Introducing virtual solutions for course design and delivery in business education: experiences from two economics courses

This paper explores the contribution of virtual tools to student learning within fulltime management programmes. More specifically, the paper focuses on asynchronous courseware, considering the scope it offers for group-based collaborative learning outside the classroom. We report on the effectiveness of this approach for an economics course on International Money and Finance, which was delivered to two classes, following international MBA and MSc programmes respectively at Nyenrode University. Using questionnaire and interview data, we compare the learning experiences of both classes. Our analysis focuses on student reception of the virtual tools and the learner-centred approach. Based on these findings, we propose a framework of pedagogical actions that may help to maximise the potential of elearning within hybrid course designs, particularly for novice users. The hybrid or “mixed-mode” approach is based on the combination of virtual and class-based study methods within an integrated course design.