Abstract: A directed collaboration virtual coach includes a repository of participant and coach profile information, enrollment records, activity records, and reports. A course campaign manager governs communication between participants, coaches, and a virtual coach. The virtual coach works alongside assigned human coaches to assist participants by auto-scaling involvement and direct contact with participants to complement optional human coaching activity and contact on a per assignment basis. A learning content management system contains online course materials and extended participant and coach profiles, collects participant activity, and provides usage reports. Courses comprise a sequence of prescribed assignments that are executed to achieve learning objectives and are organized into participant campaigns and coach campaigns. Each campaign comprises a collection of sequenced dynamic messages, including any of announcements, assignments, advices, and course materials.