Beatrice Mall-Grob  (Language Center, University of Basel)
Anja Matthiä (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute)
Stephan Meyer (Language Center, University of Basel)
Jean Terrier (Digital Literacies, University of Basel)
Mirjam Weder (German Seminar, University of Basel; assessor)

Studying entails not only engaging with academic texts but also writing them. Because academic texts introduce new findings into scientific discourse and to the public, they must meet academic requirements and be clearly and convincingly written.
That is why acquiring academic-writing and research skills is one of the central requirements for earning a degree. Yet for many students, doing so represents a major challenge.
There are now many digital tools, resources, and AI applications that can provide targeted support for key steps in academic writing if they are used competently and responsibly.
This lecture series with practical course will introduce students to the broad spectrum of such digital tools and give them the opportunity to try them out for themselves. To do so, it will break down academic research and writing into steps, convey conceptual and linguistic foundations, and present suitable digital resources and tools that can support these steps.

The following topics will be covered in depth: researching and producing a research overview; structuring, arguing, and formulating; visualizing; revising and editing; background on AI applications and using them efficiently (e.g., effective prompts); legal aspects and questions of academic integrity; self-management and productivity. Through these topics, participants will be introduced, through practice, to the responsible use of digital resources and tools.

Each session will consist of two parts: an input in the first part of the session and then a practical application in the second part of the session.

To earn two ECTS points, it is required to participate in both parts, the input and the practical application, and to complete all the required coursework (for details, see the section on coursework below).

This lecture series with practical course is designed for bachelor’s and master’s students from all disciplines at the University of Basel. The individual sessions will be led by various instructors from the university and by external experts.

All members of the university may audit the input (that is, the first half of each session), but they cannot earn credit points.

Students will become familiar with the demands and steps of academic writing and research as well as with various digital tools and AI applications for supporting academic writing and individual steps in it.

They will be able to use these digital and AI tools effectively for conducting their own research, producing their own texts, revising, and so on. They will also be able to reflect on the tools’ possibilities and limits. In particular, they will be able to address the ethical challenges and questions of academic integrity relevant to using digital and AI tools and to use such tools responsibly.

In addition to attending the input and practical parts of the sessions, students will have to submit multiple small written assignments or exercises on time during the semester to earn two ECTS points.

Scale: pass-fail

• Kruse, O., Rapp, C., Anson, C. M., Benetos, K., Cotos, E., Devitt, A., & Shibani, A. (2023). Digital Writing Technologies in Higher Education: Theory, Research, and Practice.
• Kruse, O., & Rapp, C. (2022). Digitalisierung des wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens: Bestandsaufnahme und Perspektiven. Die Hochschullehre, 38, 522-538.
• Limburg, A., Bohle-Jurok, U., Buck, I., Grieshammer, E., Gröpler, J., Knorr, D., ... & Wilder, N. (2023). Zehn Thesen zur Zukunft des Schreibens in der Wissenschaft. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung. Dossier Generative KI. Diskussionspapier Nr, 23.
• Mollick, E., & Mollick, L. (2023). Assigning AI: Seven Approaches for Students, with Prompts. arXiv preprint arXiv:2306.10052.
• Strobl, C., Ailhaud, E., Benetos, K., Devitt, A., Kruse, O., Proske, A., & Rapp, C. (2019). Digital Support for Academic Writing: A Review of Technologies and Pedagogies. Computers & Education, 131, 33-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.12.005

The language of instruction is German (on at least a C1 level according to the CEFR/Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), but some sessions may be conducted in English. Students’ written assignments for earning ECTS points can be submitted in German or English.

Each session of this lecture series with practical course consists of two parts: an input in the first part of the session and then a practical application in the second part of the session.
All members of the university may audit the input (that is, the first half of each session), but they cannot earn credit points.
A maximum of twenty students can participate in the complete lecture series—that is, input and practical application—and earn two credit points. If there are more than twenty registrations, the order of the registrations will be taken into account.
For the practical course, an updated laptop capable of accessing the university Wi-Fi network is necessary. It cannot be guaranteed that all the tools employed will also run on tablets. The tools that will be tried out are accessible for free but may require registration.

For administrative reasons, it is necessary for all participants to register on Online Services.
Participants who want to earn 2 ECTS points are also requested to add themselves to the table for credit students in the course site on ADAM. If you are unable to register on Online Services, please contact Mirjam Weder by email.