Postgraduate Nursing Students Engage in CIECT's Targeted AI and Academic Digital Skills Training Workshop

Postgraduate Nursing Students Engage in CIECT's Targeted AI and Academic Digital Skills Training Workshop

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

 

Image by DC Studio on Magnific 

CIECT recently hosted a targeted AI and Academic Digital Skills training session for Postgraduate Nursing students, focusing on the responsible and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic assignments and research (as requested by the Faculty). The training, held on 29 July 2026, was designed to strengthen students’ practical AI skills while supporting them in developing more efficient approaches to academic writing (including referencing and source matching), document preparation, and the interpretation of Turnitin reports. 

Permission granted: Student Training

Supporting Responsible AI Use in Postgraduate Studies

As AI continues to influence academic writing and research, Postgraduate students require practical guidance on how these technologies can be used responsibly without replacing their own academic thinking, judgement, and contribution. The training formed part of CIECT’s ongoing ICT Skills Training and Development support for Postgraduate students and responded to the need for further guidance on the responsible use of AI when compiling assignments and academic work. The session provided students with practical examples of how AI can support different stages of the academic writing process, from developing initial ideas and outlines through to refining written work and reviewing academic submissions. 

Training Overview: AI in Academic Writing and Turnitin

The session took a practical, task-based approach, allowing students to explore how AI and digital tools can support their academic workflow. Participants were guided through a series of activities demonstrating how technology can be used to save time while maintaining responsibility for the ideas, arguments, and final academic work they submit. 

The training covered:

Impact of the Training

The session was highly practical, allowing Postgraduate students to work through different stages of an academic workflow and explore how AI and digital tools could support their studies. By the end of the training, the students:

• Improved their practical understanding of responsible AI use in academic work
• Developed skills in using prompts to support assignment and thesis planning
• Learned how to generate structured outlines to organise academic ideas
• Explored audio-to-text narration as a way of efficiently capturing their thoughts
• Learned how AI can assist with grammar correction and language refinement
• Strengthened their skills in formatting academic documents
• Developed a better understanding of the Turnitin Text Similarity Report
• Gained greater awareness of the Turnitin AI Report and its role within academic integrity practices
• Understand the importance of maintaining the student’s own voice, critical thinking, and academic responsibility when using AI tools.

These skills can assist postgraduate students in working more efficiently while maintaining responsibility for their own academic ideas, writing, and submissions. 

Continued Support from CIECT

CIECT remains committed to strengthening digital and AI literacy across the UWC community through targeted training and skills development initiatives for staff and students. Through initiatives such as the AI and Academic Digital Skills training for Postgraduate Nursing students, CIECT continues to support students in developing the practical skills required to navigate an evolving academic and digital environment responsibly and effectively.

Departments interested in similar postgraduate students group training sessions are encouraged to contact us at: ictskillstraining@uwc.ac.za

We look forward to continuing to support responsible AI use, academic integrity, and the development of practical digital skills across UWC.