Designing for Career Readiness: An Evidence-Based Model for Integrating Theory and Practice into Undergraduate Courses

Rapid workforce transformation driven by widespread AI adoption requires online higher education institutions to evolve curriculum design at a greater speed to support diverse learners in acquiring the competencies needed for career transitions in a dynamic job market. This study explores the integration of a flexible online Instructor-Created Content (ICC) tool into course design, using a consistent learning theory framework: Translating Research in Environmental Education (TREE). Using an action research approach, we examined the influence of embedded learning theory constructs on student retention. The pre- and post-test findings show a consistent decline in attrition rates across all courses that were redesigned using applied learning theories. These results suggest that instructional strategy alignment to the TREE framework positively impacts student persistence. The courses with the most dramatic decreases in attrition were Psychology of Learning (PSY/110) (declined from 22.6% to 18.9%) and Mathematics for Early Educators II (MTH/214) (declined from 23.7% to 10.3%). These results underscore the value of maintaining theoretical coherence and consistency in curriculum design by the instructional design teams to support student learning. A human-centered approach, combined with AI-assisted tools, enriches our curriculum development efforts while maintaining efficiency, paving the way for scalable and sustainable learning environments.