AI-generated content and online courses are getting easier for anyone to create, which makes it more important than ever to embrace what make yours uniquely human. Otherwise, your work will get lost in a flood of low‑quality, recycled material. In this article, you’ll learn how to add genuine human connection to your online course in a way that AI and amateurs just can’t match.
The days of the totally passive ‘information-only’ courses are nearly gone. But, the truth is, the value of good online courses has never been based on only the “information” they offer.
The real value has always been based on qualities like these:
- Teaching a unique method or system – perhaps even with templates and steps
- A curated learning experience designed by an expert who understands not only the subject matter, but also something about how people learn.
- A clear transformative goal supported by the materials and the experience
- Facilitating human connection in an environment where students are supported in being active, vulnerable, and taking risks.
The first three of these are not that difficult whether you are teaching in person or online. Having a unique method, curating the learning experience, and creating a transformation can all happen in a relatively similar way face-to-face or virtually.
Creating a sense of human connection, on the other hand, is more difficult and requires a lot more intentional design when it comes to virtual, and especially asynchronous online learning.
However, it is absolutely achievable with a little extra work and a semi-interactive course design.
Why Bother Creating Human Connection in Your Online Courses?
First, because it is something that AI will never replace and will future-proof your course. But, more importantly, because it makes for a much better, richer learning experience.
On a practical level, this means more positive success stories coming out of your course. It means better retention, better engagement, more fun, fewer refund requests, and lots of positive, unsolicited word of mouth.
On a personal level, it means you’re doing work that actually matters and has value.
You’re making more of a positive difference in the world and increasing the likelihood that people engaging with your materials are going to actually grow and have a transformative experience.
Connection Enhances Learning and Transformation
Human connection is foundational to psychological well-being and is recognized as a core human need in theories like Maslow’s Hierarchy (love and belongingness) and Self-Determination Theory (relatedness).
Beyond being a basic human need, connection also enhances learning.
Live interaction activates unique brain regions for learning that recorded or solitary methods do not, suggesting that social learning enhances knowledge acquisition.
- Strong social bonds provide emotional safety that enables vulnerability, risk-taking, and deep transformation as learners feel supported to engage fully with challenging material.
- A sense of belonging to learning communities correlates strongly with academic performance, motivation, and mental health resilience, indicating social connection as a driver of transformative learning experiences.
One-on-one teaching is powerful because it is relational. The transformation happens, in part, because the relationship of trust creates a space for risks and growth. When you move from one-on-one to a one-to-many model online, you don’t want to lose that relational quality and end up with a purely transactional course.
Creating Human Connection in Virtual Spaces
It may seem complicated to create a genuine feeling of connectedness in virtual spaces. Human connection is multi-dimensional, and much more natural in person.
But, at its heart, the bond between people starts simply enough – with feelings of being seen, valued, and understood.
Connection is physical, emotional, and cognitive. But in a virtual world, the physical is reduced to video – facial expressions, vocal cues, and body language. In a virtual space, you’ll rely more heavily on cognitive and emotional experiences to create the foundation of mutual trust, empathy, a sense of belonging, and shared experiences that give the experience that added social depth we crave.
Creating a Sense of Connection in Your Online Course
There are actually dozens of ways to support bonding and connection between learners. If you really understand what connection is, and where it comes from, you can innovate endlessly around how to integrate it into your course.
Here are some general elements and behaviors that contribute to creating this feeling:
- Trust and psychological safety (confidence in non-judgmental support)
- Shared experiences, values, or goals (common ground and purpose)
- Mutual attention and active engagement (focused presence, listening)
- Empathy and emotional resonance (sharing/recognizing feelings)
- Vulnerability and self-disclosure (sharing personal thoughts/feelings)
Some of these may seem like common sense now that you see them listed. And you’ve probably experienced courses yourself, or in person learning or training events, that incorporated elements that fit into those categories.
Let’s skip over what might be the more obvious tactics – things like creating clear ‘rules of engagement’, holding live Q&A calls, or hosting partner breakout sessions.
Here are eleven creative ways to add depth to your learning experience (and AI-proof your course in the process) that you may not have considered:
Develop Trust and Safety
- Provide clear guidelines about privacy and boundaries
- Offer anonymous question options for sensitive topics
Build Shared Experience and Identity
- Schedule live group events, celebrations, or rituals (e.g., course milestones)
- Create group identity markers like custom badges, titles, or hashtags
Incorporate Physical/Sensory Elements Virtually
- Use synchronized activities like guided breathing or movement breaks during live sessions
Promote Support and Cooperation
- Create roles for members to contribute (discussion leader, note-taker) to increase inclusion and participation
- Encourage sharing of resources, tips, and encouragement among peers
Engage Cognitive and Spiritual Connection
- Create opportunities for participants to connect around shared values or mission statements
- Facilitate visioning or goal-setting exercises that connect individuals to broader purposes
Encourage Emotional Engagement
- Use emotion check-ins or mood sharing polls for group attunement
Foster Communication and Interaction
- Use multimedia (video, voice notes) to diversify communication modes
Questions for Planning Your Next Steps
Whether you already have a course you need to improve, or you’re considering a future course and gathering intel, here are a few questions to help you think through what you’ve read:
- Which of these have you experienced before? What was that like for you?
- Which of these would you most like to see in a course you participate in?
- Have you experienced other course features that helped you feel connected?
- Which three of these would you choose to add to your course first?
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