Learning from a rapid transition to remote emergency teaching: Developing a typology of online business education designs

Abstract

Many universities had to pivot their teaching into an online space in response to the COVID-19 health crisis. How can we leverage the lessons learned from our design of these spaces to provide superior student learning experiences? This study describes the development of a classification system to appraise our rapidly transitioned online units of study. Underpinned by active learning pedagogy, 234 online learning sites from a leading Australian Business School were reviewed and three types of sites emerged, content, student and teacher-centred. The quality of these online sites were evaluated using a modified framework from the literature focusing on elements of design across five domains. Findings indicated that the overall range of quality of sites was mirrored across all three types, with the majority categorised as ‘good’. Analysis of the design elements of this typology will help build capacity in the design of online learning environments and guide pedagogical practice in business education.