Overcoming procrastination, improving concentration

07/07/2026

The externally funded WueCAST project is providing engaging professional development opportunities for students and teaching staff.

The WueCAST project focused on the methods that can be used to support students in self-regulation and how they can take the initiative themselves. (Image: ZBL / Projekt WueCAST)

We all know what this is about: today, more than ever, our attention is being monopolised by push notifications, social media and the constant availability of information and distractions. The negative effects of this – such as procrastination or impaired well-being – represent a challenge for society as a whole, one that is particularly evident in the education sector and, consequently, in higher education.

Over the past two years, the externally funded WueCAST project has therefore developed and tested new learning resources for lecturers and students. As a measure to combat lost attention, these resources support self-regulated learning. The project was funded by the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education through the ‘Freiraum 2023’ funding programme, which supports bold teaching experiments at universities.

Research-based, practical, target-group-oriented

Based on an extensive literature review, an online survey of 1,915 students at JMU, and numerous interviews with lecturers, students and experts, the project team designed three learning products: two blended-learning seminars for university lecturers and a gamified learning guide for students.

All three products are available free of charge as Open Educational Resources (OER) under the CC-BY licence via the Virtual University of Bavaria (vhb) and WueCampus, and can be adapted as required.

Seminar: Designing Creative Learning Environments

The blended-learning seminar ‘Designing Engaging Teaching in the Age of the Digital Attention Economy’, developed by project team member Dr Dirk Jahn, is aimed at lecturers who wish to design creative learning environments that capture attention.

The materials present various academic approaches to the concept of attention and its significance in the context of teaching and learning. They highlight the techniques and methods that can be used to manage, regain and cultivate attention in oneself and others.

Finally, participants develop their own interventions to support their students and can receive peer feedback on their interventions from the course leaders and other participants.

Seminar: Communication that Promotes Learning

Research shows that successful learning depends heavily on the extent of prior knowledge. Therefore, one starting point for communication that promotes learning is to design the introduction to a discipline or learning content, as well as revision, in a way that is particularly sensitive to the target group’s needs. This activates as much of the existing prior knowledge as possible and strengthens the self-confidence that students need to engage in self-regulated learning independently.

This is the focus of the blended learning seminar ‘Facilitating Learning through Communication that Supports Learning and Metacognitive Skills’, designed by Dr Marco Behringer. Alongside clearly presented, academic foundations on communication skills, the course brings together numerous practical tips and methods that enable teachers to support their students’ self-regulated learning and metacognition.

Learning Guide: The Legend of WueCASTLE

A highlight of the project is the gamified learning guide for students, an interactive, playful journey into a fantastical world. There, players battle across four regions of the magical world of WueCASTLE against Prokrastos (procrastination), Lady Hummer von Kummer (diminished well-being) and Troll Wirrhelm (loss of control over attention).

Using H5P, Genially and Canva, Dr Marco Behringer, Tobias Haase and Dr Dirk Jahn have developed an engaging, accessible learning environment, which is available via WueCampus and the vhb’s OER collection. The game lasts around six hours and can be divided into several stages – ideal for fitting into the daily routine of student life. Players are given specific strategies to improve their study habits and strengthen their self-regulation.

A project with a lasting impact

WueCAST demonstrates that, in a world where attention is becoming a scarce resource, good teaching is, more than ever, a matter of science-based design and creativity. The project leaves behind vividly presented materials, examples of contemporary and engaging lesson design, food for thought on both a small and large scale, and a wealth of academic perspectives that will leave their mark at the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Würzburg.

The OER licence enables sustainable use and further development, including at other universities.