UDEMY CASE STUDY

Could Blended Learning Be Udemy’s Next Big Growth Lever?

A Detailed 4 Phase Case Study covering Problem Discovery & Definition, Solution Development & Delivery

Problem Discovery

Context

Udemy is one of the world’s largest online learning platforms, offering over 200,000 courses to learners globally. While Udemy offers one of the largest libraries of recorded self-paced courses, learner engagement and completion rates remain low. From personal experience and user forums, I observed that many learners report a lack of accountability, isolation, and difficulty sustaining momentum in purely asynchronous learning environments.

At the same time, live/cohort-based courses have gained popularity due to their ability to foster accountability, interaction, and structured schedules. This insight suggests an opportunity to enhance Udemy’s value proposition and outcomes by offering optional blended course plans that combine live sessions with recorded materials.

Given Udemy’s business model depends not just on purchases but also on retention and referrals, improving course completion rates presents an opportunity to boost learner outcomes, platform credibility, and lifetime value of customers.

Hypothesis

If we offer learners an optional blended learning plan with scheduled live sessions alongside recorded content, then completion rates and learner satisfaction will increase.

The Market

The broader EdTech market faces similar challenges with retention and completion:


Competitors such as Cohort-based learning platforms (Maven, On Deck, etc.) and Bootcamps (Springboard, CareerFoundry) show much higher engagement and completion rates (often 70–90%) thanks to live sessions and peer accountability.

Udemy’s current model (~completion rates of 5–30% in MOOCs) lags behind this trend.

Industry demand is shifting toward hybrid formats that combine the flexibility of asynchronous learning with the accountability and engagement of live interactions.

These competitors illustrate that gamification and social accountability are effective levers. Udemy has lagged behind in applying these tactics despite a massive user base.

Industry trends show growing demand for outcome-driven, engaging, and social learning experiences — especially as users seek value for money and skills that translate into careers (HolonIQ EdTech Trends Report).

The AUDIENCE

The target audience spans:

Age

18–45, skewing towards young professionals and students

Location

Global, with concentration in India, USA, and emerging markets

Income

Middle-class professionals & learners looking to upskill

Interests

Career advancement, personal growth, hobby learning

Pain Points

Lack of motivation to complete self-paced courses

Feeling of isolation and lack of interaction

No clear structure or deadlines to stay on track

User Insights

From browsing user reviews, Reddit threads, and forums, key insights emerged:

I feel lost after a few lessons and end up dropping it.

Source: Reddit

It would help if I could ask questions to an instructor live.

Source: Udemy App Store Review

Deadlines keep me motivated — otherwise, it feels too easy to put off.

Source: Qoura Thread

Cohort-based platforms have seen ~80% learner satisfaction ratings. (HolonIQ report)

Big Takeaways

From the above problem discovery we extracted the below key Insights:

01

Recorded learning


Purely asynchronous, self-paced formats often lead to low completion rates (~5–30%)

02

Blended Learning


Cohort-based and hybrid models show much higher engagement and satisfaction (~70–90%)

03

Learner’s Demand


Learners value flexibility but crave structure, accountability, and interaction with instructors

04

Market
Signals


Competitors in the market (like Maven, Springboard) have validated the demand for blended formats

(Waves.org | Course Completion Rate)

User Journey

Here’s what a typical learner journey of an abandoned user on Udemy looks like today:

Person making an online purchase with a credit card on a laptop, showcasing modern ecommerce technology.

Discover & Purchase

Learner finds a course (often during a sale)

Purchases a self-paced course, attracted by the flexibility and price

Young adult with tattoos studying diligently with books and notes, highlighting concentration and learning.

Start Course

Watches 1–2 lessons, but quickly overwhelmed by long list of lectures

Learner struggles to stay consistent without external accountability

A serene portrait of a young man sleeping peacefully in a sunlit bedroom setting.

