Overview

Welcome to the Writing Practices course. This course aims to prepare you for performing writing tasks in academic contexts. In this course you will be introduced to basic academic writing skills. You will learn how the principles and structures of academic writing work when you are composing a variety of scripts. This course covers a wide variety of topics related to academic writing that will prepare you for presenting arguments, describing scientific processes and comparing objects and ideas. Course Positioning  This course is an intermediate level course in academic writing, intended for learners who have basic proficiency in reading and writing in English. The knowledge gained from this course will help you write effectively in most academic situations. System Requirements for the Course  You would need a functional computer, a steady internet connection, a good browser, and access to Google Drive for this course. 

Syllabus

Course Introduction

This module introduces you to the course. The course introductory video orients you to the skills and knowledge you will acquire through this course. You will also meet and greet your peers around the globe through a discussion prompt.

Introduction to Academic Writing

This module introduces you to the course and some of the fundamental aspects of academic writing. You will explore the purpose, types, and features of academic writing. You will also gain insights into issues of originality, integrity, and plagiarism in academic writing. You will learn how originality in writing involves following academic norms and respecting intellectual property rights when gathering and presenting ideas. You will learn that integrity is a related concept, and it comes into play when the author learns to build on others’ ideas without claiming the borrowed ideas or words as zir own. You will also learn when one claims others’ work or ideas as one’s own, and how it amounts to plagiarism.

Structure of Paragraphs

In this module, you will review the process of gathering ideas, writing the topic sentences, supporting details, and the concluding sentence in a paragraph using signposts for connecting ideas within it. You will learn about gathering ideas through brainstorming that may involve strategies like idea map creation, establishing connections among the generated ideas, and keeping the paragraph focused in terms of content. In the next step, you will create a topic sentence that captures the main idea of the paragraph. You will learn how the topic sentences are followed by adequate and focused supporting ideas or details. Lastly, you will also learn a concluding sentence which reaffirms that the topic sentence helps you bring the paragraph to a proper end.

Writing Argumentative, Cause-Effect, and Comparison Paragraphs

This module focuses on writing argumentative, cause-effect, and comparison paragraphs. You will learn about argumentative paragraphs focusing on supporting or opposing claims to convince or persuade readers. You will then learn about the cause-effect paragraphs illustrating the reasons behind certain events and connect the results with the reasons. You will also learn about comparison paragraphs highlighting the similarities and differences between two objects or ideas.

Writing Paragraphs on Problem-Solution, Process, and Visual Information

This module focuses on writing paragraphs on problem-solution, process, and visual information. You will learn about problem-solution paragraphs that typically describe a problem and a solution to the problem. You will learn how process paragraphs usually explain the steps to achieve certain results. You will also gain insights into how paragraphs, based on visual information, often describe information presented through tables and diagrams.

Elements of Writing

This module focuses on the elements of academic writing. You will learn how to use language in a grammatically correct manner, especially punctuation and articles. You will familiarize yourself with the use of conditionals in academic writing. You will explore the utility of paraphrasing and summarizing in academic writing and how to paraphrase and summarize academic texts systematically.