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The article describes the "Vienna E-Lecturing" (VEL), a complex internet-based blended-learning setting developed for students at the University of Vienna (Austria). As part of the introduction to research methods in psychology, VEL aids in imparting factual knowledge regarding research methods and evaluation, as well as promotes learning skills, collaborative learning, and e-competence. The program's conceptualization is based on instructional, as well as motivational findings yielding the program's main teaching principles. The course is composed of online learning modules and face-to-face units (including tutorials and self-regulation training). Within a cooperative learning setting, the modules, which are available through a learning platform, systematically instruct students to learn more effectively by completing different tasks.
Following a brief overview of the e-learning boom within higher education the program's background, its goals, components, and didactic principles will be described, the online modules will be briefly outlined and ultimately, the evaluation of VEL will be addressed.
E-learning has been widely promoted lately and as a result, a large number of articles have been published on this topic. However, only a few scientifi- cally founded and evaluated (e. g. pre-post-tests and comparison of groups) e-learning concepts exist in the context of university education (Keeton, 2004; Stokes, 2000). Particularly university courses (such as lectures) within the cur- riculum of degree programs with large student numbers could benefit from introducing e-learning methods in a lasting manner and result in an improved quality of teaching (Hoskins & van Hooff, 2005). However, to meet this objective further specific didactic and technical concepts will be required.
In-house trials of implementing e-learning based concepts at the University of Vienna (Spiel et al., 2004) have identified in accordance with other results (Stokes, 2000) a fundamental problem: Students often lack necessary skills for self-regulated learning (see also Kramarski & Gutman, 2006) and other relevant skills (e.g., team work or time management). As a result students are often overburdened in courses that utilize the potential of e-learning and require a high degree of self-organization.
Thus the objective of the present project Vienna E-Lecturing (VEL)1 was to develop and implement a didactic concept for e-lecturing that integrates both, the subject matter of academic courses and the advancement of learning skills. In the present article we will outline the starting situation...