Drops off

Misses a few days, forgets where they left off

Without deadlines or interaction, learner’s motivation fades

Moody close-up of a black gaming controller in low light with colorful buttons.

Abandonment

Learner moves on to other priorities, leaving the course unfinished

Learner feels dissatisfied, and may hesitate to buy more

Problem Definition

What we intend to solve

Udemy learners often fail to complete courses because self-paced, asynchronous learning lacks structure, accountability, and instructor interaction — all of which are critical to sustaining motivation.

For The User

  • Experience the flexibility of self-paced learning while benefiting from the structure, motivation, and engagement of live interaction
  • Complete more courses and feel confident in the skills gained

For The Business

  • Boost course completion rates and learner satisfaction
  • Differentiate Udemy in a competitive EdTech market
  • Increase repeat purchases and retention

Metrics of Success

  • Increase completion rates by 20% within blended courses (compared to fully asynchronous)
  • Improve learner satisfaction (NPS/CSAT) by 5–7 points
  • Drive 15% higher repeat purchase rates from learners who choose blended plans

FEATURE PRIORITISATION & MVP DEFINITION

What should be included in the MVP?

For a successful pilot run, the following user stories/JTBDs are required to build.

Defining MVP

Live Sessions

This is a flexible option added to selected high-enrollment courses

Calendar Integration

Clear blended course calendar in Dashboard (Live + Recorded Content)

Milestone Tracking

Automated Reminders for Live Sessions and Milestone tracking

More advanced features like group discussions or live breakout rooms can come in later iterations

What possible options do we have to offer?


We explored three directions to deliver blended learning effectively:

01

Cohort-Based Model

Learners join a cohort with fixed start/end dates, live weekly sessions, and structured deadlines

02

Rolling Live Add-On

Learners can opt into a live session schedule on-demand after enrolling in a recorded course

03

Office Hours Model

Self-paced learners get access to weekly instructor office hours without fixed cohorts

Solution PRIORitisation

Solution Evalution & User Preference Signals

Instead of building prototypes, we evaluated these options by:

Analysing competitors success stories
Reading Learner’s feedback from Udemy reviews and forums expressing a desire for both flexibility and accountability
Considering operational complexity and scalability for Udemy’s existing infrastructure

Finding the optimal solution

We used the RICE Prioritasation Framework for selecting the optimum solution

#1

Cohort-Based Model

RICE Score

39.37
Reach (5) – Only appeals to learners comfortable with fixed start/end dates and value synchronous schedules. Many working professionals value flexibility and won’t join
Impact (9) – High structure and accountability; proven by cohort based competitors to have more impact on course completion
Confidence (7) – Cohorts work elsewhere, but may alienate Udemy’s flexible learner base
Effort (8) – Operationally heavy, scheduling cohorts, regional time zones, high support requirements

#2

Rolling Live Add-On

Rice Score

96
Reach (8) – Optimal opt-in keeps Udemy’s asynchronous appeal while serving accountability seekers
Impact (9) – Still creates structured learning and motivation
Confidence (8) – Supported by competitor benchmarks & user sentiments, scalable
Effort (6) – Some effort in building opt-in flow, scheduling live sessions on-demand, and integrating reminders

#3

Office Hours Model

RICE Score

28.80
Reach (3) – Appeals to learners who actively seek help, but lower engagement overall due to casual users low involvement
Impact (6) – Supports learners who show up, but no structural motivation to complete
Confidence (8) – Easy to implement, aligns with instructor’s capacity & current platform
Effort (5) – Esasies to execute, no big infra chages required

Insights

Many learners value flexibility over rigid schedules but still want live interaction
Cohorts are appealing but can be limiting for global learners in different time zones
Rolling Live add-on provides a middle ground flexibility + structure
Eyeglasses resting on business charts and documents, ideal for financial analysis themes.

