Cultivating Scholarly Excellence: My Learning Experience from the National Academic Writing Workshop (27 January – 1 February 2026)
This blog is written as a task assigned by the head of the Department of English (MKBU), Prof. and Dr. Dilip Barad Sir.
The National Workshop on Academic Writing, organized by the Department of English in collaboration with KCG, Ahmedabad, was conducted from 27 January to 1 February 2026. The workshop brought together scholars, teachers, and students to develop academic writing skills, understand research ethics, and explore the role of digital tools and artificial intelligence in academic work.
The workshop included multiple sessions led by distinguished speakers such as Prof. Kalyan Chattopadhyay, Dr. Paresh Joshi, Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa, Prof. Nigam Dave, and Dr. Kalyani Vallath, each focusing on different aspects of academic writing and professional development.
The workshop documented on the website:
Day 1: 27 January 2026
This video shows the opening ceremony of a week-long academic event the National Workshop on Academic Writing organized by the Department of English at MKBU.
It captures:
- Welcome speeches and introductions
- Officials and faculty members presenting the workshop goals
- Participants being addressed about the importance of academic writing
- The formal launching of the workshop activities
The workshop spanned 27 January – 1 February 2026 with various sessions on academic writing skills and research writing practices
This video features a detailed session by Professor Paresh Joshi focusing on two major themes: Academic Writing and Prompt Engineering for AI tools.
In the first part, Professor Joshi explains the nature and process of academic writing. He defines academic writing as the formal language used to document research and emphasizes that it must be factual, objective, logical, scientific, and evidence-based. He describes academic writing as a structured intellectual conversation that involves reviewing existing literature, summarizing and synthesizing it, responding critically to arguments, and finally generating original ideas. He stresses the importance of clarity, simplicity, coherence, and logical flow. To support students, he also introduces an academic phrase bank to enrich vocabulary and improve scholarly expression.
In the second part, the session shifts to prompt engineering, highlighting how to effectively use AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini in academic and professional work. Professor Joshi explains that prompt engineering involves crafting clear and structured instructions to get accurate and relevant AI responses. He outlines the essential components of effective prompts—role, task, context, constraints, and output format. The lecture also covers various prompting strategies such as zero-shot, one-shot, few-shot, and chain-of-thought prompting. Importantly, he emphasizes the need to fact-check AI-generated content and refine prompts through iterative improvement. The session concludes by discussing differences between AI models, especially in terms of data freshness and application.
Overall, the video combines traditional academic writing principles with modern AI literacy, showing how both skills are essential for contemporary researchers and students.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this session, I understand that academic writing is objective, logical, and evidence-based, and that it functions as part of an ongoing scholarly conversation. I have learned how to review and synthesize literature, respond critically to arguments, and develop original ideas clearly and systematically. I am now more aware of maintaining clarity, coherence, and proper structure in my essays and research papers.
Additionally, I understand the importance of prompt engineering and how to use AI tools responsibly by crafting effective prompts and applying different prompting strategies. I recognize the need to fact-check AI-generated content and refine prompts through iteration. Overall, I can now integrate strong academic writing skills with responsible use of AI, using technology as a support tool rather than a substitute for critical thinking.
This video features Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay, Global Ambassador at the University of Leeds, delivering an in-depth session on academic writing and research methodology. He explains the essential qualities of academic writing formality, objectivity, clarity, and precision and demonstrates how to construct strong research questions and hypotheses using practical examples.
The session also covers key components of research writing, including how to write effective abstracts and introductions, design research (participants, tools, data collection, qualitative vs quantitative analysis), and structure arguments logically. Dr. Chattopadhyay emphasizes the importance of proper citation, hedging language when making cautious claims, and ensuring that evidence directly supports arguments. Additionally, the discussion briefly explores the difference between traditional print literature and hypertext fiction, highlighting how medium affects interpretation.
Overall, the video serves as a comprehensive guide to academic writing, research design, and argumentative clarity.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this session, I will be able to:
- Understand the key features of academic writing, including formality, objectivity, clarity, and precision.
- Formulate clear research questions and hypotheses.
