Project duration: March 2022 – July 2023
Funding: Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt
Social needs such as connection and a sense of belonging with other volunteers play an important role in voluntary engagement, but are more difficult to fulfill in digital contexts. The research project investigates how close interaction and exchange between volunteers can be fostered despite physical distance, in order to strengthen feelings of belonging and connectedness and thereby support long-term digital engagement. Using the specific case of digital mentoring, the project also examines which factors can promote relationship building between mentors and mentees.
The research project is conducted in cooperation with the two non-profit organizations ROCK YOUR LIFE! and Speed up, Buddy!, which offer digital mentoring programs for school and university students.
Publications
Hennig, F., Wesche, J.S., Handke, L. and Kerschreiter, R. (2024), “Designing virtual mentoring programs based on students’ motivation to participate: a qualitative study”, Information and Learning Sciences, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-10-2023-0155
Hennig, F., Wesche, J. S., Handke, L. & Kerschreiter, R. (2022). Stärkung von Verbundenheit und Zugehörigkeit im digitalen Engagement. In T. Köhler, E. Schoop, N. Kahnwald & R. Sonntag (Hrg.), Gemeinschaften in Neuen Medien. Digitalität und Diversität. Mit digitaler Transformation Barrieren überwinden!? (p. 159-163). https://doi.org/10.25368/2023.15
Presentations
Hennig, F., Wesche, J. S., Handke, L., & Kerschreiter, R. (2022, October). Stärkung von Verbundenheit und Zugehörigkeit im digitalen Engagement. Conference paper presented at the 25. Jahreskonferenz der Gemeinschaften in Neuen Medien, Dresden, Germany.
Hennig, F., Handke L., Wesche, J. S., & Kerschreiter, R. (2023, September). Herausforderungen im digitalen Mentoring. Conference presentation at the 13. Tagung der Fachgruppe Arbeits-, Organisations- und Wirtschaftspsychologie sowie Ingenieurpsychologie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie, Kassel, Germany.
Wesche, J.S., Handke, L., Hennig, F. (2023, June). Engagiert Geforscht mit der FU Berlin – Verbundenheit und Zugehörigkeit im digitalen Engagement. Webinar in collaboration with the Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt.
FU Project Team
Prof. Dr. Jenny S. Wesche (PL), Prof. Dr. Lisa Handke (PL), Frederike Hennig, Prof. Dr. Rudolf Kerschreiter