Understanding the needs and expectations of students in online courses is critical for improving satisfaction, fostering engagement, and increasing academic success. This paper explores these factors through empirical research. After reviewing existing literature on student needs and expectations in online learning, the paper examines key issues influencing student satisfaction, with a particular focus on Learning Management Systems (LMS). It identifies research gaps and highlights critical factors affecting student engagement. The paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted to collect data directly from computer science students about their needs and expectations of online courses. The research methodology includes a survey of 49 university students who participated in online courses. It includes questions about students’ experiences with online courses, how they perceive the organization and implementation of online courses, which activities are most useful to them, and questions providing insight into students’ expectations for future online courses. The study also explores the role of social and emotional aspects of online learning, such as the importance of building a community and interacting with peers, in shaping the overall learning experience and compares the results with previous related work that has examined the impact of integrating social networks into e-learning on student satisfaction. Findings highlight the need for a student-centered approach to online course design. This research lays the foundation for future work aimed at developing recommendations for managing student engagement and proposes a novel online course model. This model integrates features of both LMS and social media to enhance sustainability, inclusivity, and scalability in online education.