Transforming online management education: how students learn

Online course design is a critical factor in supporting academic success and degree completion. Increasing student diversity in today’s higher education institutions indicates the need to provide inclusive learning environments to mitigate the completion gap. The current study examines formative midsemester student surveys in an online business management course through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and retention models. The UDL framework consists of engagement, representation, and action and expression. Engagement focuses on motivating learners, representing alternative ways to present content, and action and expression on providing opportunities for learners to give evidence of achievement in different ways. Retention theories account for the importance of academic engagement. Findings indicate that content presentation, course structure, application assignments, teamwork and instructor presence are central to learning. Features that are supportive of learning also present challenges for some learners.