ACHILLES – Assessing Daily Changes in Individual Prerequisites of Learning Success

The project ACHILLES examined the relationships between volitional, emotional, and cognitive processes in medical students preparing for their final exam. It further investigated whether these couplings can be changed by a technology-supported intervention.

Project Description

Success of self-regulated learning depends on the ability to regulate one’s cognitions, emotions, and behavior to accomplish the learning task. Existing research suggests that cognitions, emotions, and the ability to self-regulate are interdependent. Moreover, cognitive and emotional processes are known to fluctuate on a daily basis. The question arises as to what extent daily progress and overall learning success are related to these processes.

The study was conducted with medical students who prepared for the final state examination and could therefore be studied in a time of intensive daily learning. The study helped to identify protective factors for potentially detrimental influences such as test anxiety. Ultimately, we strove to create the foundation for the development of individualized interventions for fostering learning success.

The medical students answered daily questions about their control beliefs, goals, emotions, and self-regulation of learning before and after each learning session. They were, furthermore, encouraged to implement a simple self-regulation strategy, which was supposed to help them reach their learning goals. We aimed to identify individual prerequisites of successful learning by linking these psychological processes with daily learning progress and success in the exam.

Funding

Cooperations

Project Management

Prof. Dr. Garvin Brod

Project Team

Dr. Jasmin Breitwieser

Project Details

Status:
Completed Projects
Department: Education and Human Development
Duration:
01/2018 – 03/2022
Funding:
External funding
Contact: Dr. Jasmin Breitwieser, Academic Staff