Following the Bologna Process, German universities are increasingly supporting writing skills as a ‘key competence’ (Ruhmann & Kruse 2014). Despite modest gains, however, Bologna presents an ironic new barrier: framed as a key competence, writing is cut off from the disciplines (Lahm 2016).

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is a case in point. TUM has a thriving writing center and myriad composition courses; however, students struggle with writing transfer since study programs have done little to integrate communication skills into disciplinary learning.

TUM writing staff are exploring inroads into the disciplines despite tight budgets for key competencies. Inspired by WID models, the ‘Boost’ Writing Pilot applies ‘nudge’ and ‘boost’ techniques, which aim to influence behavior through minimal inputs (Grüne-Yanoff & Hertwig). This pilot injects writing instruction into the disciplinary learning process in a way that is immediately relevant to students writing seminar papers and theses. A key pillar is to use modeling and carefully selected mentor texts drawn from the disciplinary curriculum. This method not only eliminates the writing transfer gap but also inspires students to consciously emulate the communication techniques of well-known scientists in their fields.

This pilot is not a replacement for full-fledged composition courses. It is rather a short-term tactic — palatable to decision-makers — to bring writing instruction into the disciplines, where it can further develop following WID models.

The pilot is currently underway in management and environmental engineering seminars for MSc students. A writing instructor (Hendren) is collaborating with two professors as a guest lecturer–cum–WID consultant.

This presentation may especially interest those who wish to explore WID strategies at institutions with limited sup\port for writing instruction.