As part of the “Master Propaedeutics” project funded by the City of Vienna (MA 23), the competence team “Bridging courses in research skills & methods” at FHWien der WKW has been developing digital self-study resources on research skills at the Bachelor’s level since April 2024. The goal is to specifically prepare students for the transition to Master’s studies while simultaneously providing instructors with flexible, didactically sound materials.
The learning modules developed by Ilona Pezenka, Melanie Dejnega, Evelyn Fränzl and Larissa Neuburger cover the entire “Common Body of Competence” (CBC), i.e., the minimum requirements for future Master’s students in “research skills and methods.” The integrated didactic concept combines knowledge transfer, engagement phases and formative exercises to support lasting learning outcomes. Interactive elements such as AI-powered tutoring tools, quizzes, exercises and videos further encourage active engagement with the content and allow for an individualized learning pace.
High demand and high satisfaction
The project is currently in its second testing phase. During this phase, the learning resources are being tested in courses with the support of numerous instructors. Initial usage data indicate high demand, with more than 2,100 student registrations. Accompanying surveys also confirm high levels of student satisfaction with the content and course design. This feedback, along with detailed input from experts in the field of didactics and e-learning, is continuously integrated into the design and content development of the learning modules.
At the same time, a dedicated online course is under development that can be used by instructors in the Moodle learning management system. In addition to structured access to the individual modules, this course offers a comprehensive question bank for exams. The questions, organized by difficulty level, can be easily integrated into existing Moodle courses, which further simplifies their use in teaching.
Pioneering work and further development of digital teaching and learning formats
The project is also pioneering work in the field of learning analytics at FHWien der WKW. A specially developed dashboard provides detailed usage data and enables a detailed analysis of learning behavior and usage patterns. The findings provide an important foundation for the future development of digital teaching and learning formats as well as for the institutional integration of learning analytics. A corresponding follow-up project has already been submitted.