Bachelor's Seminar
SM 452 for Bachelor's program (Business Informatics)
General Information
| Lecturer | Prof. Dr. Armin Heinzl |
|---|---|
| Course Format | Seminar |
| Credit Points | 5 ECTS (WI after Fall 2013), 4 ECTS (WI before Fall 2013) |
| Language | English |
| Grading | Seminar paper (70%), presentation (20%), discussion (10%) |
| Exam Date | See course information below |
| Information for Students | Registration: Please see information below! |
Désirée Zercher, M.Sc.
Contact person for Bachelor's Seminar
For further information please contact Désirée Zercher.
Course Information
New Frontiers in Digital Transformation
Brief Description
Digital technologies and the ever-growing amounts of data are radically reshaping our daily lives as well as the economy. Embedded at the very core of the products, operations, and strategies of many organizations, digital technologies are rapidly transforming existing businesses throughout all industries. New market offerings, business processes, as well as business models are emerging around the use of these digital technologies, yielding digital innovation1. The pervasive nature of digital technology is fundamentally transforming our understanding of information systems (IS), especially regarding their development, coordination, use, and the way we interact with them. At our chair, we offer a wide range of research topics in IS, focusing on new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). In our research, we take human-computer interaction, system design, value creation or organizational perspectives.
In our seminar, we will examine the design of digital technologies as well as their impact on individuals and organizations. In doing so, we link the offered topics to our ongoing research, which has been and is currently being published at leading international outlets.
1. Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K. & Yoo, Y. Handbook of Digital Innovation. 2–12 (2020) doi:10.4337/9781788119986.00008.
Interested in learning more about digital innovation? Feel free to have a look at our master course IS 607 (https://www.bwl.uni-mannheim.de/en/heinzl/teaching/digital-innovation/) and/
or see Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K. & Yoo, Y. Handbook of Digital Innovation, (2020), doi:10.4337/9781788119986. Objectives of the Seminar
In this seminar, you will acquire the ability to identify, classify, and evaluate existing research. You will learn how to develop your own research agenda as well as to present and discuss it with the participants of the seminar. You will be taught different techniques of scientific work and writing so that you will be prepared in the best possible way for the conception and writing of your Master's thesis. We offer various different topic areas, which hopefully raise your interest.
HWS 2025
Registration
You may register via our online registration tool (accessible inside the university network or via VPN). During the registration period, you can select the seminar in the registration form (under ‘Application Details’ à ‘Purpose’)
Registration period: see schedule
Requirements:
- Short informal letter of motivation (maximum 1 page):
Please select a topic and give reasons for your choice, i.e., what are you particularly interested in and what do you want to learn. Please also provide two alternative topics.
- Provide your CV and your transcript of records.
We will not consider applications via e-mail or with incomplete data in the registration tool.
Topics
Students are asked to write a short letter of motivation (maximum 1 page) to choose a topic and briefly justify your choice. This letter of motivation will be considered as the key reference for seminar entry, in addition to the CV and the transcript of records.
Topic Description Supervisor mobile health technologies Mobile health technologies (mHealth) are becoming increasingly important tools for digital healthcare delivery and have been a recurring focus in Information Systems (IS) research for several years. In this seminar thesis, students are expected to conduct a structured literature review of mHealth-related studies published in major IS journals (specifically those included in the AIS Senior Scholars' “Basket of 11”). The task involves synthesizing and analyzing the identified literature to provide a comprehensive overview of key topic areas, research contexts, research methodologies, and methods applied. The thesis should also identify gaps and propose directions for future research, with the overall goal of assessing the current state and future trajectory of the mHealth literature stream within IS research. An introductory overview is provided by: Fürstenau, D., Gersch, M., & Schreiter, S. (2023). Digital Therapeutics (DTx). Business & Information Systems Engineering, 65(3), 349–360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-023-00804-z Mechthild Pieper Computationally Intensive Theory Constructions Computationally intensive theory development is a novel and increasingly adopted approach in Information Systems (IS) research, enabling the generation and advancement of theory from large-scale digital trace data by combining computational methods with rigorous interpretive analysis. In this seminar thesis, students are expected to review literature on how this methodology has been applied in IS. This includes outlining its methodological foundations and approach, identifying all relevant studies (including earlier work that aligns with the approach) that draw on this approach, analyzing the types of data, contexts, and methods used in those studies, and providing recommendations for future research using this methodology. Good starting points are: Berente, N., Seidel, S., & Safadi, H. (2019). Research Commentary—Data-Driven Computationally Intensive Theory Development. Information Systems Research, 30(1), 50–64. