The Covid-19 pandemic caused a rapid transition from in-person to online teaching and learning environments with increased problems of student amotivation and disengagement. This work reviews the factors affecting motivation and engagement in university education. It develops a practical model of the elements and dynamics of a motivating environment based on three main aspects, namely inputs, transformational elements and outcomes. Motivating inputs include teachers who communicate well, are knowledgeable in both theory and practice, provide varied and high-quality resources and are friendly and approachable. Transformational elements include providing clear instructions, having well-organised course content, using good communication and being entertaining and helpful. The model is assessed using a cross-sectional study over two years of an undergraduate technical construction course at a New Zealand university. Over 2021 and 2022, with classes of over 200 students, the average pass rate was 90%. The course results and student feedback confirm that creating a sincere motivational environment with an emphasis on early student engagement improves retention and completion rates and provides students with a positive learning experience. The results show that offshore students have a higher risk of amotivation and disengagement than local students, which may indicate a need to tailor course design to meet the needs of the different cohorts. The key ingredients of the model successfully created a motivating environment for first-year construction students. These ingredients may be useful to other teachers in developing online learning environments that encourage student engagement by providing a rich learning experience.