- Structure abstracts and introductions effectively.
- Design basic research frameworks, distinguishing between qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Use hedging language appropriately when presenting uncertain conclusions.
- Apply proper citation practices in academic work.
- Construct well-supported arguments using claim, evidence, counterargument, rebuttal, and conclusion.
Day 2: 28 January 2026
This video features Dr. Kalyan Chattopadhyay leading Session 2 of the National Workshop on Academic Writing at MKBU. The session focuses on the practical application of academic writing principles, building on earlier theoretical discussions.
Dr. Chattopadhyay revisits the core features of academic writing formality, objectivity, clarity, and precision and moves toward hands-on techniques for constructing strong research arguments. Using examples like George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, he demonstrates how texts can be analyzed through theoretical frameworks and how language functions as an instrument of power.
The lecture explains how to formulate research claims and hypotheses, gather supporting evidence, and structure arguments logically using the PIE method (Point–Illustrate–Explain). He differentiates between inductive and deductive reasoning, discusses persuasiveness and credibility in research, and outlines practical steps for argument construction.
Key writing strategies include:
- Writing the introduction last
- Creating a reverse outline to check structural flow
- Using the CAR model (Context–Approach–Results) for conference abstracts
- Developing clear and focused thesis titles
- Writing literature reviews that identify research gaps
- Synthesizing citations and aligning with scholarly frameworks
- Confidently using first-person pronouns (“I”) where appropriate
Overall, the video provides a practical guide to structuring research papers, building persuasive arguments, and refining academic writing for publication and conferences.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this session, I am able to apply the key principles of academic writing such as clarity, objectivity, and precision in my work. I can formulate strong thesis claims, support them with relevant evidence, and structure my paragraphs logically using the PIE method. I now understand the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning and can develop persuasive, well-supported arguments. I am also able to organize literature reviews by identifying research gaps, write effective conference abstracts using the CAR model, improve structural flow through reverse outlining, create clear thesis titles, use first-person pronouns appropriately, and synthesize citations within suitable theoretical frameworks.
The video “Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa | Academic Writing Workshop | English – MKBU” is part of the National Workshop on Academic Writing organised by the Department of English at Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University (MKBU) in Gujarat, India.
Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa leads a session focused on practical aspects of academic writing. Although the video description on YouTube doesn’t list specific details, it is part of a series of workshop sessions covering research writing techniques, structuring academic texts, and improving scholarly communication.
The session likely includes:
- Revisiting the principles of academic writing
- Strategies for organising and developing research ideas
- Examples of writing practices
- Guidance on clear expression, organisation, and coherence
- Interaction with participants (common in workshop recordings)
This video builds on the broader workshop theme of helping students and scholars improve their research writing skills and academic communication.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this session, I will be able to:
- Understand and apply foundational principles of academic writing, such as clarity, objectivity, and coherence.
- Recognise how to structure academic texts logically for research and scholarly communication.
- Improve my ability to articulate ideas clearly in written form.
- Apply practical strategies for drafting, revising, and refining academic writing.
- Gain insight into common expectations and standards in academic research writing.
Day 3: 28 January 2026
This video features Dr. Nigam Dave, Professor of English at Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), delivering a session titled “Detecting AI Hallucination and Using AI with Integrity in Academic Writing” as part of a National Workshop on Academic Writing.
In this session, Dr. Dave examines the impact of AI and technology on modern academic culture. He begins by discussing the age of instant gratification, explaining how digital platforms and rapid technological advancements have reduced attention spans and changed information consumption habits. He traces the evolution of media from memorization and print to television, the internet, and Industry 5.0 to contextualize the rise of AI tools.
A major focus of the lecture is AI hallucination, where AI generates fabricated yet seemingly accurate information. Dr. Dave explains how AI can also reinforce human biases and produce false details, emphasizing the need for critical thinking and ethical responsibility when using AI in academic work.
Despite these risks, he highlights the positive applications of AI in academia, such as proofreading, analyzing research papers, checking novelty of ideas, preparing for viva voce, understanding journal submission processes, verifying indexing credentials, and acting as a reflective academic assistant. The session ultimately stresses responsible, ethical, and informed use of AI in scholarly writing.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this session, I will be able to:
- Understand the concept of AI hallucination and recognize its risks in academic writing.
