Online learners are increasingly self-directed, career-focused, digitally fluent, and intentional about the programs they choose. The 2026 Voice of the Online Learner report highlights several important shifts in learner expectations, including the growing role of AI in program discovery and career preparation, continued demand for affordability and flexibility, and rising interest in purposeful human connection. This session translates key findings from the report and additional insights from a recent Risepoint-supported faculty survey to explore practical implications for your teaching in online and hybrid learning environments.
Why watch?
Your students are making decisions about online learning with clear expectations about relevance, flexibility, connection, and return on investment. This webinar will help you examine what those expectations mean for course design, communication, AI-related instruction, and student support in your own teaching context. We’ll consider how the Voice of the Online Learner can inform learning experiences that are rigorous, responsive, and aligned with the realities of modern students.