplish it. For example, instead of taking a lengthy course on web development and losing interest halfway, decide on a project like “build a personal website”. Then use online resources (which could include picking specific lessons from a course, YouTube tutorials, documentation) to solve each challenge you encounter in building that website. This way, the learning is driven by immediate need and relevance, which keeps motivation high because you see tangible results. You’re essentially learning by doing something meaningful to you, rather than passively absorbing content with a promise that “this will be useful someday.” That immediacy and context can prevent the disengagement that often happens in abstract course learning.

Opt for Cohort-Based or Interactive Courses: Not all online courses are created equal. Recently, cohort-based courses (CBCs) have gained popularity. These courses run on a schedule with a group of students together, often include live sessions or office hours, and encourage peer interaction. They bring back some of the accountability and community of a classroom. If you have the opportunity, choosing a cohort-based course or any course with live components and teacher feedback can greatly increase your chances of success. They tend to be more expensive, but if you are serious about a topic, the investment might be worth it for the added structure and support. Alternatively, look for courses that incorporate exercises, quizzes, and projects heavily - ones that really require your participation. Read reviews to see if people actually finished and achieved outcomes.

Combine Multiple Resources: Perhaps “course X” didn’t work for you by itself. It might help to diversify your learning materials to maintain interest and fill gaps. For instance, you can use an online course as one pillar of learning but also read a book on the topic, follow some experts on social media/blogs, and watch related videos. Different formats can reinforce each other. When one resource gets dull, another can spark your interest again. Also, one course might explain certain topics poorly; another source might make it click. This doesn’t mean overwhelming yourself with too much material at once, but a bit of cross-pollination can enrich your understanding and keep you engaged. Think of it like creating your own “course” from various pieces: the online course, plus a project you’re working on, plus community interactions, etc., all feeding into your learning experience.

Apply Your Learning Immediately: Our brains retain knowledge better when we use it. Don’t wait until “after the course” to put things into practice; integrate practice as part of the learning. For example, if you’re taking an online marketing course, start applying the tips to a small real or hypothetical business right away. If you learned a new technique or concept today, find a way to use it this week. Immediate application not only cements the knowledge but also shows you the value of what you’re learning, which is a huge motivator. It can be very motivating to see real-world impact or creation coming out of what you just studied, rather than thinking “well, maybe this will be useful in my job months from now.” Even if you’re learning something abstract, you can apply it by explaining it to someone else or writing a blog post about it. The sooner and more frequently you apply new info, the more deeply you’ll learn and the less likely you are to abandon the course out of a feeling that it’s pointless.

Know When to Quit (or Switch) Strategically: This might sound counterintuitive, but part of making online learning work is choosing the right courses and not being afraid to move on if something isn’t working. Sometimes, it’s not your fault a course isn’t clicking - maybe the instructor’s style doesn’t fit you or the content is not what you expected. Rather than forcing yourself to finish a bad or unhelpful course (which often leads to dropping it anyway and then feeling guilty), it’s better to pause and re-evaluate. Ask: “Is this course the best way for me to learn this material?” If not, look for alternatives. There are often multiple courses on the same topic. Pick one that matches your learning preferences (some like more video and visuals, others prefer text and examples, etc.). The goal is to learn effectively, not just to finish a course for the sake of it. Just be careful that you’re not switching just because you hit a challenging part - challenges are normal in learning. But if the course itself is the problem, you have the freedom to find one that suits you better.

Leverage Accountability Tools: If self-discipline is a major hurdle, get creative with external motivators. There are websites and apps where you can publicly commit to a goal (like stickK or Beeminder) that can have penalties if you don’t follow through. Even a simple approach like tweeting “I’m going to finish Chapter 3 of my course by Sunday” and then updating when you do it can create a sense of obligation. Alternatively, some people form small mastermind or accountability groups (even just 2-3 people) who meet online weekly to report on progress. When you know you’ll have to tell someone “I didn’t do what I said I would,” it adds just enough pressure to keep you moving on those days you’d rather slack off.

In Summary: Most online courses fail to produce results not because online learning is inherently flawed, but because the approach to using them needs adjustment. The “what to do instead” boils down to taking an active, structured, and engaged approach to learning: - Don’t rely on the course to drag you along - take charge of your schedule and engagement. - Don’t learn alone in a vacuum - find others to share the journey. - Don’t just absorb - create, practice, and apply. - Choose learning formats that maximize interaction and accountability, whether that’s a project, a cohort course, or a community challenge.

By implementing these strategies, you transform from a passive course consumer into an active learner. That’s the secret of learning success whether online or offline. Online courses can be fantastic resources, but they are just one piece of the puzzle. The rest comes from you: your plan, your actions, and your support network. With that in place, you’ll find that you not only finish more courses (or whatever learning path you choose), but you actually get the results you signed up for - whether that’s a new skill, a better job, or personal fulfillment. Instead of letting an online course fail you, you’ll be making your learning journey a win.