Die Wirksamkeit von Lernzielen für Studienleistungen – eine experimentelle Studie

According to the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), German higher education teaching fails to meet the demand to integrate competence-oriented learning objectives. Despite a wide-ranging debate on the use of learning objectives, empirical research on their effectiveness is scarce. The present study uses the features of digital teaching platforms to investigate the perception and effectiveness of learning objectives applying a randomised controlled experiment followed by a survey in a course for undergraduate economics students (N = 30). Controlling group preconditions and the treatment effect allows to draw conclusions about the different learning outcomes of the student groups. The specification of behaviour-oriented learning objectives in the online course system leads to significantly better performance in the treatment group. A stronger perception of the learning objectives in the treatment group supports this effect that remains significant in a regression analysis. Thus, the study provides an empirical justification to integrate learning objectives in university teaching.