- Identify how AI can reinforce bias and generate inaccurate information.
- Develop critical thinking skills to fact-check and verify AI-generated content.
- Use AI ethically and responsibly in academic research and writing.
- Apply AI tools effectively for proofreading, research idea validation, viva preparation, and journal submission guidance.
- Recognize the impact of digital culture and instant gratification on academic habits.
- Balance technological assistance with academic integrity and intellectual responsibility.
This video presents the second session of an academic writing workshop led by Dr. Clement Ndoricimpa from Burundi, East Africa. The session primarily focuses on analyzing and providing feedback on participants’ submitted writing assignments.
Dr. Clement begins with a recap of the previous session, where he discussed publishing in Scopus and Web of Science indexed journals, the standard structure of research papers, responsible use of AI tools, the seriousness of plagiarism, and referencing through tools like Mendeley.
In this session, he carefully reviews around forty submitted assignments and offers both personalized and general feedback. A major emphasis is placed on writing a strong introduction using the three-move structure: introducing the topic, reviewing previous research, and identifying the research gap (establishing the niche). He points out common weaknesses such as poor referencing, lack of clear research gaps, and insufficient engagement with previous scholarship. He also shares examples of well-written introductions to demonstrate effective academic writing practices.
The session concludes with practical recommendations for revision, encouragement for further development toward publication, guidance on using AI responsibly for drafting introductions, and suggestions for online resources to improve research writing skills.
Overall, the video serves as a hands-on academic writing improvement session focused on structure, referencing, research gaps, and ethical use of AI.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this session, I will be able to:
- Understand the proper structure of a research paper, especially the three-move introduction model.
- Identify and clearly establish a research gap in my academic writing.
- Improve referencing practices and avoid plagiarism.
- Critically evaluate academic drafts and revise them effectively.
- Use AI tools responsibly to assist with academic language and citations.
- Strengthen my writing with appropriate and recent scholarly references.
- Prepare my work more confidently for publication in indexed journals.
Day 4: 29 January 2026
This video is Part 1 of a 4-part National Workshop on Academic Writing, featuring Dr. Kalyani Vallath, a distinguished scholar and educational pioneer in English studies. The session combines academic writing guidance, research strategies, creative thinking, AI integration, and exam preparation techniques.
Dr. Vallath begins by emphasizing the transformative power of education, describing learning as a collaborative and mutual process. She highlights her work in democratizing English studies through encyclopedias, online lectures, and student collaborations. A key theme of the session is that academic growth comes from shared knowledge and active engagement.
The lecture then shifts to practical academic writing strategies. Dr. Vallath encourages students to use high-quality online resources from global universities to enhance academic thinking. She discusses developing a clear academic voice and “situated knowledge,” meaning writing that connects theory with personal, cultural, and intellectual context.
She introduces practical tools such as journaling, reverse planning, and mind mapping to organize research. Reverse planning involves starting from the final goal of a dissertation or paper and working backward to structure content logically. She also demonstrates how AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini can assist in brainstorming, organizing lectures, refining arguments, and generating practice questions.
The session concludes with strategies for NET exam preparation, focusing on conceptual clarity, question analysis, time management, and using AI responsibly for practice and revision.
Overall, the video presents a transformative and practical approach to academic writing, research development, AI integration, and exam readiness.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this session, I will be able to:
- Understand the transformative and collaborative nature of education.
- Develop a clear academic voice grounded in positional and situated knowledge.
- Use reverse planning and mind mapping techniques to structure research papers or dissertations.
- Maintain a writing journal to clarify ideas and improve organization.
- Leverage high-quality online academic resources for intellectual growth.
- Use AI tools responsibly for brainstorming, structuring, and refining academic work.
- Connect creativity with scholarly writing to make arguments more engaging and relevant.
- Prepare effectively for competitive exams like NET using strategic practice methods.
This video features Dr. Kalyani Vallath delivering an in-depth lecture on English Literature with a strong focus on exam preparation and conceptual clarity.
