10.25673/119226">
Proceedings of International Conference on Applied Innovation in IT  ·  2025/04/26  ·  Vol. 13  ·  Issue 1  ·  pp. 139–145
Engaging Students in the Digital Age: A Communicative-Pragmatic and AI-Driven Analysis of Online Prospectuses
Stepan Davydovych, Maryna Davydovych, Kateryna Parnus, Iryna Haidai and Liudmyla Suvorova
The shift from printed to digital university prospectuses has transformed higher education marketing, integrating artificial intelligence and interactive technologies to improve communication. As institutions adopt AI-driven personalization, chatbots, and automated content structuring, the linguistic strategies used in prospectuses evolve to maintain clarity, engagement, and persuasion. However, little research has explored how digitalization influences the communicative-pragmatic aspects of these materials. This study examines how universities implement various linguistic strategies to structure digital prospectuses, ensuring they remain informative, persuasive, and accessible. By analyzing contemporary digital formats, the research identifies key trends in content presentation, engagement techniques, and AI-enhanced communication. The findings suggest that while automation improves accessibility and responsiveness, human-centered linguistic frameworks remain essential for maintaining credibility and trust. This study contributes to the understanding of digital prospectuses as adaptive, multimodal texts that merge traditional rhetorical techniques with AI-driven engagement tools. The results highlight the need for universities to balance technological innovation with effective communication strategies, ensuring that digital prospectuses remain user-friendly, persuasive, and aligned with prospective students’ expectations in an increasingly digital landscape.
Digital University Prospectuses Linguistic Strategies Higher Education Marketing Natural Language Processing (NLP) Data-Driven Decision-Making Chatbot-Assisted Guidance User Experience (UX) In Education Automated Content Generation Online Student Recruitment.
References
  1. J. Burdett, "Students as consumers: A commercial imperative for higher education?," Stud. High. Educ., vol. 42, no. 11, pp. 1958-1970, 2017, [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1127908.
  2. N. Fairclough, Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language, 2nd ed. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2010.
  3. J. Hemsley-Brown and S. Goonawardana, "Brand harmonization in the international higher education market," J. Bus. Res., vol. 60, no. 9, pp. 942-948, 2007, [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.01.019.
  4. J. Hemsley-Brown and I. Oplatka, Higher Education Consumer Choice. London, U.K.: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020.
  5. K. Hyland, Metadiscourse: Exploring Interaction in Writing. London, U.K.: Continuum, 2005.
  6. K. K. Kapoor, K. Tamilmani, N. P. Rana, P. Patil, Y. K. Dwivedi, and S. Nerur, "Advancements in artificial intelligence and implications for marketing: A review and research agenda," Int. J. Inf. Manag., vol. 57, p. 102225, 2021, [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102225.
  7. G. Kress and T. van Leeuwen, Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design, 3rd ed. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2021.
  8. J. A. Lindholm, K. Szelenyi, S. Hurtado, and W. S. Korn, The American College Student: The Demographics of Student Engagement. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2020.
  9. A. Peruta and A. B. Shields, "Marketing higher education: A student recruitment model," J. Market. High. Educ., vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 226-245, 2018, [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2018.1457914.
  10. J. J. Selingo, The New U: Reshaping Higher Education in the Age of Digital Disruption. Washington, DC: The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2018.
  11. O. Zawacki-Richter, V. I. Marín, M. Bond, and F. Gouverneur, "Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education," Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ., vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 1-27, 2019, [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0.
  12. Harper Adams University, "Your Digital Prospectus," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/study/1011/your-digital-prospectus.
  13. Keele University, "Interactive Campus Map," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.thinglink.com/blog/keele-university-uses-thinglink.
  14. Lancaster University, "AI Chatbot 'Ask L.U.'," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/lancaster-university-launch-pioneering-chatbot-companion-for-students.
  15. The University of Manchester, "Undergraduate Prospectus," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/prospectus.
  16. University of Cambridge, "Undergraduate Study," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk.
  17. University of Cambridge, "Virtual Tour," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.virtualtour.study.cam.ac.uk.
  18. University of Dundee, "AI in Teaching and Assessment," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.dundee.ac.uk/guides/ai-artificial-intelligence-teaching-and-assessment.
  19. University of Liverpool, "AI in Research," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://ukrio.org/ukrio-resources/ai-in-research.
  20. University of Sussex, "Rankings and Reputation," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/about/facts/rankings.
  21. University of Warwick, "Undergraduate Virtual Tour," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/virtualtour.
  22. University of York, "Undergraduate Prospectus," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/prospectus.
  23. Unibuddy, "Peer-to-Peer Student Engagement," 2024, [Online]. Available: https://unibuddy.com/blog/postgraduate-peer-to-peer/.

Proceedings of the International Conference on Applied Innovations in IT by Anhalt University of Applied Sciences is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0  ·  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

ICAIIT 2026
International Conference on Applied Innovation in IT
Navigation
Publisher
ISSN2199-8876
Location Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
Phone +49 (0) 3496 67 5611
Address Building 01, Room 425
Bernburger Str. 55
D-06366 Köthen, Germany
Open Access License

All works are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0), unless otherwise noted.

Published by ICAIIT in cooperation with Anhalt University of Applied Sciences.

© 2026 ICAIIT — International Conference on Applied Innovations in IT. Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Köthen, Germany.
Visitors: site traffic counter