Academic Writing

The aim of the course is to gradually improve academic writing skills and equip students with tools which can be used in their future academic careers, including writing dissertations. During the course students learn how to write a well-structured academic essay based on sources, but the writing skills are not limited to essays only and can be easily transferred to other types of academic writing. This course also emphasizes the ethical use of AI in academic writing and the development of critical thinking. The course provides a solid basis for further and more confident practice in academic writing necessary in the university context.

During the course students work on key aspects of academic writing, such as the use of sources, avoiding plagiarism, appropriate style, structure and organisation, cohesion and coherence, as well as referencing and using referencing management software (Zotero). Both the course and the assessment reflect the process approach to academic writing. Students produce two written assignments during the course, with a particular focus on the process rather than on the final product.

List of topics:

1. Course and assessment overview. Reading long texts.

2. Synthesising information and answering research questions.

3. Key features of the academic style.

4. Introduction to avoiding plagiarism. Types of plagiarism, antiplagiarism software, academic integrity.

5. Structure and organisation in academic writing. Focus on introductions and conclusions, and paragraph structure.

6. Planning and drafting as essential stages in academic writing.

7. Referencing styles: APA 7th ed. And CMOS 17th ed. Using Zotero – referencing management software.

8. Using AI ethically to become a better writer.

9. The skill of giving and receiving valuable peer feedback. Peer review of essay drafts.

10. Feedforward and action plan: how to continue working on academic writing skills after the course.

All materials are provided by the teacher via Google Classroom. The materials include sample essays, academic articles and worksheets.

Booth, W.C., Colomb, G., Williams, J., Bizup, J., Fitzgerald, W. The Craft of Research (4th ed.) The University of Chicago Press.

Cottrell, S. (2011). Critical thinking skills (2nd ed.). Palgrave.

Read, S. (2019). Academic Writing Skills for International Students (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.

Smith, S. (2019). Academic Writing Genres: Essays, Reports & Other Genres. Evident Press.

Swales, J. & Feak, C. (2012). Academic Writing for Graduate Students. The University of Michigan Press.

By the end of the course, students will:

- have a better understanding of criticality and argumentation.

- be able to identify and use appropriate style and register in academic writing.

- be able to write a well-structured academic essay showing a clear position supported with evidence from sources.

- have practised ways of avoiding plagiarism (summarising, paraphrasing and referencing).

- have expanded their range of academic vocabulary and structures.

The course focuses on how academic work is produced, not only on the final written text. Students will be assessed on their ability to read academic sources, make informed choices, explain their reasoning, and take responsibility for their work. These are core academic skills that remain essential regardless of technological tools.

The assessment tasks are designed so that learning cannot be completed by generating text with AI alone. Instead, they require visible engagement with sources, writing completed under controlled conditions, and the ability to explain and justify academic decisions. This makes assessment fairer, more transparent, and more closely aligned with real academic expectations.

Generative AI is not banned in this course, but it cannot replace reading, thinking, or understanding. Students are responsible for the accuracy of information, the existence of sources, and the arguments they present. The assessment model supports responsible use of digital tools while ensuring that grades reflect students’ own academic development.

All students are expected to use laptops (or at least tablets with a keyboard) in class to produce written assignments. Using smartphones to do such work is not acceptable.

All students are urged to keep the set deadlines for submission of assignments. Failure to meet the assigned deadlines will result in a lower grade and no feedback.

There are five components of the final grade:

Essay 1

1. In-class portfolio – 30%

Students complete a series of short writing tasks under controlled conditions. These tasks provide direct evidence of students’ ability to formulate arguments, integrate sources, and structure academic prose independently.

Essay 2

2. Source engagement dossier – 20%

Students submit a limited number of academic sources accompanied by evaluation of each source and written commentaries explaining how each source is used.

3. Annotated outline – 20%

Students submit an outline of their planned written work with explicit explanations of structural and source-related decisions.

4. Viva – 20%

Students participate in a short individual oral discussion in which they explain and justify their written work, source choices, and their line of reasoning.

5. Attendance – 10%.

Assessment is carried out in accordance with The Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale (AIAS). You can find a detailed description of the levels below.

The AIAS and assessment:

Assessment in the course focuses on evaluating:

1. writing skills: organising information, integrating sources and developing argumentation

2. critical engagement with academic sources

3. explaining and justifying decisions made during the writing process.

This means that all assessed tasks must be completed without AI.

In-class portfolio: Level 1 No AI

Source engagement dossier: Level 1 No AI

Annotated outline: Level 1 No AI

Viva: Level 1 No AI

Level 1 AI must not be used at any point during the assessment.

AI usage Level 1: No AI

The assessment is completed entirely without Al assistance. This level ensures that students rely solely on their knowledge, understanding, and skills.

AI must not be used at any point during the assessment.

AI usage Level 2: AI assisted idea generation and structuring

AI can be used in the assessment for brainstorming, creating structures, and generating ideas for improving work.

No Al content is allowed in the final submission.

AI usage Level 3: AI assisted editing

AI can be used to make improvements to the clarity or quality of student created work to improve the final output, but no new content can be created using AI.

AI can be used, but your original work with no Al content must be provided in an appendix.

AI usage Level 4: AI Task Completion, Human Evaluation

AI is used to complete certain elements of the task, with students providing discussion or commentary on the AI-generated content. This level requires critical engagement with Al generated content and evaluating its output.

You will use Al to complete specified tasks in your assessment. Any Al created content must be cited.

AI usage Level 5: Full AI

AI should be used as a ‘co-pilot’ in order to meet the requirements of the assessment, allowing for a collaborative approach with AI and enhancing creativity.

You may use Al throughout your assessment to support your own work and do not have to specify which content is Al generated.

Submission deadlines will be given at the beginning of the course.

Marking scale

93%-100% - 5

87%-92% - 4.5

77%-86% - 4

71%-76% - 3.5

60%-70% - 3

0%-59% - 2

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