The session is designed to help students prepare for competitive exams (like NET/SET or university exams) by building:
- Strong knowledge of literary periods (Old English, Middle English, Renaissance, Restoration, Modern, Contemporary)
- Awareness of major and minor works of important authors
- Understanding of literary terms and concepts
- Ability to differentiate between similar historical/literary periods
- Critical awareness of movements such as Humanism, Renaissance, Reformation, etc.
She also gives practical advice on:
- Reading reference materials like Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia for conceptual depth
- Using tools like ChatGPT to generate exam-style questions
- Cross-referencing information for better retention
- Developing serious study discipline and intellectual curiosity
The lecture moves from early literature (Old & Middle English) to Renaissance and Restoration, and finally to 20th-century and contemporary writers such as:
- D. H. Lawrence
- Dylan Thomas
- Harold Pinter
- Julian Barnes
Overall, the video is a comprehensive revision session + motivational lecture aimed at producing knowledgeable, confident literature students and future teachers.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this video, a student will be able to:
Understand Literary Periods Clearly
- Identify characteristics of Old English, Middle English, Renaissance, Restoration, and Modern periods.
- Distinguish between “Middle English” and “Medieval” correctly.
Recall Major & Minor Works
Recognize that exam preparation requires studying not only famous works but also lesser-known works by major authors.
Master Important Literary Terms
Understand terms like:
- Humanism
- Renaissance (rebirth)
Connect terms to their historical context.
Strengthen Exam Preparation Skills
Learn how to:
- Create challenging practice questions
- Cross-reference information
- Build conceptual clarity instead of rote memorization
Develop Critical & Analytical Thinking
- Connect literature with historical, philosophical, and cultural movements.
- Analyze authors within their intellectual contexts.
Improve Academic Discipline
- Develop deeper engagement with literature.
- Cultivate habits necessary for becoming a strong teacher, researcher, or scholar.
Day 5: 30 January 2026
What the Video Covers:
Academic Writing & NET Strategy
Dr. Vallath begins by revising:
- Structure and clarity in academic writing
- Argumentation and critical approach
- Analytical methods for solving UGC NET Paper 1 and Paper 2 questions
- She emphasizes conceptual clarity over memorization.
Classical Literary Criticism:
The lecture revisits foundational critics:
- Aristotle – Poetics, tragedy vs epic, elements of tragedy
- Horace & Juvenal – Types of satire
- Quintilian – Institutio Oratoria
- Philip Sidney – An Apology for Poetry
- John Dryden – Early English criticism
This section helps students understand the roots of literary theory.
Neoclassical & Romantic Criticism
- Joseph Addison & Richard Steele – Journalism & taste
- Alexander Pope – Mock epic tradition
- Coleridge – Imagination & supernatural
- Keats – Negative capability, “Beauty is truth”
- Shelley – Poet as nightingale
Victorian & Modern Critics
- Matthew Arnold – Touchstone method
- Henry James
- T.S. Eliot – Modernism
- I.A. Richards – Semiotic triangle
- F.R. Leavis – The Great Tradition
Contemporary Literary Theories
The session gives a rapid but structured overview of major 20th-century theories:
- Structuralism (Saussure, Lévi-Strauss, Jakobson)
- Post-Structuralism (Barthes, Derrida – différance, deconstruction)
- Myth Criticism (Northrop Frye)
- Marxism (Raymond Williams, Jameson)
- Feminism (Simone de Beauvoir, Kate Millet, Judith Butler, Kristeva)
- New Historicism (Stephen Greenblatt)
- Reader-Response (Wolfgang Iser, Booth)
- Postcolonialism (Said, Spivak, Bhabha, Fanon)
The lecture connects theorists with their key concepts and major works especially important for UGC NET.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this session, a student will be able to understand the evolution of literary criticism by tracing its development from Aristotle to Postcolonialism and recognizing how critical thought has transformed across centuries. The student will be able to identify key theorists and match them with their major works while clearly explaining important concepts such as mimesis, negative capability, the semiotic triangle, langue and parole, différance, deconstruction, and the three waves of feminism. The session will also improve UGC NET exam readiness by enabling students to tackle theory-based MCQs confidently, differentiate between closely related concepts such as Horatian and Juvenalian satire, and approach Paper 2 questions analytically. Additionally, it will strengthen academic writing skills by encouraging structured, argument-based responses that effectively connect theory with textual analysis and use appropriate critical terminology. Students will build conceptual clarity by moving beyond rote memorization to understand the philosophical foundations behind each theory. They will develop comparative understanding by examining classical, romantic, modern, and postmodern critics and identifying shifts from formalism to post-structuralism. Finally, the session will enhance critical thinking by equipping students to analyze texts through multiple theoretical lenses, including feminist, Marxist, structuralist, and postcolonial frameworks.
