Does remote learning work for business and management students?
Published Jun 07, 2024 · Updated Oct 12, 2025
remote learningbusiness and managementYes, when delivery is structured, accessible and assessment-literate. Across National Student Survey (NSS) open-text, the remote learning category aggregates sector feedback on digital delivery and reads net-negative overall (42.0% Positive, 53.8% Negative), with mode effects that matter: full-time students score −11.2 while part-time score +6.5. In business and management (non-specific), which groups generalist programmes across providers under the Common Aggregation Hierarchy, students describe remote learning slightly more favourably (sentiment +2.3) when programmes prioritise predictable timetabling, accessible resources and consistent assessment practice. Against that context, business and management students face distinctive challenges that intensify online: access to specialised tools, sustaining interaction, and translating theory into practice at distance. Programme teams that align design and delivery to student feedback on these points see better engagement and more consistent outcomes.
How should the curriculum stay relevant in remote business and management?
Align module content with current practice and make remote-first materials standard. Use recent case studies, simulations and virtual project management tools so students apply theory to live business contexts. Provide captioned recordings, transcripts, alt-text and low-bandwidth versions by default, with a single, stable link hub per module. Invite guest speakers via webinars and schedule virtual networking so industry exposure remains routine in online delivery.
How do we sustain engagement and participation online?
Adopt a consistent weekly rhythm: same platform, day and joining route, with shorter teaching blocks and signposted tasks. Pair live sessions with timely searchable recordings and concise takeaways to maintain asynchronous parity. Use virtual study groups, real-time discussion forums and collaborative documents to reduce isolation, and monitor friction points weekly (access, audio, link churn, timetable slips) with brief updates on fixes to maintain trust.
How do remote students access specialist resources?
Provide equivalent access to software and cases off campus through university-wide licences, virtual labs and clear install guidance. Create a short “getting set online” orientation and offer quick tutorials and a virtual help desk. Consolidate links and documentation in one place per module to reduce navigation load and ensure students can study effectively on varied bandwidth.
How do we maintain industry connections at a distance?
Position the virtual campus as a national network. Broker online mentoring, live projects and virtual internships, and run structured Q&A with business leaders. Use time-zone-aware office hours and written follow-ups so international learners can engage meaningfully. Virtual career fairs and informal online office hours help students build the rapport that supports progression.
Which assessment methods work best online?
Use authentic, project-based assessments and well-designed peer assessment to evidence application of knowledge. Given the emphasis business and management students place on feedback and the friction around marking criteria, publish annotated exemplars, checklist rubrics and short “how to improve” notes aligned to assessment briefs. Calibrate markers, communicate turnaround standards, and involve students in testing criteria to improve reliability and uptake of feedback.
How do remote programmes develop soft skills?
Build soft skills into assessed, collaborative work. Design group tasks with role clarity and contribution tracking to minimise friction, and assess communication and leadership explicitly. Use video presentations, client-style briefings and cross-team reviews to develop professional communication in digital settings.
What does this mean for the future of business education?
Remote learning expands access, but quality depends on predictable delivery, accessible resources and credible assessment. Programmes that design for remote-first use, maintain asynchronous parity and integrate industry engagement make online study a substantive route for business and management students.
How Student Voice Analytics helps you
- Track topic volume and sentiment for remote delivery and business and management cohorts, from institution level to programme/module.
- Compare like-for-like against sector and subject peers, including mode, age, domicile/ethnicity, disability and CAH groupings.
- Produce succinct, anonymised summaries for programme teams and governance, aligned to NSS themes and local priorities.
- Export tables and charts for rapid briefing, and monitor weekly fixes on access, timetabling and resource issues to close the loop with students.
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