Humboldt Meets Bologna: Developments and Debates in Institutional Writing Support in Germany

Abstract

This article outlines the coming of age of writing pedagogy in German institutions of higher education and explores the role of the ‘Hausarbeit’ in contemporary universities. Traditionally, the 6,000-12,000 word Hausarbeit was the mainstay of academic writing in all university courses in the social sciences and humanities in Germany. This assignment was tied into dominant discourse (‘Humboldt discourse’) in which the main point of higher education was to cultivate future independent scholars. Since 1999, the increasing predominance of ‘Bologna discourse’ has led to the radical restructuring of higher education across Europe. This discourse emphasizes internationalization, transferable skills and key competencies, i.e. the point of higher education is not primarily to cultivate independent scholars but flexible, creative and enterprising future professionals. With indications that the Hausarbeit could disappear in the Bologna process, we argue not only that it can be saved but also that it has a significant role to play in developing the new competencies. This will only happen, however, if students receive institutional writing support, and if writing curricula in Germany rise to the new challenges.Key words: writing centres, discourse, Bologna reforms, writing pedagogy, Hausarbeit