The Art of Online Course Creation | Helping Experts Build Impactful Courses That Get Real Results

What makes an online course feel clear, easy to follow, and worth completing?
It is not just the amount of information inside it.
In this episode of The ART of Online Course Creation, Shannon explores why many well-intentioned course creators accidentally make their courses harder to learn from by adding too much content, too many options, and too much explanation without enough structure.
You will hear why cognitive load matters in online course design, how confusion quietly leads students to disengage, and why strong teaching often looks deceptively simple from the outside.
This episode is for course creators who want their students to move through their course with more clarity, confidence, and momentum, without dumbing down the material or stripping away its value.
Inside this episode, you will hear about:
 Why “more content” does not always create a better course 
 How cognitive load affects student learning and follow-through 
 The difference between deep learning and unnecessary mental strain 
 Why students need a clear learning path, not just access to your expertise 
 The invisible structure that makes good teaching feel simple 
If you want to create an online course that does more than deliver information, this episode will help you think more carefully about the clarity, structure, and learner experience behind your content.
Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.
To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.
To book a call to discuss your options and see if working together makes sense.  Click here. 😊

What if gamification in online courses is about far more than points, badges, and leaderboards?
In this episode, Shannon sits down with learning engineer and Lavender Dragon co-founder Mary Nunley for a thoughtful conversation about what gamification really means in online course creation and community engagement. Together, they unpack why some popular engagement tactics work, why others fall flat, and how course creators can think more strategically about motivating learners in ways that actually support transformation. 
You will hear a nuanced discussion about the difference between keeping people entertained and keeping them meaningfully engaged, why dopamine-driven design has limits, and how seemingly small choices inside a course can shape persistence, motivation, and connection. The conversation also explores Easter eggs, urgency, rewards, learner psychology, and the role of thoughtful course design in creating an experience people want to continue. 
Whether you are building your first online course or looking for ways to make an existing program more engaging, this episode will give you a fresh lens on gamification and help you think more carefully about what actually keeps learners coming back.
Mary Nunaley is a learning engineer and co-founder of The Lavender Dragon Team. She turns complex ideas into human-centered learning experiences using storytelling, game-based design, and thoughtful applications of AI. With a background in online education and years of experience designing asynchronous courses, simulations, and microlearning, Mary focuses on building learning that actually changes behavior not just checks a completion box. Her work sits at the intersection of learning science, creativity, and practical AI integration for modern educators and creators
You can find Mary:
The Lavender Dragon Team
LinkedIn
Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.
To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.
To book a call to discuss your options and see if working together makes sense.  Click here. 😊

A polished course is not always a good course.
In this episode, Shannon Boyer explores why some online courses feel clear, supportive, and energizing, while others leave students confused, discouraged, and blaming themselves. This conversation goes beyond content, bonuses, and branding to uncover what really shapes the student experience inside an online course.
If you are serious about creating a high-quality online course that actually helps people learn and get results, this episode will give you a deeper lens on what great course design really means.
To book a no-pressure 20-minute coffee chat in order to discuss how I might help you with your online course creation process, please book here.
Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.
To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.
To book a call to discuss your options and see if working together makes sense.  Click here. 😊

Should you launch your online course live, build an evergreen funnel, or rethink the whole model entirely?
In this episode of The ART of Online Course Creation, Shannon Boyer is joined by award-winning marketing educator Jessica Korthuis for a conversation about what it really takes to sell an online course in today’s market. They unpack the pressure many course creators feel to follow big-name launch strategies, the reality of trying to sell without a massive audience, and why more visibility does not always mean better results.
You’ll also hear a refreshing discussion about sales runways, early adopters, audience-building, partnerships, and the common marketing mistakes that can quietly hold a course back before it ever has a real chance to succeed.
If you’ve been trying to decide between launching and evergreen, feeling overwhelmed by online course marketing advice, or wondering how to sell your course in a way that is sustainable, strategic, and actually aligned with the business you want to build, this episode is one you won’t want to miss.

Jessica Korthuis is a 2x entrepreneur, award-winning marketing educator, women’s business advisor, Group Vice President at Full Tilt and the Co-founder of Her Brand & Co., the leading marketing educational platform for women-owned businesses (which was acquired by Full Tilt in 2024). 
Jessica is a 40 Under 40 Honoree, a “Women Who Mean Business” Honoree, and a two-time award recipient of the Womenpreneur Education Business Innovator of the Year by the Influential Businesswoman Awards. 
She is known for her engaging energy and frequently speaks on the topics of marketing, sales, and how to grow and launch profitable businesses. 
She’s been featured by the Amazon Small Business Academy, Entrepreneur Women, The Lean Startup Co., IFundWomen, The Female Founder Collective, The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and many others. She is a proud mompreneur with a passion for writing and is a fierce advocate for women driving wealth creation, and is most happy spending time with her husband and daughters.

https://herbrandandco.com/
https://www.instagram.com/herbrandandco/
https://herbrandandco.com/her-brand-and-co-subscriptions
Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.
To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.
To book a call to discuss your options and see if working together makes sense.  Click here. 😊

Are Online Courses Dead? Not Exactly. The Old Version Is Dying, and That’s Good News.
“If online courses are dead… why are people still up at midnight searching for answers, buying solutions, and trying to get better at the things that matter to them?”
In this episode, Shannon breaks down why online courses are not dead, but the passive-income, content-dump version of courses is finally losing its grip. With big names like Amy Porterfield and Jenna Kutcher making major changes, it is easy to assume the whole model is collapsing. Shannon offers a different interpretation, and then gets practical about what the market is actually rejecting and what modern learners are still hungry for.
You’ll learn:
Why “courses are dead” is usually a misunderstanding of what is really changing
How passive-income marketing damaged trust in the word “course”
The difference between content and curriculum, and why that is the real rebrand
The design shifts that help learners implement, finish, and get measurable outcomes
Why selling the finish line matters more than selling access
If you have been thinking about renaming your course into a challenge, lab, or program to make it more appealing, Shannon shares why a course by any other name is still a course, and what actually makes it work.
🎧 Plus: Shannon’s Bold Idea reframes what “credibility” looks like in the current course market.
✨ Want more?
Join The Build Lab, the community for course creators who want to build high-quality learning experiences that get results, with guidance, feedback, and access to Shannon’s course-building system.
Get started on your own course creation journey or learn how to make your existing course even better at The "Your Best Course" Build Lab, my interactive and supportive online community.
To get started creating your own online course, check out my new freebie that will take you through the steps of choosing a topic that will be profitable for YOU.
To book a call to discuss your options and see if working together makes sense.  Click here. 😊