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2018.0774 Miranda, S., Berente, N., Seidel, S., Safadi, H., & Burton-Jones, A. (2022). Computationally Intensive Theory Construction: A Primer for Authors and Reviewers. MIS Quarterly, 46(2), iii–xviii. Mechthild Pieper Generative AI, agency, socio-materiality This seminar thesis investigates the concept of socio-material agency by reviewing interdisciplinary literature on material agency, technological agency, and computational agency. The study examines how agency is ascribed to non-human entities—such as artifacts, systems, and algorithms—and explores whether such forms of agency can exist independently of human intention, cognition, or interaction. The thesis aims to synthesize theoretical and empirical perspectives on how agency emerges at the intersection of human and non-human actors. Building on this foundation, the thesis will conceptualize the agency of generative AI systems, particularly large language models (LLMs) and large vision models (LVMs), evaluating the extent to which these systems exhibit autonomous, emergent, or hybrid forms of agency. Ultimately, the thesis seeks to contribute a nuanced understanding of AI agency within socio-material assemblages and proposes frameworks for analyzing its implications across social, organizational, and ethical contexts. A good starting point is the review of socio-materiality provided in: Zhang, Z., Yoo, Y., Lyytinen, K., & Lindberg, A. (2021). The Unknowability of Autonomous Tools and the Liminal Experience of Their Use. Information Systems Research, 32(4), 1192–1213. Deborah Mateja AI generated avatars, affordances of new technologies This seminar thesis investigates the affordances of avatars and AI-generated avatars through a structured literature review. While the thesis should consider AI-generated avatars broadly, special emphasis is placed on life-sized embodiments. The thesis should synthesize relevant research primarily from the AIS Senior Scholars' “Basket of 11” journals, complemented by high-quality publications from related disciplines where appropriate. It should examine key affordances and challenges in the use of AI-generated and AI-controlled avatars. The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape, identify gaps, and propose directions for future work on avatars and AI-generated and controlled avatars. Possible starting points are: Seymour, M., Yuan, L. I., Dennis, A., & Riemer, K. (2021). Have we crossed the uncanny valley? Understanding affinity, trustworthiness, and preference for realistic digital humans in immersive environments. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 22(3), 9. Vallis, C., Wilson, S., Gozman, D. et al. Student Perceptions of AI-Generated Avatars in Teaching Business Ethics: We Might not be Impressed. Postdigit Sci Educ 6, 537–555 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-023-00407-7 Steffen, Jacob Heaton et al. “Framework of Affordances for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.” Journal of Management Information Systems 36 (2019): 683 – 729. Bastian Schieck human computer interaction The Uncanny Valley has significantly impacted the understanding of digital representations in human-computer interaction, particularly with avatars and other virtual entities. The Uncanny Valley refers to the unsettling emotional response that occurs when a digital entity appears almost human, but not quite, evoking feelings of eeriness or discomfort. From robots, digital assistants to avatars in video games and e-commerce platforms, nearly humanlike representations elicit complex emotional responses, including eeriness and discomfort. As the use of such avatars becomes more prevalent, it is essential to explore how the Uncanny Valley is conceptualised, measured, and applied in various digital contexts. While research has highlighted the potential impact of the Uncanny Valley on emotional reactions, there remains a lack of clarity on how humanlikeness can be operationalised and manipulated. Methods to measure and quantify uncanny experiences are varied, and little is understood about the antecedents, moderators, and consequences that influence these emotional reactions across different digital environments. This bachelor thesis aims to fill these gaps by conducting a structured literature review on the Uncanny Valley and its operationalisations and theorising. The student will investigate the various approaches used to manipulate humanlikeness and examine the factors that influence emotional responses to avatars and digital characters. By critically reviewing existing studies, the thesis will provide valuable insights into the theoretical foundations, practical applications, and implications of the Uncanny Valley in contemporary digital Rosa Holtzwart Platform Governance Digital platforms implement various governance structures to manage ecosystem innovation and control ecosystem dynamics. These governance frameworks consist of rules, policies, and control mechanisms that platforms use to coordinate innovation activities and regulate ecosystem evolution between different participant groups. While strategic management literature frequently examines network brokering concepts and applies resource dependence theory to understand how platforms manage innovation dependencies and ecosystem dynamics between network participants, in the digital platform literature it surprisingly has evaded scrutiny. This seminar thesis will conduct a literature review of platform governance research with specific focus on network brokering concepts and resource dependence theory. Tobias Maier