The impact of writing technology on conceptual alignment in BA thesis supervision

Abstract

A thesis is the capstone writing experience of almost all degree programs. With the Bologna reform, a BA thesis is required already after three years of study, often leaving students inadequately prepared. In contrast to PhD thesis supervision, BA thesis supervision has attracted limited scholarly attention to date. Advances in computational linguistics and informatics in recent years have led to the rapid development of systems that support various types of writing, as well as numerous sub-processes. Using conceptual alignment as a framework, this study reports the preliminary results of a larger research project on (a) how students and supervisors at the BA level reach agreement regarding a thesis proposal concept, and (b) the impact of new technology on this process