FINAL SOLUTION

MVP: Blended Learning with Rolling Live Add-On


Using the above insights, we prioritized Rolling Live Add-On with a Blended Calendar for the MVP

Learners enrolling in select courses can opt-in for a Rolling Live Add-on while finalising cart
Live Add-On students can opt-in to a live session schedule tailored to their timezone and pace
Live sessions include QnA, milestone reviews, and motivational talks.
Course Dashboard highlights the blended learning calendar with clickable live session links, recorded lessons progress bar, reminders, and badges earned.

Solution Delivery

Launch & GTM Strategy


We propose a phased launch plan to minimize risk and gather feedback

Phase 01

Internal Beta

Pilot the Rolling Live Add-On feature with internal testers and a small group of instructors and power users

Monitor logistics like live session scheduling, timezone management, and instructor bandwidth

Phase 02

Opt-In Public Beta

Open the feature to a select group of learners on high-enrollment courses who opt in

Promote via in-app banners, email invitations, and instructor mentions

Collect learner feedback through surveys and NPS after 2 weeks

Phase 03

Full Rollout

Refine based on beta results and expand to all eligible courses and learners

Run a dedicated marketing campaign highlighting improved learner outcomes:
• Blog post: “Udemy just got better — learn live & recorded”
• Social media stories showcasing learners completing blended courses.
• Instructor testimonials about improved learner engagement.

Channels

Email newsletter to existing learners.
Blog post explaining the new features.
Social media stories featuring top learners with badges.
In-app announcements & product tours.
A person uses a smartphone to browse social media in front of a laptop, emphasizing modern technology and lifestyle.

Measuring success

To ensure the features are driving impact

We need to define following success metrics

North Star Metrics

Completion rate for courses offering the Rolling Live Add-On
(target: +20% over baseline within 6 months)

Leading Indicators

  • Opt-in rate for blended learning among eligible learners.
  • Attendance rate for live sessions.
  • Engagement rate with the blended calendar dashboard.

Lagging Indicators

  • Repeat purchase rate of learners who used blended learning (target: +15% over baseline).
  • Learner satisfaction scores (NPS/CSAT) improvement by 5–7 points.

Counter Metrics

  • Instructor burnout from live sessions.
  • Negative feedback about timezones or scheduling issues.
  • Drop-off from learners who prefer fully asynchronous courses.

Monitoring Setup

  • Dashboards tracking opt-ins, attendance, completion, and satisfaction.
  • Regular reviews of App Store and Play Store reviews for qualitative insights.
  • Dedicated customer support tags for blended learning feedback.

Future Iterations

Once the MVP proves effective, we can expand the offering through:


Introducing Office Hours as an additional support layer for learners who want more personal help
Premium Cohort-Based Plans for enterprise learners or advanced students seeking high-touch, structured programs
Automated timezone optimization and smarter scheduling
Gamification of live session attendance (badges for streaks, etc.)
evolution, development, future, ape, human, changes, change, understanding, evolution, evolution, evolution, evolution, evolution

Closing

SUMMARY

We began with the challenge of improving Udemy’s low course completion rates. Research and competitive analysis revealed that learners desire both flexibility and accountability — elements lacking in purely asynchronous formats.

Through user insights and RICE-backed prioritization, we designed a Rolling Live Add-On MVP, balancing structure and scalability while preserving Udemy’s core value of flexible learning.

The proposed solution empowers learners to stay on track, engage with instructors, and complete more courses, leading to better learner outcomes, stronger platform reputation, and improved business metrics.

What I learned about Myself

Through this case study, I discovered my ability to balance user empathy with operational and business feasibility. I learned how to objectively compare multiple solutions, even those that seem equally compelling at first glance, and make data-informed, impact-driven decisions.

I also deepened my appreciation for scalability and alignment with brand identity when designing new product experiences.

Thank You FOR READING

If you made it till the end

I want to connect with you further.
Let me know how you liked this case study.
If there’s any improvement you would like to suggest,
feel free to connect me.

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