Developing Time Management Competencies for First-Year College Students Through Experiential Learning: Design-Based Research

Time management is a critical competency for first-year college students, yet many struggle with limited self-regulation, and existing interventions are often short-term and weakly grounded in theory. This study explored how a design-based research (DBR) approach integrating experiential learning and digital tools could strengthen students’ time management skills. From 2021 to 2023, 238 first-year students at a research university in central China participated in a three-month hybrid Freshman Orientation Seminar, with data collected from daily submissions via a WeChat mini-program. Over three iterative DBR cycles, the intervention combined experiential learning theory with authentic time management practice, guided by quantitative and qualitative evidence to refine the pedagogical model. The process yielded six design principles and a supporting digital tool. In the final iteration, students demonstrated substantial gains, including improved planning, greater task completion, more accurate time allocation, and higher satisfaction with time use. These findings suggest that sustained, theory-guided experiential learning, when supported by digital tools, can significantly enhance time management competencies. The study contributes practical strategies for embedding self-regulated learning into higher education through technology-enhanced experiential approaches.