We say at UTS that our job is to teach you how to think — not what to think. That’s for you to decide.
So, in the same spirit, AcaWriter focuses on how to write academically — not what to write in terms of the actual ideas.
However great your ideas are, it’s no good if you can’t communicate them.
So how does AcaWriter help? It provides automated feedback on academic writing. Research shows many students find it tough to express their ideas in formal academic language, and would benefit from faster, more actionable feedback.
AcaWriter works by looking for hallmarks of good academic writing that signal (to your audience) that you’re developing ideas. This helps demonstrate your critical thinking, ability to put forward an argument, and your development as a reflective professional.
AcaWriter gives you feedback to help you improve your draft. Nobody will see your documents other than you and the UTS team developing the tool. We encourage you to revise your draft and get feedback as many times as you want.
AcaWriter works with two different types of writing ‘genres’: analytical writing and reflective writing. It’s important that you understand the difference and tell AcaWriter at the start which one you’re using, since it generates genre-specific feedback.
- Analytical writing is used across all disciplines at University and can include anything from an essay, to a research paper or a business report. You’re typically reviewing literature, introducing and contrasting important concepts, and crafting arguments. Learn more.
- Reflective writing is your response to experience, opinions, events or new information as well as your response to your thoughts and feelings. This kind of writing is used to help you explore your learning on a deeper level, to make meaning out of what you’re studying, and to give you the opportunity to gain self-knowledge. Learn more.