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Background This paper explores the role of providing structure for students within a new blended-learning family medicine curriculum at Saarland University. This study intends to clarify the role of different structural elements for different learning approaches (deep vs. structured vs. surface learning). Methods This study is based on a mixed-methods approach. Fifth year medical students' (n = 84) learning approaches, measured by a shortened version of the ASSIST questionnaire, were correlated with students' academic performance in state exams and the family medicine exam. Based on learning approaches and age, participants were purposefully sampled into two semi-structured group interviews with seven participants each. Results Although surface approach learning weakly correlated with lower performance in the first state exam (rho = 0.231), surface approach learning did not correlate with lower performance in the family medicine assessment. Based on qualitative results, the structural design of the curriculum seemed to have a high impact on students' satisfaction and motivation to learn. The reduction of extraneous cognitive load was identified as effective in motivating students to study. Deep-learning students highlighted the positive effects of curriculum activities that foster germane cognitive load through schema- based learning. Conclusions Especially for surface approach learners it may be important to provide structured guidance and provide a clear alignment of course content in a blended-learning curriculum, even in higher education. Deep and structured approach learners also benefit from a clear course structure that keeps extraneous cognitive load low and fosters schema acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study validated the proposed structure of relationships among outcome‐related achievement emotions (pride and anxiety), their cognitive predictors (appraisals und online‐learning‐related self‐efficacy), and learning outcomes (competence gain and satisfaction) in the context of online learning in higher education. On the basis of a sample of 220 university students, we applied structural equation modeling. We found that high self‐efficacy was related to greater perceived control, which was positively associated with interest in online learning. Self‐efficacy showed positive relations with pride and negative relations with anxiety. Interest was positively associated with pride, competence gain, and satisfaction. Both outcomes also showed direct positive relations with pride, whereas anxiety was negatively associated with satisfaction only. Furthermore, three substantial indirect effects of self‐efficacy on the two outcomes were revealed. The findings supported the role of anxiety and pride as mediators between cognitions and learning outcomes although also direct relationships between interest and learning outcomes were observed. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter? achievement emotions are mediators between learner's appraisals and learning outcomeshowever, little research on emotions as antecedents of achievement in academic online learningfew studies differentiated effects of dispositional and contextual appraisalsregarding emotions, pride as affective antagonist of anxiety remains underresearched What does the paper add to the topic? The manuscript examines antecedents and outcomes of pride and anxiety as antagonistic emotionsdifferentiates the interplay among three kinds of appraisals on emotionsinvestigates differential effects of emotions on affective and competence‐based outcomesexamines direct and indirect associations between the study variables using latent modeling Implications for practitioners? Lecturers should address rather students' positive emotions like pride than anxiety in online learning settingsfoster learners' interest to enhance pride, as well as outcomes like satisfaction and competence gainstrengthen students' self‐efficacy to decrease anxiety that is linked to lower satisfaction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]