Setting Goals to Improve Study Skills in a Blended Learning Course

This article explores the challenges of fostering personal, self-regulatory skills in higher education. Study skills, such as learning how to learn, time management, motivation, and social competencies, should be systematically addressed to enhance students' academic success. The presented course design incorporates a learner-centered teaching model and goal setting within a blended learning framework. The assessment of higher-order learning objectives tied to subjective, personal development poses a significant challenge. A participatory goal-setting approach, informed by goal-setting theory and research on implementation intentions and habit formation, is introduced. This method empowers students to set, pursue, and evaluate their goals, aligning with self-determination theory and fostering the experience of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This approach is designed to facilitate active student engagement and foster lasting behavioral change. The article discusses the psychological theories behind motivation, performance and long-term behavioral change, the rationale for the course structure, and experiences from offering the course over four semesters, including changes made and plans for future development.