The ‘hands on’ project focuses on the development of virtual teaching and learning scenarios using a Virtual Campus based on the theoretical models of Self-Determination Theory (SDT, 1) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL, 2) and anchored in the roles and tasks of the professions of Social Work, Health Scienes and Therapy Sciences. For these professions, professional action is associated with specific competences and requirements, which is why the University should also be a social space that prepares students in the hybrid space for their future professional life.

The Virtual Campus is a web-based platform that provides asynchronous learning and thus self-directed learning at one's own pace as well as communicative and collaborative opportunities to address the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social integration that SDT considers central. According to this, students develop increasing intrinsic motivation when they experience, for example, autonomy in organising their learning processes, competence in mastering their tasks and social integration through interactions with teachers and fellow students. On this basis, students are supported in developing the social-emotional competencies of self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness and responsible decision-making through concrete offerings on the Virtual Campus. These include, for example, a curated media library and themed learning worlds for self-study, a strengths course to build professional identity, and mental and physical health activities. There is also the opportunity to network with other students from any location for collaborative work. Overall, the offerings can be categorised as orientation & information, organisation & self-management, collaboration & social networking, self-study & independent consolidation, and personal development & self-reflection. This should enable students to recognise, accept and reflect on their own and others' emotions, as well as improve problem-solving and build stable relationships.

A first evaluation of the Virtual Campus was carried out in 2023 with first-year bachelor students in Social Work, health and therapy professions at the three locations of the university, and will be carried out with a second cohort in 2024. The research questions are whether:
(1) there are differences in social-emotional competences between the measurement points and whether
(2) there is a relationship between the use of the Virtual Campus and the development of these competences.
The project also asks (3) how students experience the start of their studies and the development of social-emotional competences in relation to the use of a Virtual Campus. Both evaluations are based on a mixed-methods design, consisting of a quantitative questionnaire survey at three measurement points, an accompanying survey of virtual campus usage data, and a qualitative survey in the form of guided interviews. The results of both evaluations will be combined and presented in early 2025. On this basis, the Virtual Campus will be further developed and opened up to the whole University.

References:
[1] Ryan, R. M.; Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. New York, London: The Guilford Press.
[2] Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) (2021). What is the CASEL framework? https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/what-is-the-casel-framework/ (21.11.2024)

Keywords: Hybrid learning, self-determination theory, social-emotional learning, social work, therapy and health sciences.