Explainable AI, Learning, Human-AI Collaboration While explainable AI has traditionally focused on individual decision-making, XAI's potential lies in repeated interactions that enable users to learn about both the task domain and AI system behavior through explanations. However, research on XAI as a learning tool remains scarce. This thesis should investigate how human learning can be supported by different XAI approaches and which explanation methods are especially useful for fostering domain expertise and AI understanding. Students are expected to conduct a structured literature review examining the educational potential of various XAI techniques and identify research gaps in this emerging area. Furthermore, if time permits, students can develop an experimental design and conduct a small-scale experiment testing how different explanation types affect learning outcomes, measuring both task knowledge acquisition and AI system comprehension. Ellenrieder, Sara; Kallina, Emma Marlene; Pumplun, Luisa; Gawlitza, Joshua Felix; Ziegelmayer, Sebastian; and Buxmann, Peter, “Promoting Learning Through Explainable Artificial Intelligence: An Experimental Study in Radiology” (2023). ICIS 2023 Proceedings. 3. Florian Rüffer Graph Neural Networks, Patient Similarity, Explainable AI Providing similar examples with comparable or contrasting outcomes represents a promising strategy for explaining healthcare AI decisions. However, finding similar patients is inherently difficult due to challenges in defining meaningful similarity and black-box model behavior. Graph Neural Networks can be utilized to learn patient relationships and extract meaningful similarity representations for generating interpretable example-based explanations. This thesis should review how GNNs are applied for patient similarity computation and example-based explanations in healthcare AI. Students should analyze different GNN approaches, similarity learning methods, and identify research gaps in this emerging area. If time permits, students can implement a small prototype demonstrating GNN-based patient similarity for explanation generation. Basic coding skills are advantageous. Florian Rüffer Software platforms, Platform governance, Generative AI, AI Agents Software platforms are fundamentally structured according to a core-periphery model and follow a modular, app-based logic. According to this logic, users engage with discrete applications predominantly developed by third-party providers, which are distributed through centralized distribution channels governed by the platform owner (e.g., Apple's App Store, Google Play Store). This app-centric logic has not only shaped the design of user interfaces and interactions but has also deeply influenced platform governance and ecosystem value creation. Recent technological advancements, most notably the emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), are beginning to influence this established logic. Rather than navigating between individual apps, users may interact with AI agents that mediate tasks across different modules. As such, established platform owners integrate GenAI functionality into their platform core. A more radical development was showcased in 2024, when Deutsche Telekom unveiled a prototype of an “app-less phone”, which replaces traditional app-based interfaces with an AI-driven assistant as primary mode of access to functionalities. In a seminar thesis within this topic area, students are expected to review extant research on platform ecosystems and AI agents and critically assess the evolving role of GenAI and its transformational impact on digital platforms. André Halckenhäußer Course Outline & Schedule
Event Time Period / Deadline Deliverables Registration Period 25.08. – 28.08.2025 (23:59) Registration via the online tool – Attach your CV, transcript, and motivation letter Sending of Confirmations 04.09.2025 (midday) Withdrawal Deadline 05.09.2025 (midday) Kick-Off Meeting 09.09.2025, 15:00 pm – 15:45 pm Room: A001, L 15, 1–6 Participation in the kick-off introductory event
Contact and meeting with your supervisor1st Milestone 23.09.2025 Submit first draft to your supervisor: Detailed outline – Bibliography 2nd Milestone 21.10.2025 Submit second draft to your supervisor: Table of contents – Introduction: fully formulated – Methodology: fully formulated – Results: structured draft – Discussion: structured draft Submission of Paper 04.11.2025 (midday) The seminar paper must be submitted in digital and printed form on the submission day. Send the PDF version by 12:00 pm at the latest via email to Désirée Zercher (zercher@uni-mannheim.de) and CC the chair's secretariat (wifo1@uni-mannheim.de) as well as your *supervisor*. Additionally, two printed copies must be submitted to the secretariat on the same day. The submission is only considered complete if all three steps are completed on time. Submission of Presentation 13.11.2025 (midday) Optional: Ask your supervisor for feedback on the presentation in advance – Send your presentation in PDF format via email to Désirée Zercher Presentation 18.11.2025 & possibly 19.11.2025 Room: Experience Lab Attend the seminar and actively participate in the discussion on the seminar day – Present and discuss your seminar paper in the joint workshop – Discussion and feedback for at least one seminar paper of other students Literature
- Webster, J., & Watson, R. (2002). Analyzing the Past to Prepare for the Future: Writing a Literature Review. MIS Q., 26.
- Leidner, Dorothy E. (2018) “Review and Theory Symbiosis: An Introspective Retrospective,” Journal of the Association for Information Systems: Vol. 19 : Iss. 6 , Article 1.
To access the literature you have to be in the VPN of the University of Mannheim.