This video is a strategy-focused lecture by Dr. Kalyani Vallath aimed at helping students tackle difficult or tricky exam questions, especially for UGC NET (Literature and Language Studies).
Rather than simply revising content, the session teaches how to think during exams.
Dr. Vallath demonstrates that many “tough” questions can be solved through:
- Basic conceptual knowledge
- Logical reasoning
- Elimination method
- Calm and analytical thinking
- Identifying extreme or absurd options
- Smart inference from limited information
She uses real exam-style examples from literature, linguistics, literary theory, psychoanalysis, feminism, and criticism to show how strategic thinking works.
The video covers key areas in literature, linguistics, and literary theory while focusing strongly on exam strategy and academic growth. It discusses literary schools and authors such as James Barrie, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, Nirad C. Chaudhuri, and Harold Pinter. It also explains linguistic concepts like voiced and voiceless sounds and social variation in language. In literary theory, it touches on Horace’s Ars Poetica, post-structuralism, deconstruction, psychoanalysis, feminist essentialism, and audience theory. Alongside content knowledge, the session emphasizes smart exam techniques, logical elimination of wrong answers, use of research resources like Shodhganga and Project Muse, and the importance of NET and JRF for academic careers, ending with a feedback session and vote of thanks.
Learning Outcomes:
After watching this video, I am able to apply logical reasoning effectively in exams by using elimination methods, identifying extreme or absurd options, and making intelligent guesses through deduction. I have learned to stay calm during difficult questions, avoid panic, think analytically rather than emotionally, and trust my basic knowledge. The session has strengthened my UGC NET preparation skills by helping me understand how NET questions are framed, recognize patterns in tricky MCQs, and approach Paper 2 questions strategically. I can now connect concepts across disciplines by relating literary theory, linguistics, feminism, and psychoanalysis while identifying key theorists and their major ideas. Additionally, my critical thinking has improved as I can infer answers from context, analyze quotations carefully, and detect misleading wording. Finally, I have enhanced my academic awareness by learning about important research resources and understanding the significance of NET and JRF for my academic and professional growth.
Throughout the Workshop:
- I understood that academic writing is objective, structured, and evidence-based, forming part of a larger scholarly conversation.
- I learned how to identify research gaps, frame clear thesis statements, and organize arguments logically.
- I gained practical knowledge about research design, proper referencing, and avoiding plagiarism.
- I developed awareness about responsible use of AI, including prompt engineering, fact-checking, and avoiding AI hallucination.
- I improved my conceptual clarity in literary theory from Aristotle to Jacques Derrida and strengthened my understanding of major literary movements.
- I learned effective exam strategies such as logical elimination, analytical thinking, and staying calm during difficult questions.
Conclusion:
The workshop successfully integrated traditional principles of academic writing with contemporary research practices and responsible use of artificial intelligence. It provided clarity on research methodology, argument structure, citation ethics, publication standards, and exam strategies. The sessions moved beyond theoretical instruction and encouraged critical thinking, intellectual discipline, and analytical reasoning.
Overall, the workshop strengthened scholarly confidence, improved academic writing competence, and fostered ethical awareness in research practices. It bridged the gap between conventional scholarship and modern technological tools, equipping participants with the skills necessary for academic excellence, research publication, and competitive examinations such as UGC NET.
In essence, the workshop contributed not only to academic skill development but also to the cultivation of responsible, reflective, and independent scholars.
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