Graduation

Current Dissertations

• Einsatz von Apps in der Fernlehre (The Use of Apps in the Distance Teaching Process)

  Christine Schulmann

  Description: This dissertation is devoted to the use of apps in the context of Mobile Learning and their disputable benefit for Distance Learning. Based on data collected within the scope of the project and in reference to the current theories of Mobile Learning a model for learning with apps in Distance Learning is to be developed.

• Enhancing Social Presence in Online Learning through the use of Social Software

  Joshua Weidlich

  Description: Social Presence is the extent to which a learner in a learning environment may have the perception of being „there“, i.e. present. This concept ist relevant for online and distance learning because it is associated with, for example, positive group climate and social interaction. Studies have shown that these constructs affect the perceived quality of instruction.
  This dissertation will explore the emergence of social presence in online learning environments and aims to find empirically sound design recommendations in this regard. To achieve this, element of social software will be implemented and tested in their capabilites to give rise to social presence and related constructs.

• Selecting the right instructional event for the right knowledge component: Three in-vivo experiments on the Knowledge-Learning-Instruction Framework

  Alexander Lipka (Alumnus)

  Description: How do instructional events that respectively implement the memory-enhancing “testing” principle, the induction-enhancing “variability of practice” principle, and the sensemaking-enhancing “self-explanation” principle, impact the speed and error rate of learning for three kinds of knowledge components (“facts”, “concepts”, and “principles”)? The proposed PhD-work is being conducted in cooperation with FernUniversität in Hagen and Carnegie Mellon University. Its aim is to partially validate, generalize and – as the case may be – revise postulates from the Knowledge-Learning-Instruction framework (Koedinger, Corbett, & Perfetti, 2012). Thereby contributing to its long-term goal of promoting the emergence of small set of domain-independent, practical rules that link various kinds of knowledge components to the kinds of instruction best-fit to teach them.

• Gamification in Distance Learning

  Klaudia Bovermann

  Description: Gamification is a relatively new research field and describes the use of typical elements of game playing such as points, badges, leaderboards, progress bars, or friendly competition in traditionally non-game settings. Educational gamification has becoming popular over the last few years and therefore, the dissertation investigates specific game elements in the context of distance learning. The aim of the research is to gain insights into the acceptance of the use of game elements among distance learning students and the impact of gamification on learning motivation and achievement of learning objectives.

Completed Dissertations

• Educational computer games and learning: Three empirical studies of games’ impact on virtual presence, cognitive load and learning outcomes

  • Dr. Claudia Schrader

  First Review: Prof. Dr. Bastiaens, FernUniversität Hagen
  Second Review: Prof. Dr. Niegemann, Universität Erfurt

• Entwicklung und Erprobung eines volitionalen Designmodells

  Dr. Markus Deimann

  First Review: Prof. Dr. Niegemann, Universität Erfurt
  Second Review: Prof. Dr. Bastiaens, FernUniversität Hagen

  Zur Dissertation (PDF 12 KB)