Borje Holmberg presented a theory of teaching-learning conversations in distance education that emphasizes empathy and personal relations. According to the theory, feelings of empathy and connectedness between learner and teacher promoted by well-developed self-instructional materials in a conversational style and personalized feedback can improve learning outcomes, study pleasure, and motivation. The theory was favorably reviewed for underestimating teaching-learning conversations but also received criticism that it cannot be universally applied and may not conclusively prove causes of learning.