Explanation of how planned student activities will be conducted online

All planned student activities within GMBS programmes will be delivered and managed through the Totara Learning Management System (LMS), which will serve as the central online environment for teaching, learning, interaction, assessment, academic support, and administrative communication. Student activities are designed to take place through a combination of asynchronous and synchronous online engagement, ensuring flexibility for working students while maintaining structured academic participation and active interaction between students and teaching staff.

1) Asynchronous learning activities

Asynchronous activities form the foundation of the weekly learning structure. They enable students to study at their own pace while progressing through clearly defined learning milestones.

Planned asynchronous activities include:

Pre-recorded video lectures made available through the LMS, allowing students to pause, rewatch, and return to more complex topics. The lectures introduce key theoretical frameworks, concepts, and applied examples.
Case studies and applied tasks, in which students analyse real or simulated business situations and submit outputs (analyses, reports, recommendations) via the LMS. Materials are distributed through the LMS, and submissions are processed and archived in a systematic manner.
Discussion forums, which facilitate guided reflective and analytical discussions related to specific learning units. Students publish contributions, respond to peers, and participate in academically moderated discussions. Lecturers actively moderate the forums and provide feedback to ensure academic relevance and quality of engagement.

These activities are not limited to content delivery; they are also designed to demonstrate student engagement, support the application of knowledge, and develop analytical and critical thinking in an online environment that allows for monitoring and verification of participation.

2) Synchronous academic support and interaction

Although the programmes will be delivered fully online, synchronous interaction is incorporated into the teaching model to ensure real-time student contact, support, and the accessibility of academic staff.

Planned synchronous activities include:

Mentoring and tutoring sessions, delivered through video-conferencing tools integrated into the LMS. Sessions may be conducted individually or in small groups and are used to clarify topics, support students in completing assignments and case studies, and develop applied skills. They are scheduled flexibly to accommodate students in different time zones.
Individual consultations and supervision, particularly for research-oriented components. Students are assigned an academic supervisor and participate in structured online consultations (video meetings and email communication), while all documentation and learning materials are managed via the LMS.

This approach ensures consistent academic presence, accessible support, and the possibility of personalised guidance throughout the period of study.

3) Structured use of digital learning tools

The LMS will be used as an integrated platform for:

publishing learning materials (video lectures and resources),
managing and moderating discussion forums,
administering assignment submission and assessment processes,
providing feedback and academic communication,
scheduling mentoring and consultation sessions,
monitoring student progress and engagement.

For activities requiring analytical or financial modelling, students will also use specialised tools such as Microsoft Excel, and outputs will be incorporated into analytical reports and submitted via the LMS.

4) Monitoring participation and student engagement

The online model enables systematic monitoring of student engagement. Participation (forum activity, timely submission of assignments, ongoing interaction with learning materials) is tracked through the LMS, allowing the identification of low engagement and early academic support interventions. The learning process also includes formative online tests after learning units, supporting progress monitoring, understanding, and formative feedback for lecturers.

5) Ensuring academic integrity and quality in online activities

Online student activities are designed to support academic standards and integrity while ensuring flexibility and inclusiveness. The model is based on the following principles: