Exploring Science and Writing with Florian Michahelles
Florian Michahelles shows that learning about research does not have to be boring. In 16 videos, he covers the hallmarks of sound scientific research.
Picture: Florian Michahelles
This year, Florian Michahelles has taken a new approach to teaching Scientific Research and Writing: Designed for students in computer science and related disciplines, his course adopts a flipped classroom model to actively engage students in the process of doing science rather than merely learning about it.
At the start of the semester, students were introduced to a curated series of 16 short video lectures, each lasting around ten minutes. In these videos, Florian discusses the fundamental principles of scientific research and writing — from the foundations of scientific reasoning and research methodology to effective communication and common pitfalls in academic work. The videos also address essential topics such as the nature of peer review, distinguishing science from pseudoscience, and understanding research ethics.
Once students have familiarized themselves with these core concepts, they discuss the material, solve practical exercises, and analyze real-world examples. This interactive format encourages active participation, peer learning, and the application of theoretical ideas in a collaborative setting. In the final phase of the course, students form small research teams who design and write their first scientific paper, which is then peer-reviewed by fellow students. Through this process, students gain hands-on experience with the entire research cycle — from conceptualization and collaboration to writing, reviewing, and revising.
Just like that, Florian transforms the lecture course into an active, inquiry-driven learning environment. Students don’t just learn about how science works; they experience how scientific knowledge is created, communicated, and evaluated. The video lectures aren’t only valuable for first-time learners; they also offer an excellent refresher for anyone looking to sharpen their understanding of scientific research and writing.
Curious about the lecture and videos? You can watch all of the videos on our YouTube channel!
About Florian
Florian Michahelles joined TU Wien Informatics at the Research Unit Artifact-based Computing and User Research as a full professor for ubiquitous computing. He investigates how we can apply technology to support humans in their tasks and activities while keeping the human user in control; how can we wrap computing capabilities into proactive services, how can we leverage AI to free users from routine and mundane tasks, and let them focus on what we humans are best at: creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, and social collaboration.
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