eTutor Training: Media Didactics for Digital Teaching
Selin Dirlik, Aleksandra Bartkowiak, Elisabeth Schaper, Marianne BehrendsObjectives
The digitalization push accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic is presenting teachers in higher education with increased didactic, organizational, and time-related challenges. Against this backdrop, eTutors are becoming increasingly important in the planning, design, and implementation of digital teaching and learning offerings. This article presents an asynchronous, openly licensed self-study course for training eTutors in media didactics, which is compact, flexible, and voluntary.
Methods
The eTutor program was systematically developed using the ADDIE instructional design model and informed by Self-Determination Theory. Following a needs assessment among digital teaching experts, six thematic modules were developed, implemented as an asynchronous learning program, and iteratively reviewed. The program was implemented and evaluated at two German universities from winter 2023/24 to summer 2025. At the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, a one-group pretest-posttest design assessed changes in perceived competencies via online questionnaires. Changes were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and Cohen’s d. At Hannover Medical School, trained student assistants were assessed on their ability to apply acquired competencies by analyzing and revising digital learning materials on the institutional learning platform.
Results
Findings indicate that participants rated the course positively in terms of workload, difficulty, and content appropriateness. Pre-post comparisons indicate increased self-reported competence development. In addition, results from practice-based tasks show that participants were able to apply acquired media-didactic skills in authentic teaching contexts.
Conclusion
The eTutor program can be considered a flexible and theory-informed complement to existing programs in higher education. The evaluation indicates perceived improvements in media didactic skills and demonstrates potential for transferring acquired competencies to digital teaching practice. The program also considers the needs expressed by various university staff members, making it well-suited to the diverse demands of university practice. Its open license and asynchronous format provide strong potential for reuse and adaptation across higher education institutions.