Abstract:

European higher education policy emphasizes the role of competence-oriented teaching, a directive which is increasingly reflected in the structure of curricula and study programs. Since universities often use student e-tutors to supervise virtual courses, modules or events, they are of great relevance to the course quality of these courses. Thus, it makes sense to record and develop the competencies of these e-tutors to ensure or increase course quality on the one hand and, on the other hand, to advance the personal competence development of students on the job.

Addressing this need, this paper delineates the design and implications of a prototypical Self-Evaluation Tool (SET) for e-tutors in higher education. In the case under study, e-tutors accompany and support virtual group work of student groups that have to work on and solve case studies together over several weeks. The tool enables the e-tutors to assess their competencies before the supervision phase. Therefore, competence-improving measures, such as participation in an e-tutor tandem, can be taken. After the end of the tutoring phase, the SET should help the e-tutors to track their competence development and, optimally, shows an increase in the competencies assessed and, thus, fosters their competence profile.

The nine competencies addressed in the SET are thoroughly derived from detailed research on e-tutors, their qualification program, and the competencies needed to perform their job successfully. The SET was developed through a multilevel iterative research process in collaboration with practicing e-tutors to meet the target audience's needs. The close cooperation with the e-tutors resulted in eight design criteria, most of which could be considered when creating the SET. The tool was created in LimeSurvey to be easily accessible via the web without the need for installation.

It contains two types of question blocks. First, there is a simple self-assessment per competence. This part is followed by situational questions that prompt the e-tutor to reflect. In the background, the different reaction or answer options are ranked. Thus, a final, numerical evaluation can be carried out, and the result of the short self-assessment and the more detailed review questions can be compared. The e-tutors are presented with a tabular and graphical evaluation of their results. Depending on the result, smaller or more pronounced action recommendations are displayed, which the e-tutor can undertake to improve the respective competence.

The final evaluation of the prototype was positive and showed that the e-tutors found it intuitive to use, helpful and well-structured. Through the active use of the SET and the application of suggested recommendations for action, the e-tutor activity can be geared towards competencies and represent a sustainable added value for the e-tutors and the students being supervised. The tool is an instrument for lifelong learning, as it accompanies e-tutors over an extended period and can provide actionable recommendations. Moreover, the structure of the tool can be adapted for other target groups and application scenarios, which underscores the broader potential of the SET.

Keywords:

E-tutors, competencies, self-evaluation, online collaboration, virtual supervision, prototyping, higher education, competence development, lifelong learning.